Drivers education
For teens, this is the biggest line item, and it is required under 18. WMST teen packages run from $649 to $799 depending on how much testing and warm-up you bundle in. The most popular Gold package is $725. Every package includes the full 30 hours of classroom, 6 behind-the-wheel drives, and observation. Compare them on the Teen Drivers Education page.
The state test and license fees
On top of the course, you pay the Department of Licensing directly. These are the current published fees:
- First instruction permit: $35, valid one year. Renewing it later is $25, replacing a lost one is $20.
- First driver license: $111 for six years, or $131 for eight. That figure is a $50 application fee, a $10 per year issuance fee, and a $1 technology fee bundled together.
- Knowledge test: $25 at WMST, which covers up to three attempts. The DOL lists this as varying by location.
- Skills test: $50 scheduled with WMST, or $65 as a walk-in at our Everett office.
Fees do change, so confirm the current amounts on the DOL fee page before you go. Budget a little extra in case a test needs a retake.
Adults
Adults skip the required course today and pay only the state fees, though most book a few lessons so they pass the first time. WMST adult lessons start at $75 an hour, with packages that bundle the skills test. One or two lessons is often cheaper than a couple of failed test attempts and the stress that comes with them.
The honest math
Put together, a typical Snohomish County teen going through WMST lands around $870 to $1,020 all in: the drivers ed package at $649 to $799, the $35 permit, the $25 knowledge test, the $50 skills test, and the $111 license at the end.
An adult skipping the course pays far less to the state, roughly $221 for the permit, both tests, and the license, plus whatever lessons they choose to book.
The single best way to keep either number down is to pass each test the first time. Retakes cost money, but mostly they cost weeks.