Skip the Trip

Skip the trip and take an online permit test at home or at a participating school.

Take a Permit Test at Home

Students can take the web-based knowledge test that is required to obtain a driver’s instruction permit in the comfort of their own home. Your school does not need to participate in the skip the trip program to be able to do the home option.

Requirements

To apply to take the test at home:

  • The student must be within 30 days of their 14th birthday and younger than 18.
  • The student will need an electronic device (not a phone or tablet) connected to the Internet.
  • The parent/guardian administering the test must have a valid Iowa driver's license.

How to Take the Test

  1. The parent/guardian completes and submits the Application to Proctor Knowledge Exam form. Please allow 7-14 days to process your application.
  2. The parent/guardian and student will receive an email with instructions for taking and administering the test. The link sent in the email will expire after 72 hours. If it expires, you will need to fill out the application to apply again.
  3. After the test is completed, the student will receive an email with the test results and instructions.
  4. After passing the test, make an appointment to come in to the DMV or a county treasurer's office to be issued the instruction permit. Build a customized list of the required documents necessary to receive your instruction permit.

Take a Permit Test at a Participating School

Skip the Trip allows students to take the web-based knowledge test that is required to obtain a driver’s instruction permit at a participating schools or agency instead of making the trip to a DMV or local county treasurer’s office to complete the test. This allows students to take the test in a familiar and comfortable environment and saves parents and students time away from work or school by potentially reducing the number of trips to the DMV or local county treasurer’s office.

Requirements

  • Be enrolled with a participating school or agency. 

How it Works

  1. Once a student passes the knowledge test at their school, an email verifying their passing results will be sent the student.
  2. After passing the test, make an appointment to come in to the DMV or a county treasurer's office to be issued the instruction permit. Build a customized list of the required documents necessary to receive your instruction permit.

If your school is interested in participating in the Skip the Trip program please email SkipTheTrip.Support@iowadot.us.

Participating Schools

Remote Media URL
School NameCity
Adair Casey CommunityAdair
AGWSRAckley
Albia High SchoolAlbia
Ames Community School DistrictAmes
Anamosa Community SchoolsAnamosa
Ankeny CSDAnkeny
Aplington-Parkersburg Middle SchoolAplington
Ar-We-Va Community SchoolWestside
Ballard Community School DistrictHuxley
Beckman Catholic High SchoolDyersville
Bellevue Community School DistrictBellevue
Belmond-Klemme CSDBelmond
Benton Community Senior High SchoolVan Horne
Berg Middle School (Newton Community Schools)Newton
Boyer Valley Middle School/High SchoolDunlap
Boyer-ValleyDunlap
Boys & Girls Club of Central IowaDes Moines
Brooklyn-Guernsey-Malson Jr-Sr High SchoolBrooklyn
CAM Community School DistrictAnita
Cardinal Community School DistrictEldon
Carroll High SchoolCarroll
Centerville High SchoolCenterville
Central Lee High SchoolDonnellson
Central Springs High SchoolManly
Chariton Community School DistrictChariton
Charter Oak-Ute Community School DistrictCharter Oak
City High SchoolIowa City
Clarion-Goldfield-DowsClarion
Clarksville Community School DistrictClarksville
Clear Lake High SchoolClear Lake
Clear Lake Middle SchoolClear Lake
College Community School DistrictCedar Rapids
Colo-Nesco Community SchoolColo
Council Bluffs Community School DistrictCouncil Bluffs
Creston Middle SchoolCreston
Dallas Center GrimesGrimes
Davenport Central High SchoolDavenport
Davenport North High SchoolDavenport
Davenport West High SchoolDavenport
Denison Job CorpsDenison
Denver High SchoolDenver
Diagonal Community SchoolDiagonal
Drive Quest LLCOttumwa
Drive with CopsUrbandale
Driven School of DrivingSioux Center
Dubuque Community School DistrictDubuque
Dubuque Community School District - Alta Vista CampusDubuque
Dubuque Driving AcademyDubuque
Durant High SchoolDurant
East Union Community School DistrictAfton
Eastern Allamakee Community School DistrictLansing
Easton Valley High SchoolPreston
Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont CSDEddyville
Edgewood-Colesburg Jr Sr HighEdgewood
Eldora-New Providence CSDEldora
Elizabeth Tate High SchoolIowa City
Elkhorn KimballtonElkhorn
Empigo AcademyDes Moines
Empowering Excellence Charter SchoolCedar Rapids
English Valleys CSDNorth English
Essex Community SchoolEssex
Fairfield High SchoolFairfield
Fairfield MiddleFairfield
Forest City High SchoolForest City
Fort Dodge Community SchoolFort Dodge
Gateway High SchoolOttumwa
Goodrell Middle SchoolDes Moines
Greene County High SchoolJefferson
Greene County Middle SchoolJefferson
Griswold Community School DistrictGriswold
Hampton-Dumont HighHampton
Hawkeye Community CollegeWaterloo
Hoover High SchoolDes Moines
Humboldt Middle SchoolHumboldt
IKM-Manning Community School DistrictManning
Indianola High SchoolIndianola
Iowa City West Senior HighIowa City
Iowa Falls - Alden High SchoolIowa Falls
Iowa Homeless Youth CenterDes Moines
Iowa School for the DeafCouncil Bluffs
Iowa Valley Jr/Sr High SchoolMarengo
Kennedy High SchoolCedar Rapids
Keokuk High SchoolKeokuk
Keota High SchoolKeota
Knoxville Middle SchoolKnoxville
Lawton-Bronson CSDLawton
Liberty High SchoolNorth Liberty
Lincoln High SchoolDes Moines
Lone Tree Community School DistrictLone Tree
Louisa-Muscatine School DistrictMuscatine
Lynnville-Sully High SchoolSully
Marion Independent School DistrictMarion
Melcher-Dallas High SchoolMelcher-Dallas
Meskwaki Settlement SchoolsToledo
Metro High SchoolCedar Rapids
MidCity High SchoolDavenport
Midland Middle/High SchoolWyoming
MOC-Floyd ValleyOrange City
Montezuma High SchoolMontezuma
Monticello High SchoolMonticello
Moravia High SchoolMoravia
Moulton-Udell High SchoolMoulton
Moulton-Udell High SchoolMoulton
Mount Ayr Community School DistrictMount Ayr
Nashua-Plainfield SchoolsNashua
New Hampton High SchoolNew Hampton
Newton Senior HighNewton
North Butler School DistrictGreene
North Iowa Community School DistrictBuffalo Center
North Linn Community School DistrictCoggon
North Mahaska Jr-Sr High SchoolNew Sharon
North Polk Middle SchoolAlleman
North Scott High SchoolEldridge
North Tama SchoolsTraer
Norwalk High SchoolNorwalk
Ottumwa High SchoolOttumwa
Ottumwa Job Corps.Ottumwa
Payton-Churdan CSDChurdan
PCM Community School DistrictMonroe
Pekin Community High SchoolPackwood
Pella ChristianPella
Pella CommunityPella
Perry Community SchoolsPerry
Pleasant Valley High SchoolBettendorf
Pleasantville Community School DistrictPleasantville
Postville Community School DistrictPostville
Prairie High SchoolCedar Rapids
Roland Story Middle SchoolRoland
Safer Driving SolutionsRichland
Saint Malachy SchoolCreston
Scavo High SchoolDes Moines
Sergeant Bluff Luton High SchoolSergeant Bluff
Seton Catholic High SchoolFarley
Sigourney Jr./Sr. High SchoolSigourney
South Tama County High SchoolTama
St. Ansgar Community SchoolsSt. Ansgar
St. Vincent de PaulDes Moines
Sumner-FredricksburgSumner
Thomas Jefferson High SchoolCedar Rapids
Training Wheels Driver EducationKnoxville
Transition Alliance ProgramCedar Falls
Tri-Center SchoolsNeola
Tri-County High SchoolThornburg
Twin Cedars Jr-Sr High SchoolTwin Cedars
Union SchoolsLa Porte City
Urbandale High SchoolUrbandale
Vinton-Shellsburg High SchoolVinton
Vocational RehabDes Moines/Ottumwa/Council Bluffs
WACO Community School DistrictWayland
Washington High SchoolCedar Rapids
Washington High SchoolCedar Rapids
Waterloo Community School DistrictWaterloo
Waukee High SchoolWaukee
Waukee Northwest High SchoolWaukee
Waukee Timberline SchoolWaukee
Waukon Community SchoolsWaukon
Waverly Shell-Rock High SchoolWaverly
Waverly Shell-Rock Lied CenterWaverly
West Delaware County Community School DistrictManchester
West Fork School DistrictSheffield
West Hancock Community SchoolsBritt
Wilton Community School DistrictWilton
Winfield Mt. Union Jr-Sr High SchoolWinfield
Woodbury Central High SchoolMoville
Zion Lutheran SchoolDenison