District of Columbia Permit Practice Test 2
A second full-length District of Columbia practice test: 30 fresh multiple-choice questions with zero repeats from Test 1. Check the DMV site for the current question count and passing score.
Question 1 of 30
1. On a multilane highway, white lines separate the lanes. What does the white color tell you about the traffic around you?
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Correct answer: B. White lines divide lanes of traffic that flow the same way, while yellow divides opposing flows. Reading line color at a glance tells you instantly where oncoming cars can be. White means with you, yellow means toward you.
2. The vehicle ahead displays an orange triangle with a red border on its rear. What does that tell you?
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Correct answer: D. The orange triangle is the slow-moving vehicle emblem, common on farm equipment and horse-drawn wagons. You close in on these vehicles faster than you expect, so back off early and pass only with a clear, legal gap.
3. What can happen if you drive without a valid license or permit?
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Correct answer: C. Driving without a valid license or permit is illegal in every state; you can be cited, the vehicle may be towed or impounded, and the offense can push your real license further away. Patience now beats penalties later.
4. You turn off a busy road into a quiet subdivision in District of Columbia and see no speed limit sign on the new street. Your maximum legal speed is now which value?
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Correct answer: D. Once you enter an unposted residential street in District of Columbia, the limit drops to the default of 20 mph. Slow down as you turn in; the quiet look of a subdivision hides driveways, cyclists, and children near the pavement.
5. While driving, you notice a brown sign with white letters pointing toward a destination. What kind of place does a brown sign identify?
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Correct answer: A. Brown signs guide you to recreational and cultural spots such as parks, campgrounds, monuments, and historic sites. The earthy brown color hints at outdoor places. When you are hunting for scenery or history, follow the brown signs.
6. Which parking spot is illegal no matter how briefly you plan to stay?
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Correct answer: D. Parking within the cleared space around a fire hydrant is always illegal, because firefighters may need instant access to connect hoses. Blocking a hydrant can cost lives during a fire. If you see a hydrant, leave the whole area open.
7. A bicyclist ahead of you in the District of Columbia rolls through a stop sign without fully stopping. What does the law say?
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Correct answer: C. Riders may pass a stop sign without stopping when moving at a safe speed, seeing no hazard, and yielding to pedestrians and traffic with the right of way. Expect it, and do not assume a full stop.
8. A friend in District of Columbia says, 'I feel fine, so I can drive.' Feelings aside, the law sets the illegal BAC for drivers 21 and older at which number?
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Correct answer: B. Feeling fine proves nothing; alcohol dulls the very judgment you use to check yourself. In District of Columbia, 0.08% is the per-se limit for adults, and measurable impairment often shows up well before a driver reaches it.
9. You keep yawning and your eyes feel heavy on a long drive. What actually fixes drowsiness?
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Correct answer: A. Only sleep cures sleepiness, so pull off somewhere safe and rest when drowsiness hits. Loud music, open windows, and caffeine wear off within minutes, and a driver who nods off is as dangerous as a drunk one.
10. What is the safest way to handle your speed through a sharp curve?
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Correct answer: B. Slow to a safe speed before the curve begins, then hold steady or gently accelerate through it. Braking mid-curve can break tire grip and cause a skid. Do your slowing on the straightaway, your steering in the bend.
11. For a driver of a regular passenger vehicle in the District of Columbia, which urine alcohol level meets the definition of intoxicated?
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Correct answer: B. DC law lists thresholds for blood, breath, and urine; for urine the figure is 0.10 grams per 100 milliliters. Chemical tests can use more than one sample type, so refusing one does not erase the others.
12. District of Columbia enforces 'zero tolerance' for underage drinking and driving. In practice, a driver under 21 violates this law at what BAC?
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Correct answer: A. Zero tolerance in District of Columbia means the under-21 line sits at any detectable amount, so even one drink can end in a suspended license. The memory hook is simple: under 21 means zero drinks before you drive.
13. How much of a traffic lane is a motorcycle entitled to use?
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Correct answer: D. A motorcycle is entitled to a complete traffic lane, and you may not squeeze past one inside that lane. Riders need the full width to dodge hazards. Treat a motorcycle's lane like a car's lane: whole and off-limits.
14. In the District of Columbia, what alcohol concentration makes a commercial vehicle driver legally intoxicated?
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Correct answer: A. Commercial drivers hit the intoxicated threshold at 0.04, half the level used for regular drivers. Bigger, heavier vehicles do far more damage, so the law holds their operators to a stricter standard.
15. What is the difference between a suspended license and a revoked license?
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Correct answer: A. A suspension parks your driving privilege for a set time or until you meet conditions, while a revocation cancels it entirely, usually forcing you to reapply later. Think of suspension as paused and revocation as erased.
16. Graduated driver licensing (GDL) in District of Columbia moves teens through permit, intermediate, and full-license stages. Entry into the first stage, the learner's permit, begins at what age?
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Correct answer: A. GDL entry in District of Columbia starts with a learner's permit at 16. Each stage lifts restrictions as skill grows, because crash risk is highest in a driver's first solo months. The ladder starts at 16; climb it patiently.
17. A pedestrian is crossing your half of the street in a crosswalk at an intersection without signals. What must you do?
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Correct answer: A. Drivers must yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk, and crosswalks legally exist at intersections even when no lines are painted. People on foot have no protection in a collision, so treat every corner as a possible crosswalk.
18. Your headlights suddenly go dark while you are driving at night. What should you do first?
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Correct answer: C. First flick the headlight switch and dimmer, since the problem may be a loose connection; then use parking, hazard, or turn lights to stay visible while you leave the road. Never keep driving blind hoping the lights return.
19. You are passing a slower vehicle on a two-lane road. May you go over the speed limit to finish the pass quickly?
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Correct answer: D. The speed limit applies at all times, including while passing another vehicle. If you cannot complete a pass legally and safely, do not start it. Passing is a choice; speeding is never the tool that makes it legal.
20. While you wait to turn, the green arrow changes to a steady yellow arrow. What is the signal telling you?
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Correct answer: D. A steady yellow arrow warns that the protected turning phase is about to end. Stop if you can do so safely; drivers already at the point of no return may finish the turn cautiously. Yellow arrow means wrap up, not speed up.
21. Your GPS routes you through a District of Columbia neighborhood of homes and parked cars with no posted speed limit. State law caps your speed there at what value?
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Correct answer: D. State law gives unposted residential areas in District of Columbia a default cap of 20 mph. Parked cars shrink your view of crossing pedestrians, which is exactly why the cap is low. Posted signs, where present, replace the default.
22. An officer stops an adult driver in District of Columbia and a breath test is given. At what BAC reading can that driver be charged with driving under the influence, even if their driving looked steady?
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Correct answer: C. A BAC of 0.08% or more is enough by itself for a DUI charge in District of Columbia. The law uses a fixed number because alcohol impairs everyone, and drivers are poor judges of their own impairment behind the wheel.
23. You are lawfully arrested for impaired driving and refuse the chemical test. What should you expect?
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Correct answer: C. Refusing the test triggers its own penalty: license suspension under implied-consent laws, separate from any court case. Refusal does not make the problem disappear. Remember, saying no to the test means saying goodbye to your license.
24. Your younger sibling asks when they can get a learner's permit in District of Columbia. What age do you tell them?
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Correct answer: A. Tell them 16; that is when District of Columbia allows a learner's permit application. Until then, driving on public roads is off the table. Graduated licensing phases in privileges so new drivers gain experience under lower-risk conditions.
25. A horizontal black sign with a white arrow and the words ONE WAY points to the left at an intersection. What does it tell you?
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Correct answer: C. A ONE WAY sign means every vehicle on that street must travel in the arrow's direction. Driving against it puts you head-on into traffic. Before turning onto any city street, glance for the arrow and follow where it points.
26. Which sign shape and color combination marks an interstate route?
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Correct answer: D. Interstate routes are marked by a shield split into a red band on top and a blue field below, with white numbers. Spotting the shield quickly helps you follow or avoid a freeway. Shield equals interstate.
27. In the District of Columbia, what happens if you fail the knowledge test six times within a 12-month period?
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Correct answer: D. Six failures in twelve months lock you out until a year passes from that first failed attempt. The rule pushes real preparation over guessing. Think of it as six strikes, then a full year off.
28. In District of Columbia, an under-21 driver can face a license suspension for alcohol at a much lower level than an adult DUI. That zero-tolerance level is which of these?
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Correct answer: D. Reaching any detectable amount can cost a driver under 21 their license in District of Columbia, even when they show no obvious impairment. The state treats underage drinking and driving as a license issue first, aiming to stop the habit early.
29. On a two-lane road, the center line nearest your lane is broken yellow, while the line on the far side is solid yellow. When may you cross it to pass?
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Correct answer: C. A broken yellow line on your side means passing is permitted from your direction, but only when oncoming traffic is far enough away to pass safely. Broken means you may cross; solid means stay put.
30. You are parking facing uphill on a street with a curb. Which way should you turn your front wheels?
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Correct answer: B. When parking uphill with a curb, turn the wheels away from the curb and let the car roll back until a tire rests against it. The curb then works as a block. Up and away is the memory cue.
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