Minnesota DMV Handbook (MN Driver’s Manual) 2025

In Minnesota, all drivers, regardless of age, must obtain an instruction permit before applying for a driver’s license. One crucial requirement to obtain an instruction permit is to pass two official tests: a vision test and an instruction permit (knowledge) test on driving theory. You may take the permit test at a DVS exam station or a third-party proctor (for a fee). If you’re under 18, you must provide signed consent from a parent or guardian. You must also have completed at least the first 15 hours of the classroom portion of a driver’s education course. You must complete the entire course (including driving practice) before you take the road test for a license.

All questions on the knowledge test are based on information in the official Minnesota DVS driver’s 2025 handbook (Minnesota DMV Handbook (MN Driver's Manual) 2025). The DVS currently publishes versions of this manual in eleven 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.

You should study this manual, but even this may not ensure you pass the permit test. (In 2020 – 2023, about 39.5% of applicants failed the DVS knowledge test on their first attempt.) Please follow our entire test preparation program, including our 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. We guarantee our program works!

We have also created an audiobook of the English version of the official driver’s manual. It’s formatted as a downloadable series of ten MP3 files, one for each chapter of the handbook, plus the introduction: test checklists, your license, your vehicle, and so on. The longest chapter is Chapter 1: Your License to Drive, whose running time is 46 minutes and 20 seconds. The total running time of this audiobook is approximately 3 hours, 48 minutes, and 47 seconds, so you should be able to go through the whole thing in a few days. Try listening to an audiobook file while you follow along with the text of the PDF version. This technique can help you concentrate on the material.

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 Minnesota knowledge test. It covers how to prepare your mind and body to ace the test, what documents to take to the DVS, fees you may have to pay, and frequently missed knowledge test questions.