Maryland DMV Permit Practice Test

The Maryland MVA knowledge test stands between you and a learner's permit. You need 22 out of 25 correct (88%), which leaves room for only three misses. Careless mistakes on a sign or a BAC rule add up quickly.

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  Under-18 exam25 multiple-choice questions. Pass at 22 correct (88%). 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$65 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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  Driver education is requiredYou must complete a Maryland Certified Driver Education program — 30 classroom hours plus 6 hours behind the wheel — after you get your permit and before you can take the driving test for a provisional license.
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  A high pass markAt 88%, you can miss at most 3 of 25 questions, so do not wing any category. The Maryland Driver's Manual covers signs, BAC rules, GDL restrictions, and traffic laws.
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  Minimum permit ageYou must be at least 15 years and 9 months old to apply for a learner's permit.

Traffic laws make up a large part of the Maryland handbook, with safety and road signs alongside them. Learn these and the arithmetic of passing changes in your favor.

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  Road signs & signalsSign shapes, colors, regulatory rectangles, warning diamonds, and pavement markings. A flashing red light is a stop sign; a flashing yellow means slow down and proceed with caution.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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  Under-21 BAC — zero toleranceIf you're under 21, any detectable amount of alcohol results in license suspension. The limit is 'any amount' — not a specific percentage.
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  Chemical test refusalRefusing a BAC test triggers an automatic suspension by the MVA, and it is longer than the suspension for failing the test. Implied consent means you already agreed to testing when you got behind the wheel.
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  Speed on freewaysMerge at or near the speed of traffic — not slowly. Use the acceleration lane to match the flow of traffic already on the highway.

These rules are easy to mix up. At 88% required, there's no room to miss more than three, so know them well.

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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. Know this distinction cold.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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  Impairment vs. the legal limit0.08% is where Maryland suspends your license, NOT where impairment begins. Impairment starts well below 0.08%.
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  Passing safely — when to return to your laneWait until both of the passed vehicle's headlights show up in your rearview mirror, and only then move back into your original lane. Estimating by distance, or relying on the other driver's signal, is wrong.

Reading the handbook once is rarely enough to pass. Maryland's 88% bar means you need more than a skim, so 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 key points 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.
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  Loop 3 — listen along on YouTubePlay the MD Cheat Sheet video the day or two before your test. Hearing the key facts out loud is a useful complement to 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. On the road you see the sign, not a description of it.
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  Read every option before pickingWrong answers can sound plausible, so read every option before you answer — the first option can look right until you read the rest.

Passing the knowledge test earns you a learner's permit — not a license. Maryland's GDL rules include an 18-month restriction period, and the 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 under 18 cannot drive between midnight and 5:00 AM. Exceptions: a qualified supervising driver (21+, licensed 3+ years) is in the vehicle, or you are driving to or from a job, a school class or official school activity, an organized volunteer program, or an athletic event or training session.
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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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  Full license — age 18 and 18 clean monthsThe MVA upgrades you to a full license once you are at least 18 and have held the provisional license for 18 months with no convictions. If you are convicted of a traffic offense or receive probation before judgment (PBJ), the 18-month clock resets from zero. The night curfew ends on your 18th birthday.