The Cheshire DMV Testing Center at 1625 Highland Avenue gives one service: learner’s permit knowledge tests, by appointment only. It doesn’t accept walk-ins, and it doesn’t give motorcycle or CDL knowledge tests, road tests, or license, ID and registration services. The test has 25 questions and you need 20 correct to pass, and the $40 testing fee covers your vision test, knowledge test and later road test.
Cheshire DMV Testing Center Address and Availability
| Detail | Cheshire DMV Testing Center |
|---|---|
| Address | 1625 Highland Avenue, Cheshire, CT 06410 (get directions) |
| Hours | By appointment only; available times appear when you book |
| Services | Learner’s permit knowledge tests only |
| Not offered | Motorcycle and CDL knowledge tests, road tests, and license, ID or registration services |
| Walk-ins | Not accepted; an appointment is required |
| Fees | $40 testing fee and $19 for the learner’s permit |
| Phone | No direct line is published for the testing center. Call the DMV Contact Center at (860) 263-5700, Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. |
How to Book a Permit Test at Cheshire
Permit tests at Cheshire are booked online through the DMV’s appointment system:
- Go to Make or change a DMV appointment on the CT DMV website.
- Choose the learner’s permit knowledge test.
- Pick the Cheshire Testing Center and choose an open time.
If No Test Times Are Available
The appointment system updates in real time, and new slots are added regularly, so check back if Cheshire is booked. You can also take the learner’s permit test at a hub office: Waterbury and Hamden are the closest, and both also give motorcycle knowledge tests. The New Britain branch office doesn’t give knowledge tests.
What to Bring to Your Permit Test
- Acceptable identification documents, including proof of Connecticut residency
- A completed and signed Application for Non-Commercial Learner’s Permit and/or Driver’s License (Form R-229)
- Your work zone safety certificate
- Glasses or contact lenses, if you need them for the vision test
- Payment for the $40 testing fee and the $19 learner’s permit
- For 16- and 17-year-olds: a parent or guardian, or a Certificate of Parental Consent (form 2-D) if one can’t attend
About the Connecticut Permit Test
Test Format
You’ll take a vision test first, then a 25-question knowledge test based on the Connecticut driver’s manual. You need at least 20 correct answers to pass. If you don’t pass the vision test, you’ll need to reschedule before you can take the knowledge test.
Languages
The computer test is offered in Albanian, Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, English, French, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese. Paper tests are available in many more languages, including Haitian Creole, Hindi, Korean, Ukrainian and Urdu.
If You Fail
You’ll need to wait seven days before taking the knowledge test again.
Learner’s Permit Rules for Teens and Adults
16- and 17-Year-Olds
Teens need 30 hours of classroom training, including a safety course, plus two hours of parent training and 40 hours of supervised practice driving. Your supervising driver must have held a license for at least four years. You must hold your permit for at least 120 days if you trained at a commercial driving school or a high school program, or 180 days if you trained at home with a qualified trainer, before you can take your road test.
Adults 18 and Older
Adults also need a learner’s permit before getting a driver’s license. Adult learner’s permits are valid for two years.
Where to Take Your Road Test
Cheshire doesn’t give road tests. When you’re ready, book one at a hub office such as Waterbury or Hamden, or at the New Britain branch office, which gives road tests even though it doesn’t give knowledge tests. Your $40 testing fee already covers the road test.
Before You Go: Payment and Holiday Closures
Accepted Payment Methods
The Cheshire office accepts cash, money orders, personal checks, bank checks, American Express, Mastercard, Visa, Discover and most debit cards with a Mastercard or Visa logo. Make checks payable to DMV. Checks drawn on foreign banks and third-party checks aren’t accepted.
Holiday Closures
DMV offices are closed on Connecticut state holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Lincoln’s Birthday, Washington’s Birthday, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. When a holiday falls on a Saturday, offices close on the Friday before.
Tips for Your Cheshire Permit Test
- Book online before you go. Cheshire doesn’t take walk-ins.
- Study the driver’s manual. Every question on the 25-question test comes from it.
- Bring your glasses or contacts. The vision test comes before the knowledge test.
- Teens, bring a parent or guardian. If neither can come, bring a signed Certificate of Parental Consent (form 2-D).
Other DMV Offices Near Cheshire
For a motorcycle knowledge test, a road test or any other DMV service, try one of these offices:
- Waterbury DMV: 2210 Thomaston Avenue, full-service hub office
- Hamden DMV: 1985 State Street, full-service hub office
- New Britain DMV: 85 North Mountain Road, branch office that gives road tests but not knowledge tests
- Wethersfield DMV: 60 State Street, full-service hub office and DMV headquarters
For every location, see our guide to Connecticut DMV offices.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Cheshire is one of three Connecticut DMV locations, along with Putnam and Stamford, that don’t accept walk-ins. Book your permit test online before you go.
Only learner’s permit knowledge tests. It doesn’t give motorcycle or CDL knowledge tests or road tests.
The knowledge test has 25 questions based on the Connecticut driver’s manual, and you need at least 20 correct answers to pass.
The testing fee is $40, which covers the vision test, knowledge test and road test. The learner’s permit itself costs $19.
You’ll need to wait seven days before you can take the knowledge test again.
No. Book your road test at a hub office such as Waterbury or Hamden, or at the New Britain branch office.
Conclusion
The Cheshire DMV Testing Center at 1625 Highland Avenue is the place for one thing: learner’s permit knowledge tests, by appointment only. Book online, study the driver’s manual, bring your ID documents, application and glasses if you need them, and plan to take your road test later at Waterbury, Hamden or New Britain.

Add Comment