In Michigan, all drivers, regardless of age, must obtain a learner’s permit (“learner’s license”) before applying for a driver’s license. The learner’s permit allows you to practice driving under supervision. One crucial requirement to obtain a learner’s permit is to pass three official tests: a vision test, a road signs test, and a learner’s permit (knowledge) test on driving theory. You must take the road signs and permit tests at an DOS branch office, not online. If you’re under 18, you must provide signed consent from a parent or guardian. You must also complete a driver’s education course before you obtain a learner’s permit. (Note that the course includes six behind-the-wheel lessons, which you’ll be doing even before you get the permit.)
All questions on the knowledge test are based on information in the official Michigan DOS driver’s 2025 handbook (Michigan DMV Handbook (MI Driver's Manual) 2025). The DOS currently publishes versions of this manual in nine languages, of which we currently offer two for your convenience: English and Spanish. These versions of the manual can be easily downloaded from this webpage in PDF format.
The knowledge and road signs tests have a combined questions, more than the tests in any other US state. Unfortunately, more than half of aspiring drivers who had read the official driver’s manual before the knowledge and road signs tests failed on their first attempt.
Our test preparation program includes a graduated series of practice tests accompanied by our AI assistant. It can give you hints and explanations and answer your questions to help you learn driving theory. Our program works – guaranteed!
We have also created an audiobook of the English version of the official driver’s manual. It’s formatted as a downloadable series of seven MP3 files, one for each chapter of the handbook: Your Driver’s License, Your Driving Record, Voter Registration and State IDs, and so on. The longest chapter is Chapter 4: Traffic Laws, whose running time is 42 minutes and 6 seconds. The total running time of this audiobook is approximately 2 hours, 25 minutes, and 15 seconds, so you should be able to go through the whole thing in a couple of days.
In addition to the official handbook, we also offer our own permit test study guide (available elsewhere on this website) to help you get ready for the day of your Michigan knowledge test. It covers how to prepare yourself for an official multiple-choice test, what documents to take, frequently missed test questions, and other tips.