Maryland DMV Permit Practice Test

The Maryland MVA knowledge test stands between you and a learner's permit — and it's the hardest pass threshold in the country. You need 22 out of 25 correct (88%), and the MVA will not tell you which questions you missed if you fail. You only get the score. That means one careless mistake on a sign or a BAC rule can send you back to the waiting room.

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  Under-18 exam25 multiple-choice questions. Pass at 22 correct (88%) — the highest pass threshold of any US state. You have 20 minutes.
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  Adult first-time exam25 questions, same 88% pass requirement (22 correct). The bar does not lower for adults.
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  Application fee$50 at the MVA. Bring the fee, your documents, and your social security number to an MVA branch.
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  Bring with youProof of identity, Maryland residency, and your social security number. If you're under 16, you'll also need the Learner's Permit School Attendance Certification form (DL-300).
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  Under 18? Driver education is requiredYou must complete a Maryland Certified Driver Education program — 30 classroom hours plus 6 hours behind the wheel — before you can apply for a permit.
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  Why MD is tougher than averageAt 88%, Maryland demands near-perfection on 25 questions. You cannot afford to wing any category. The Maryland Driver's Manual covers signs, BAC rules, GDL restrictions, and traffic laws with equal weight.
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  Minimum permit ageYou must be at least 15 years and 9 months old to apply for a learner's permit.

Maryland's 443-question bank splits heaviest into traffic laws (262 questions) and safety (54 questions), with road signs close behind at 49. Those three categories alone account for over 80% of the bank — and of a typical 25-question exam. Learn these and the arithmetic of passing changes in your favor.

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  Road signs & signals (~11 questions of 49 in bank)Sign shapes, colors, regulatory rectangles, warning diamonds, and pavement markings. A flashing red light is a stop sign; a flashing yellow means slow and yield. (Q8993, Q9014)
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  Right-of-way & four-way stopsAt a four-way stop, yield to whoever arrived first. If two cars arrive simultaneously, yield to the driver on your right. (Q9249)
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  Signal before turning — 100 feetBegin signaling about 100 feet before your turn. Keep your front wheels straight until it is safe to turn into the left-turn lane. (Q9348)
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  Railroad crossing — 50 feetYou must not park within 50 feet of the nearest rail at a railroad crossing. Stop well behind any lowered gates and wait for the tracks to fully clear before crossing. (Q9405, Q9029)
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  Following distance — 3 to 4 secondsKeep at least 3 to 4 seconds of following distance under normal conditions. Increase it in rain, fog, or when following a large truck. (Q9409)
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  BAC limit (21+) — 0.08%The MVA will suspend your license for a BAC test result of 0.08% or higher. This is the legal threshold, not the safety threshold — impairment begins well below it. (Q9293)
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  Under-21 BAC — zero toleranceIf you're under 21, any detectable amount of alcohol results in license suspension. On the test, the answer is 'any amount' — not a specific percentage. (Q9356)
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  Chemical test refusalRefusing a BAC test triggers an automatic suspension by the MVA — same as failing the test over 0.08%. Implied consent means you already agreed to testing when you got behind the wheel. (Q8994, Q9232)
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  Speed on freewaysMerge at or near the speed of traffic — not slowly. In traffic flowing at 50–55 mph, staying within that range minimizes your accident risk. (Q9110, Q9344)

These are the categories that sink more first-time Maryland test-takers than any other. At 88% required, there's no room to miss more than three — and most people miss these.

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  Four-way stop orderThe rule is arrival order, not right-of-way by direction. If two vehicles arrive at the same time, then yield to the right. Maryland's bank tests this exact distinction. (Q9249)
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  School bus — stop in both directionsWhen a school bus has red lights flashing and the arm extended, stop completely regardless of which direction you're traveling — unless a physical median separates the lanes. Stay stopped until the lights stop flashing and the arm retracts. (Q8983, Q9018, Q9053, Q9069)
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  Hill parking — downhill (with or without curb)Turn wheels sharply toward the curb or the edge of the road. The vehicle rolls toward the edge, not into traffic, if the brake fails. (Q9103, Q9183)
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  Hill parking — uphill with a curbTurn wheels away from the curb. The curb acts as the stopper if the vehicle rolls back. (Q9312)
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  Hill parking — uphill without a curbTurn wheels to the right, toward the edge of the road. Same logic as downhill: the car rolls away from traffic. (Q9311)
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  Impairment vs. the legal limit0.08% is where Maryland suspends your license, NOT where impairment begins. The test distinguishes between these — impairment starts at well below 0.08%. (Q9293)
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  Passing safely — when to return to your laneReturn to the original lane only when you can see both headlights of the passed vehicle in your rearview mirror. Guessing by distance or by the other driver's signal is wrong. (Q9294, Q9317)

Reading alone reliably tops out around 60% on the real test. Maryland's 88% bar means you need more than a skim. The students who pass first try use three loops: read once, drill once, listen once. That's it.

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  Loop 1 — read the handbook (or this guide)Download the Maryland Driver's Manual free from mva.maryland.gov. Read it once, don't try to memorize. This guide compresses the highest-yield 20% into bullets.
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  Loop 2 — drill the practice examsTake the free 40-Q exam below cold. Anything under 35/40 — focus on your weak categories and retake. We have 11 distinct exams (443 questions) for Maryland.
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  Loop 3 — listen along on YouTubePlay the MD Cheat Sheet video the day or two before your test. Hearing the questions out loud locks them in faster than re-reading.
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  Sleep beats crammingMemory consolidates overnight. A full sleep the night before is worth more than two extra hours of late-night reading.
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  Study signs visuallyNever read sign descriptions in text only. Look at the actual shape and color. The test shows you the sign, not the words — and Maryland has 37 image-based questions in the bank.
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  Read every option before pickingThe MVA writes plausible wrong answers. Maryland's test is 3-option (A/B/C) — the first option often looks right until you read the other two.

Passing the knowledge test earns you a learner's permit — not a license. Maryland's GDL rules are among the strictest in the mid-Atlantic, and the 18-month restriction clock resets completely if you get any traffic conviction.

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  Permit supervisionYour supervising driver must be at least 21 years old and have held a license for at least 3 years. They must sit in the front passenger seat — no other front-seat passengers allowed while you're behind the wheel.
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  Minimum permit hold — 9 monthsYou must hold the learner's permit for at least 9 months before taking a road test for a provisional license (for drivers under 18 without a high school diploma).
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  Supervised practice hours — 60 total, 10 at nightComplete 60 hours of supervised practice driving before applying for your provisional license. At least 10 of those hours must be driven at night.
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  Night curfew — midnight to 5 AMProvisional license holders cannot drive between midnight and 5:00 AM. The exception: if a qualified supervising driver (21+, licensed 3+ years) is in the vehicle.
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  Passenger restriction — first 151 daysFor the first 151 days (about 5 months) of your provisional license, you cannot transport any passengers under 18 — except immediate family members.
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  When restrictions lift — 18-month clean recordAll provisional restrictions lift after you maintain a clean driving record for 18 months. If you are convicted of a traffic offense or receive probation before judgment (PBJ), the 18-month clock resets from zero. This is performance-based, not age-based.