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Please note: After passing the knowledge test, you will need to come in to a service center to be issued your permit.  Schedule an appointment

Skip the Trip

Skip the trip 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.

Skip the trip 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. See the map below.

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

School name City
Lone Tree Community School District Lone Tree
Iowa City West Senior High Iowa City
Gateway High School Ottumwa
Ballard Community School District Huxley
Prairie High School Cedar Rapids
Boys & Girls Club of Central Iowa Des Moines
Dubuque Driving Academy Dubuque
Clear Lake Middle School Clear Lake
Marion Independent School District Marion
Kennedy High School Cedar Rapids
Clear Lake High School Clear Lake
Carroll High School Carroll
Dubuque Community School District - Alta Vista Campus Dubuque
North Linn Community School District Coggon
North Iowa Community School District Buffalo Center
Griswold Community School District Griswold
Louisa-Muscatine School District Muscatine
Ames Community School District Ames
Anamosa Community Schools Anamosa
Eastern Allamakee Community School District Lansing
Easton Valley High School Preston
Eldora-New Providence CSD Eldora
English Valleys CSD North English
Fairfield High School Fairfield
Humboldt Middle School Humboldt
Mount Ayr Community School District Mount Ayr
North Scott High School Eldridge
Norwalk High School Norwalk
Ottumwa High School Ottumwa
St. Ansgar Community Schools St. Ansgar
West Fork School District Sheffield
Chariton Community School District Chariton
Belmond-Klemme CSD Belmond
Iowa Homeless Youth Center Des Moines
Dallas Center Grimes Grimes
Adair Casey Community Adair
AGWSR Ackley
Albia High School Albia
Aplington-Parkersburg Middle School Aplington
Bellevue Community School District Bellevue
Berg Middle School (Newton Community Schools) Newton
Brooklyn-Guernsey-Malson Jr-Sr High School Brooklyn
CAM Community School District Anita
Centerville High School Centerville
Central City High School Central City
Charter Oak-Ute Community School District Charter Oak
Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Clarion
Colo-Nesco Community School Colo
Creston Middle School Creston
Denison Job Corps Denison
Drive with Cops Urbandale
Safer Driving Solutions Richland
Durant High School Durant
East Union Community School District Afton
Essex Community School Essex
Fairfield Middle Fairfield
Forest City High School Forest City
Fort Dodge Community School Fort Dodge
Greene County High School Jefferson
Hampton-Dumont High Hampton
Indianola High School Indianola
Keokuk High School Keokuk
Knoxville Middle School Knoxville
Lynnville-Sully High School Sully
Melcher-Dallas High School Melcher-Dallas
Meskwaki Settlement Schools Toledo
MOC-Floyd Valley Orange City
Montezuma High School Montezuma
Moulton-Udell High School Moulton
Nashua-Plainfield Schools Nashua
Newton Senior High Newton
North Butler School District Greene
North Mahaska Jr-Sr High School New Sharon
North Polk Middle School Alleman
North Tama Schools Traer
Ottumwa Job Corps. Ottumwa
Pella Christian Pella
Pella Community Pella
Pleasantville Community School District Pleasantville
Postville Community School District Postville
Roland Story Middle School Roland
Saint Malachy School Creston
Scavo High School Des Moines
Seton Catholic High School Farley
Tri-Center Schools Neola
Twin Cedars Jr-Sr High School Twin Cedars
Urbandale High School Urbandale
Union Schools La Porte City
Waukon Community Schools Waukon
West Hancock Community Schools Britt
Wilton Community School District Wilton
Woodbury Central High School Moville
Boyer-Valley Dunlap
Cardinal Community School District Eldon
Central Lee High School Donnellson
Central Springs High School Manly
Denver High School Denver
Drive Quest LLC Ottumwa
Driven School of Driving Sioux Center
Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont CSD Eddyville
Hawkeye Community College Waterloo
Iowa Falls - Alden High School Iowa Falls
Iowa School for the Deaf Council Bluffs
Keota High School Keota
Lawton-Bronson CSD Lawton
Metro High School Cedar Rapids
Midland Middle/High School Wyoming
Monticello High School Monticello
Moulton-Udell High School Moulton
Payton-Churdan CSD Churdan
Pekin Community High School Packwood
PCM Community School District Monroe
Sigourney Jr./Sr. High School Sigourney
Sumner-Fredricksburg Sumner
Vocational Rehab Des Moines/Ottumwa/Council Bluffs
Waukee Timberline School Waukee
Waverly Shell-Rock High School Waverly
Waverly Shell-Rock Lied Center Waverly
Zion Lutheran School Denison
Goodrell Middle School Des Moines
Edgewood-Colesburg Jr Sr High Edgewood
Davenport West High School Davenport
Waterloo Community School District Waterloo
West Delaware County Community School District Manchester
Ar-We-Va Community School Westside
Council Bluffs Community School District Council Bluffs
Elkhorn Kimballton Elkhorn
Winfield Mt. Union Jr-Sr High School Winfield
Training Wheels Driver Education Knoxville
Transition Alliance Program Cedar Falls
Tri-County High School Thornburg
Perry Community Schools Perry
WACO Community School District Wayland
Beckman Catholic High School Dyersville
Thomas Jefferson High School Cedar Rapids
St. Vincent de Paul Des Moines
MidCity High School Davenport
Davenport North High School Davenport
Davenport Central High School Davenport
Moravia High School Moravia
Clarksville Community School District Clarksville
Dubuque Community School District Dubuque
Diagonal Community School Diagonal

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