Iowa DMV Practice Test 2026

1. 18 inches
2. 6 inches
3. 9 inches
4. 24 inches

Correct answer: 18 inches. In Iowa, your wheels should be no more than 18 inches from the curb when parked, so your vehicle doesn't stick out into traffic.

1. 9 inches
2. 18 inches
3. 36 inches
4. 24 inches

Correct answer: 18 inches. Iowa requires your wheels to stay within 18 inches of the curb so your vehicle doesn't block part of the travel lane.

1. A school zone somewhere up ahead
2. A hospital or medical center nearby
3. An upcoming change in the posted speed limit ahead
4. Ongoing road construction or maintenance work

Correct answer: Ongoing road construction or maintenance work. Orange is reserved for temporary construction and maintenance warnings, alerting drivers to work zones and related hazards.

Source: Florida Driver Handbook, PDF p.54, Orange: Construction and maintenance warning

1. 0.05%
2. 0.02%
3. 0.08%
4. 0.01%

Correct answer: 0.02%. Iowa's zero-tolerance-style law for drivers under 21 sets the threshold at 0.02%, far below the standard adult DUI limit.

1. 15 mph
2. 40 mph
3. 30 mph
4. 25 mph

Correct answer: 25 mph. Unless a lower limit is posted for a specific school, the general school zone speed limit in Iowa is 25 mph.

1. It has absolutely no effect at all on driving until a BAC reaches the full legal limit
2. It slows reaction time and makes judging the speed and distance of vehicles harder
3. It only affects a driver's night vision and has no real impact on daytime driving at all
4. It actually improves reaction time by making the driver feel more alert

Correct answer: It slows reaction time and makes judging the speed and distance of vehicles harder. Alcohol is a depressant that slows the brain's processing speed, so a driver reacts later to hazards and misjudges how fast other vehicles are approaching.

Source: California Driver Handbook, Alcohol and Drugs-Alcohol/Drugs and Driving Is Dangerous p.100 - 'Impaired judgment...affects how you react to sounds and what you see.'

1. The road ahead ends completely, such as at a T-intersection with another road
2. The shoulder ahead is soft and could trap your tires if you drive onto it
3. The paved road surface ends ahead
4. The road ahead has loose gravel, which reduces how well your tires grip the road

Correct answer: The shoulder ahead is soft and could trap your tires if you drive onto it. This sign tells drivers that the shoulder ahead is soft and could trap your tires if you drive onto it. Watch carefully and adjust your speed before you reach it.

Source: MUTCD 2009 Sec. 2C (Warning Signs)

1. 15 mph
2. 25 mph
3. 30 mph
4. 10 mph

Correct answer: 25 mph. In Iowa, when the school zone's warning lights are flashing, the speed limit drops to 25 mph to protect children near the school.

1. No closer than 5 feet
2. No closer than 30 feet
3. No closer than 15 feet
4. No closer than 50 feet

Correct answer: No closer than 15 feet. A driver approaching from behind must halt at least 15 feet short of the bus's rear bumper.

Source: Iowa Driver Handbook, p.20, 2.24 School Buses

1. Writing, sending, or reading an electronic message
2. Adjusting the volume
3. Answering an incoming call using a hands-free Bluetooth system in the vehicle
4. Using a mounted GPS

Correct answer: Writing, sending, or reading an electronic message. Iowa bars a driver from writing, sending, or reading an electronic message on a hand-held device while the vehicle is moving.

Source: Iowa Driver Handbook, p.36, Mobile Devices and Texting While Driving

1. Nothing; it is legal whenever the road looks totally clear
2. Double solid yellow lines ban passing in either direction
3. It is only illegal to do this after dark at night
4. It is only illegal to do this near an intersection

Correct answer: Double solid yellow lines ban passing in either direction. Two solid yellow lines mean passing is prohibited for traffic moving in either direction, regardless of how clear the road appears at that moment.

Source: California Driver Handbook, PDF p.41, two solid yellow lines indicate no passing

1. Flash your own high beams repeatedly and stare directly at their headlights
2. Look toward the right edge of the road or lane markings, and slow down if needed
3. Close your eyes briefly
4. Speed up to pass the glare quickly

Correct answer: Look toward the right edge of the road or lane markings, and slow down if needed. Looking directly at oncoming high beams temporarily ruins your night vision. Instead, look toward the right edge of the roadway or the lane markings to keep your bearings, and slow down if you need more time to react.

Source: California Driver Handbook, Driving Hazards-Driving in Darkness, p.99 (2020 handbook PDF)

1. Exit countdown signs, showing distance to the next town
2. Speed limit reminders
3. Mile markers, used to indicate location
4. Toll booth warnings

Correct answer: Mile markers, used to indicate location. Mile markers are small numbered guide signs posted at regular intervals so drivers and emergency services can identify a specific location on the highway.

Source: Florida Driver Handbook, PDF p.54, Green: guide or directional information

1. You may turn right on red, but only after 9 p.m.
2. The normal right-on-red rule does not apply here — you must wait for a green light or arrow
3. The sign only applies to trucks and buses
4. It applies only during rush hour

Correct answer: The normal right-on-red rule does not apply here — you must wait for a green light or arrow. Wherever this sign is posted, it overrides the usual right-on-red allowance for that specific intersection or lane, no matter what Iowa's default rule is.

1. 10 mph
2. 35 mph
3. 25 mph
4. 30 mph

Correct answer: 25 mph. While the school zone is active in Iowa, the posted maximum speed is 25 mph, no matter what the regular road speed limit is.

1. Always drive alone so no one else is put at risk
2. Travel with a companion and switch drivers when one starts feeling tired
3. Keep driving through tiredness since stopping wastes time
4. Drive only at night when roads are quieter

Correct answer: Travel with a companion and switch drivers when one starts feeling tired. Traveling with a companion and switching drivers when one starts to feel drowsy, sometimes called the 'buddy system,' is a recommended way to prevent fatigue from building up to a dangerous level.

Source: California Driver Handbook, Fatigued or Drowsy Driving, p.99 (2020 handbook PDF)

1. Stay in your travel lane exactly where you stopped, turn on your headlights, and simply wait there quietly
2. Move the vehicle as far off the road as possible, turn on flashers, and get passengers out on the side away from traffic
3. Leave the vehicle sitting right where it is in the travel lane and stand directly behind it to warn other drivers passing by
4. Immediately call for a tow truck before turning on any lights or moving your vehicle anywhere

Correct answer: Move the vehicle as far off the road as possible, turn on flashers, and get passengers out on the side away from traffic. Get your disabled vehicle completely off the road if you can, switch on your hazard flashers, and have passengers get out on the side away from traffic for their safety.

Source: California Driver Handbook, Horn, Headlights, and Emergency Signals, p.75 (2020 handbook PDF)

1. Any pedestrian walking on that sidewalk must be allowed to go first
2. A horn tap lets the pedestrian know to step aside
3. The driver may continue if no one is very close yet
4. Yielding is only required when the pedestrian is a child

Correct answer: Any pedestrian walking on that sidewalk must be allowed to go first. Pulling across a sidewalk toward a driveway, an alley, or a parking lot entrance puts a driver directly in the path of anyone walking there. The driver has to come to a stop and give that pedestrian priority before moving on.

Source: California Driver Handbook, Laws and Rules of the Road-Pedestrians, p.34 (2020 handbook PDF)

1. No, a child restraint system is required until age six
2. Yes, a regular seat belt is always enough at any age or weight
3. Only in the front seat
4. Only on short trips

Correct answer: No, a child restraint system is required until age six. Any child under six years old must ride in a child restraint system, not just a seat belt.

Source: Iowa Driver Handbook, p.35, Child Restraints

1. Turn immediately, since your light is already green
2. Wait for the light to flash before you turn left
3. Yield to oncoming traffic before turning left
4. Treat this signal exactly like a plain red light

Correct answer: Yield to oncoming traffic before turning left. A plain green light for a left turn is a permissive signal: you may turn, but only after yielding to oncoming traffic, since you do not have a protected green arrow.

Source: New York Driver Handbook, PDF p.31, Traffic Signals

1. All traffic on that street moves only in the direction of the arrow
2. Only trucks must follow the arrow direction
3. The street allows two-way traffic during the day only
4. It only applies during rush hour

Correct answer: All traffic on that street moves only in the direction of the arrow. A ONE WAY sign means every vehicle on that street must travel only in the direction the arrow points.

Source: California Driver Handbook, PDF p.41, Vertical/Horizontal Rectangle: regulatory signs

1. A personal sedan
2. A motorcycle
3. An empty pickup truck
4. A school bus

Correct answer: A school bus. Iowa requires school buses, along with charter buses and paying-passenger vehicles, to stop before crossing railroad tracks.

Source: Iowa Driver Handbook, p.12, Required to Stop

1. It stays exactly the same at any speed at all.
2. It becomes shorter, since highways have longer lanes.
3. It only changes noticeably if it happens to be raining.
4. It becomes much longer, growing faster than speed.

Correct answer: It becomes much longer, growing faster than speed.. Stopping distance grows faster than speed itself, so at highway speed your total stopping distance is noticeably longer than it would be at a slower in-town speed.

Source: Florida Driver Handbook, Ch7 Braking Distance p.68 (doubling speed = 4x)

1. Shaded areas are always at a higher elevation
2. Trees make the pavement rougher, which prevents ice
3. Shade has no real effect on how quickly ice melts
4. Ice melts more slowly in shaded spots than in sunny ones

Correct answer: Ice melts more slowly in shaded spots than in sunny ones. Sunlight helps melt snow and ice, so shaded areas, such as spots under trees or between buildings, can stay icy long after sunny parts of the same road have cleared. Drivers should watch for these hidden danger spots even when most of the road looks clear.

Source: California Driver Handbook, Driving Hazards-Slippery Roads, p.98 (2020 handbook PDF)

1. Stop completely in the current lane
2. Honk repeatedly
3. Turn off the headlights
4. Change into a lane farther away

Correct answer: Change into a lane farther away. Whenever it is safe, a driver approaching one of these vehicles must change into a lane farther away.

Source: Iowa Driver Handbook, p.22, 2.27 Approaching Stopped Vehicles