Manual car test?

35 comments

1. You take the test in the car you show up in, and you don’t need a separate license to drive stick. Really the only people who drive sticks are car nerds or people with really old cars. If you’re just driving to work and back, there’s no real reason to seek out a stick shift.

2. One test fits all in the USA– you can take the license test with an automatic, then legally drive a manual.

3. I don’t think most states differentiate licensing between manual and automatic.

   Even in the UK most new car sales are automatic nowadays, aren’t they?

   Outside of imported sports cars ,its pretty much impossible to find a manual nowadays. 20 years ago you could find some sedans with a manual version and save a couple thousand bucks but those days are gone.

4. Drivers licenses are a matter of state law, not federal, so theoretically the answer could vary among states. That being said, I’d be surprised if there’s any state where it’s not one test for all cars, manual or automatic.

5. It doesn’t matter which car you use to take your test and you don’t need a separate license to drive either a manual or an automatic. I took my test in a manual and the instructor didn’t say anything about it sooo yeah

6. Lol a “driving stick”?

   I have never heard anyone say that before.

7. We also call them manuals or manual transmissions.

8. It’s not the same here. If you can’t drive manual transmission, you simply won’t be driving manual transmission cars around town.

9. You take the test in the vehicle you bring. If you want to drive a manual it’s up to you to learn how to do so safely. There probably are private classes you can sign up for, never looked for them but I would be surprised if they don’t exist. If you drive a manual and aren’t able to do so safely you could be pulled over for it. Not sure what the ticket would be, probably some kind of “unsafe operation of a vehicle” offense.

10. One license fits all.

    Actually driving between the two transmissions just really isn’t that different that they should require a different license.

11. If you are getting a commercial drivers license, the type of transmission matters. If you test in an automatic you will have a manual restriction. If you test in a manual, you will have no restriction.

    For non commercial licenses, it doesn’t matter.

12. Just one test in whichever car you bring to test on.

13. Most people here learn to drive stick in an empty parking lot if they want to. There’s no reason you have to know how to drive stick here though, most of our cars are automatics by a wide margin.

14. It’s one license for any non-commercial vehicle regardless of transmission.

    I learned how to drive standard from the get go so every car besides one I’ve ever owned and the one I currently own is standard

15. Every state is going to be different on how or if they do a driving test. In Texas, at least in 2001, there was no driving test required. I just googled it and that is no longer the case but I can’t figure out when that change was made.

16. You test in your own car typically, if you drive a manual, you test in a manual. If not, you don’t.

    You do not need a special license or drive a manual, you won’t be legally stopped, but someone who has never driven a manual will probably have a lot of trouble even getting out of the parking lot, but they won’t be ticketed.

17. I do not understand why anyone would want to drive a manual transmission unless they’re someone who is really into niche cars.

18. You can drive either to get a license.

    I really don’t see the need in having a distinction since people who can’t drive stick won’t drive stick.

19. One test fits all. You can take your test on an automatic and legally drive a manual whenever you want.

20. Driver’s tests in the USA are universally a joke. Mine was ~4 min long. 1 test for anything that’s not a CDL (commercial drivers license, aka “big truck” / RV / Bus ). Stick/auto doesn’t matter, but there are not universally agreed upon rules* for manual trans for a driver’s test, so use an automatic car.

    –

    *rolling up to a stop in gear, on clutch vs N and no clutch

    **waiting at a red light in gear or not

21. Manual transmissions aren’t really used in America anymore except by those driving very old cars or those who are car enthusiasts who like them. Almost every car comes with an automatic transmission as a default. Because of that we test on whatever car you bring and usually that’s an automatic. My Dad taught me how to drive manual.

22. It’s one test fits all. Most people test on an automatic and there is no license difference for a manual. Some people don’t even take a test. I got my license after spending a few weeks driving around with an instructor and he just signed off on me being good without doing a formal test. I had learned how to drive on a manual because that is what my dad drove, but the instructor drove an automatic so that is what I “tested” on.

    Edit: To make it clear, driver’s licenses are done at a state level. Every state is going to have different requirements for the testing process as far as what you do to qualify for a test, how the test is run, and what skills are tested.

23. We don’t have anything like that. I had to explain that to some Brits I met in Spain last summer.

    They were amazed that I could even drive a manual and asked if I had a manual license. I had no idea what that meant and in talking, I learned that they have different tests. We don’t have anything like that.

    My boneheaded friend bought a car online only to find out it was a manual. I had to teach him how to drive it.

    Edit: here there’s only a handful of cars with manual as an available option. Going the way of the dodo bird.

24. Yeah and it sucks. I wish I could find a new, regular car or truck with a manual transmission. Rented some four-banger with a stick in Croatia a few years back … so miss jamming those gears.

25. Driving stick shift was becoming a thing of the past when I took my test 30 years ago. I’d imagine the number of Americans in their 20s who know how is extremely small.

26. We’ve never had separate licenses for that.

    And at this point ~98% of new car sales are automatic so it’s becoming very unlikely that you’re ever going to even encounter a manual unless you specifically seek one out to drive.

27. Only time testing in a manual matters is with a commercial driver license.

    They will put a restriction if you test in an automatic

28. There is no test for stick/manual in U.S. or different license designations.

29. You can take the test with any car. Once you pass the test, you can drive an auto or manual.

    I took my test at a driving school that only offered an automatic Acura Legend. I later learned how to drive a manual on a motorcycle and then later I owned a manual car. I have only taken a driving test twice. Once for cars and once for motorcycles.

30. In the US there’s just one test, no separate ones for manual and automatic transmissions.

31. One test fits em all. At least for passenger vehicles. My driver’s license doesn’t let me ride motorcycles or drive 18 wheelers.

    If I get my driver’s license I can drive any passenger car regardless of transmission legally. That said, manuals are exceedingly rare here because they’re impractical for the average commuter. The only people who learn manual are those who are driving hobbyists who own a European sports car and go driving it around a scenic route for fun, race car drivers, or people doing a lot of off-roading. (Or old folks who started driving before automatica became standard).

    The vast majority of drivers here have a car just for their daily commute and getting around and so manual is just an added inconvenience more than anything else.

    What I’m getting at is it’s so rare that having a separate test for it would be silly cause the only people seeking out manual cars are those who already know how to drive them and are car enthusiasts. Otherwise, 99% of the cars you might ever encounter are automatic here.

32. Learned on an automatic and took my test on one. Then I learned to drive a stick. I can do it, but I hate it. I’ve always been an overly cautious driver, manuals give me major anxiety.

33. One test fits all

34. Something like 96% of our cars are automatics. Having a seperate test and license for manuals would be rather pointless- if you don’t know how to drive a stick and get into one, you’re probably not even get it started as opposed to driving it unsafely and creating a safety hazard.

35. It’s just one test. You can take the driving test in whatever car you show up in. If you took it in an automatic, no one will ever know because it’s not really noted down anywhere, and you can still drive manuals if you know how.