How licensing works in Wisconsin
Wisconsin teens start with an instruction permit, then get a probationary license with graduated driver licensing (GDL) limits.
| Stage | Minimum age | Main rules |
|---|---|---|
| Instruction permit | 15 | Enrolled in driver education with behind-the-wheel training. Qualified supervisor in front |
| Probationary license with GDL limits | 16, after six months on the permit | 50 practice hours (10 at night). Limits for nine months: midnight–5 a.m. only home, school or work; passenger limits |
| Probationary license, no GDL limits | After nine clean months, or at 18 | Double demerit points while probationary |
Who may supervise a permit holder
The supervisor sits in the front passenger seat and must have at least two years of licensed experience with a regular (not probationary) license. They must be a qualified instructor 19 or older, a parent, guardian or spouse 19 or older, or a person 21 or older (with written parental permission if you are under 18). At night, the supervisor must be an instructor or a licensed person 25 or older.
Once you are 16, one more licensed person 25 or older with two years of experience may ride in a back seat.
GDL limits
- 5 a.m. to midnight: drive alone anywhere.
- Midnight to 5 a.m.: drive alone only between home, school and work.
- Passengers: immediate family, plus one qualified adult and one other passenger.
- Limits last nine months, and a violation or conviction adds six months.
The Wisconsin knowledge and signs tests
| Test | Questions | To pass |
|---|---|---|
| Knowledge test | 50 | 40 correct (80%) |
| Highway signs test | 15 | 12 correct (80%) |
- The knowledge test takes about 45 minutes and is free at a DMV service center.
- Applicants aged 15 to 17 can take the knowledge test online.
- Tests are offered with audio and in many languages.
- No appointment is needed for the signs test.
You also need to pass a vision screening: at least 20/40 in one eye and a 70-degree field of vision from the center of each eye.
Rules specific to Wisconsin
Alcohol
Drivers under 21 must have an alcohol concentration of 0.00%. Refusing a breath or blood test means arrest and the loss of your driving privileges for at least one year.
Phones
Permit and probationary drivers may use a phone only to report an emergency. In construction zones, all drivers are limited to emergency calls, and fines are doubled. Texting while driving is banned for everyone.
School buses
Stop at least 20 feet from a school bus with flashing red lights, whether it is on your side or the opposite side. On a divided highway, drivers on the other side do not need to stop.
On an undivided road, traffic in both directions stops at least 20 feet from the bus.
- School bus with red lights flashing
- Car behind the bus: stop at least 20 feet back
- Oncoming car: stop
Speed limits
- 15 mph in school zones when children are present
- 25 mph in residential areas unless posted
- 35 mph in outlying parts of cities and villages with no posted limit
Points
Twelve or more demerit points in any 12 months lead to suspension or revocation. Probationary drivers get double points. Four major or twelve minor violations in five years make you a habitual offender, with a five-year revocation.
Children, deer and farm equipment
Children ride in a child safety seat until 4, then a booster seat until 8. If you hit a deer, you may keep it or let the next motorist take it, but call police for a tag. No one under 16 may drive a farm tractor on a highway.
Making the most of your practice
Your supervised hours are where you really learn to drive. Plan them instead of leaving them to chance, and ask your supervisor to give you calm, clear feedback after each trip.
- Start in an empty parking lot to learn steering, braking, turning and backing.
- Move on to quiet streets, then busier roads, multi-lane roads and highways.
- Practice at night and in rain, so your first night drive alone is not your first night drive ever.
- Work on the skills a road test checks: full stops, lane changes, turns, parking and backing.
- Say out loud what you see: signs, hazards, and what other road users might do next.
In Wisconsin, you need 50 hours: 40 in daylight and 10 at night. Write down each drive right after it ends, with the date, the time and the conditions, so your log is complete when you apply.
Test tips
- Learn the key numbers: 15, 16, 19, 21, 25, 50 questions, 40 to pass, 15 signs, 12 to pass, 50 hours, nine months, 0.00%, 20 feet, 12 points.
- Study road signs carefully. The signs test is separate.
- Know the different supervisor rules for day and night practice.
Next: the general rules of the road
This guide covers Wisconsin's own rules. The knowledge test also covers right-of-way, turns, passing, parking and safe driving. Study those in our national US driving study guide, then take the full practice tests.