South Carolina DMV Practice Test 2026

1. The special-use lane restriction is only just now beginning
2. The lane is now closed to all vehicles
3. The special-use lane restriction ends at this point
4. The toll rate for the lane has changed

Correct answer: The special-use lane restriction ends at this point. This sign marks the point where the preferential lane restriction ends, after which the lane can be used by regular traffic.

Source: MUTCD 2009 Part 2B

1. At least 50 feet
2. At least 300 feet
3. At least 100 feet
4. At least 20 feet

Correct answer: At least 100 feet. The 100-foot rule gives other drivers enough warning before a turn begins.

Source: South Carolina Driver Handbook, p.61, 101, Traffic Signals / Turn Signals

1. No more than 6 inches
2. No more than 18 inches
3. No more than 36 inches
4. Exactly against the curb, with no gap allowed

Correct answer: No more than 18 inches. South Carolina sets 18 inches as the maximum gap allowed between a parked vehicle and the curb.

Source: South Carolina Driver Handbook, p.85, 122, Parking / Move-Over Law / Safety Belts

1. Merge into the indicated lane well before reaching the cones
2. Wait until the last cone to merge
3. Drive over the cones if traffic is light
4. Stop and wait for a flagger even if none is present

Correct answer: Merge into the indicated lane well before reaching the cones. Merging early and smoothly, before reaching the taper of cones, is safer than waiting until the last moment to change lanes.

Source: Texas Driver Handbook, PDF p.35, Construction and Maintenance Devices

1. No conviction is possible below 0.08 percent
2. Only a warning is issued
3. The driver automatically passes any roadside sobriety test
4. The driver can still be convicted of impaired driving

Correct answer: The driver can still be convicted of impaired driving. Combining alcohol with certain drugs can support a conviction even at a lower measured BAC than the usual adult threshold.

Source: South Carolina Driver Handbook, p.37, Alcohol and the Law

1. Any licensed driver at all, no matter their age or experience level
2. A licensed driver at least 21 years old, with a full year of driving experience already
3. A sibling who is already at least 18 years old and licensed
4. No supervision at all is ever required during daytime hours

Correct answer: A licensed driver at least 21 years old, with a full year of driving experience already. Daytime supervision requires a licensed adult of at least 21 who already has a year of driving under their belt.

Source: South Carolina Driver Handbook, p.9-10, Beginner's Permit

1. Only if the driver has already been legally stopped for some other separate offense
2. Only during checkpoints that are specifically scheduled just for seat belts
3. Just from a clear view of an unbuckled driver or passenger, without any other violation needed
4. Only if a passenger in the vehicle happens to be under the age of 12

Correct answer: Just from a clear view of an unbuckled driver or passenger, without any other violation needed. Under a primary law, the seat belt violation alone is enough reason for the stop.

Source: South Carolina Driver Handbook, p.85, 122, Parking / Move-Over Law / Safety Belts

1. Golf carts may cross the road ahead
2. Slow-moving farm equipment may enter the road ahead
3. Trucks frequently enter or cross the road at a point ahead
4. Horseback riders may be using or crossing the road ahead

Correct answer: Golf carts may cross the road ahead. This warning sign means golf carts may cross the road ahead. Be ready to react safely as you approach this part of the road.

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

1. Nothing additional is needed at all if your hazard flashers are already turned on and working
2. Stand out in the middle of the road behind the vehicle, waving both arms wildly at oncoming traffic
3. Set out warning devices like flares or triangles, and make sure it can be seen from a distance
4. Turn off all of your lights completely so you do not distract other passing drivers

Correct answer: Set out warning devices like flares or triangles, and make sure it can be seen from a distance. Place emergency flares or warning triangles behind the vehicle to give approaching drivers time to react, and try to position the vehicle so it can be seen from a distance in both directions.

Source: California Driver Handbook, Horn, Headlights, and Emergency Signals, p.75 (2020 handbook PDF): "Place emergency flares or triangles 200-300 feet behind the vehicle"

1. To provide extra parking during rush hour traffic.
2. To encourage carpooling and cut vehicle numbers.
3. To keep trucks separated from passenger cars.
4. To create a lane used only by emergency crews.

Correct answer: To encourage carpooling and cut vehicle numbers.. HOV lanes reward vehicles carrying multiple occupants with a faster lane, which encourages carpooling and helps reduce the total number of vehicles on congested roads.

Source: California Driver Handbook, Lane Control-Carpool/HOV Lanes p.58

1. Pass the stopped car since no one seems to be crossing
2. Stop too, since a pedestrian may be hidden from view
3. Honk to let the driver know they can proceed
4. Drive around using the shoulder to get past

Correct answer: Stop too, since a pedestrian may be hidden from view. If a vehicle ahead of you is stopped at a crosswalk, there may be a pedestrian crossing that you cannot see from your position. Never pass a vehicle stopped at a crosswalk.

Source: California Driver Handbook, Traffic Controls section, pedestrian safety graphic, p.91 (2020 handbook PDF)

1. So faster traffic can pass safely on the left.
2. The right lanes are reserved for parking only.
3. It has no real purpose but is a tradition.
4. Right lanes are always wider.

Correct answer: So faster traffic can pass safely on the left.. Keeping slower traffic to the right lets faster vehicles pass on the left in a predictable way, which keeps traffic flowing more smoothly and safely.

Source: Texas Driver Handbook, Ch9 Highway Driving p.47 (keep right except to pass)

1. A railroad crossing
2. A four-way (crossroad) intersection
3. A hospital
4. A dead end

Correct answer: A four-way (crossroad) intersection. This sign warns that a crossroad intersection is coming up, where traffic may enter from both the left and right.

Source: Texas Driver Handbook, PDF p.36, Diamond warning shape used for intersection signs

1. 0.05 percent or higher
2. 0.08 percent or higher
3. 0.02 percent or higher
4. 0.10 percent or higher

Correct answer: 0.02 percent or higher. For drivers under 21, the zero-tolerance threshold sits at 0.02 percent, with an immediate suspension of at least three months.

Source: South Carolina Driver Handbook, p.37, Alcohol and the Law

1. You may turn first if you signal early
2. The car going straight has the right to go first
3. Whoever arrived first must go, regardless of direction
4. The larger vehicle has the right-of-way

Correct answer: The car going straight has the right to go first. A driver turning left must yield to oncoming traffic that is going straight through the intersection, even without a stop sign or light.

Source: Texas Driver Handbook, PDF p.26, Turning Left

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. Brake hard immediately to stop the skid
2. Accelerate to power out of the skid
3. Ease off the gas pedal and steer in the direction the vehicle is skidding
4. Turn the steering wheel opposite the direction of the skid

Correct answer: Ease off the gas pedal and steer in the direction the vehicle is skidding. To recover from a skid, ease off the accelerator, stop braking, and steer in the direction the vehicle is sliding until you regain control, then straighten the wheels.

Source: California Driver Handbook, Handling Emergencies-Skids on Slippery Surfaces, p.105 (2020 handbook PDF)

1. That lane is closed to all traffic
2. You must exit at the next ramp
3. Prepare to stop, the lane is closing soon
4. You may drive in that lane

Correct answer: You may drive in that lane. A green arrow above a lane means that lane is open and you may use it.

Source: Florida Driver Handbook, PDF p.60, Green Arrow: you may use this lane

1. 0.00%
2. 0.02%
3. 0.04%
4. 0.08%

Correct answer: 0.02%. Because underage drinking and driving is treated so strictly, South Carolina sets the under-21 BAC threshold at 0.02%, well below the adult limit.

1. 200 feet
2. 500 feet
3. 100 feet
4. 750 feet

Correct answer: 500 feet. In South Carolina, you must dim your high beams to low beams within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle so you do not blind the other driver.

1. No, the conversation itself is still a cognitive distraction
2. Yes, hands-free phone calls carry no distraction risk at all
3. Yes, but only if the call lasts under one minute
4. No, but only because the phone's screen stays lit

Correct answer: No, the conversation itself is still a cognitive distraction. Talking on a phone is listed as a common driving distraction whether or not the device is handheld, because the conversation itself pulls the driver's mind away from the road. Hands-free devices reduce manual distraction but not cognitive distraction.

Source: Florida Driver Handbook, Distracted Driving-Categories of Distraction, p.42

1. Only stop if you are behind the bus; oncoming traffic may proceed
2. Slow down and pass carefully
3. Stop only if children are visible outside the bus
4. Stop, regardless of which direction you are traveling

Correct answer: Stop, regardless of which direction you are traveling. On an undivided road, traffic in both directions must stop for a school bus displaying flashing red lights and an extended stop-arm, and must remain stopped until the lights stop flashing.

Source: Florida Driver Handbook, Ch3/Sharing the Road-School Buses, p.97: "On a two-way street or highway, all drivers moving in either direction must stop"

1. The road ahead becomes a divided highway with a median separating the opposing traffic
2. You are entering a three-lane road ahead where the center lane is shared by traffic from both directions
3. You are entering a section of road ahead where traffic travels in both directions on the same roadway
4. The divided highway ends ahead, and you will share the road with oncoming traffic

Correct answer: You are entering a section of road ahead where traffic travels in both directions on the same roadway. This yellow diamond sign warns that you are entering a section of road ahead where traffic travels in both directions on the same roadway. Slow down and adjust your driving to handle it safely.

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

1. There is an extremely sharp curve ahead, almost doubling back on itself
2. There are two moderate curves ahead in opposite directions, one right after the other
3. A sharp curve and an intersection are located at almost the same point ahead
4. There is a series of three or more curves ahead on the road

Correct answer: There is a series of three or more curves ahead on the road. Seeing this sign means there is a series of three or more curves ahead on the road. Drivers should reduce speed and stay alert for this condition.

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

1. Complete the turn quickly before they step off the curb.
2. Sound the horn and keep turning as you were.
3. Turn wide around them without stopping at all.
4. Stop and wait for them to finish crossing.

Correct answer: Stop and wait for them to finish crossing.. A pedestrian already stepping into the crosswalk has the right-of-way; a driver turning must stop and wait for them to cross safely before completing the turn.

Source: California Driver Handbook, Pedestrians p.47 (yield when turning)