Virginia DMV Practice Test 2026

1. Nothing at all, as long as they use a signal.
2. It is allowed only for licensed taxi and delivery drivers.
3. It carries no real safety concern whatsoever.
4. It's shared by both directions, not for through driving.

Correct answer: It's shared by both directions, not for through driving.. Because traffic from both directions uses the center left-turn lane to prepare for turns, driving in it continuously puts a vehicle in the path of oncoming traffic doing the same.

Source: California Driver Handbook, Lane Control-Center Left Turn Lanes p.58

1. Stop only when a train is approaching
2. The signal ahead is permanently red
3. When the light is red, stop at the marked line, not beyond it
4. A complete stop is required even when the traffic light is green

Correct answer: When the light is red, stop at the marked line, not beyond it. This sign reinforces that, on a red signal, drivers must stop behind the marked stop line rather than pulling closer to or into the intersection.

Source: MUTCD 2009 Sec. 2B.53

1. It actually sharpens the driver's attention to risk and makes them far more cautious overall
2. It only affects the passengers riding along, never the person actually driving the car
3. It has no measurable effect on decision-making until full intoxication
4. It reduces inhibitions and can create false confidence in the driver's own driving ability

Correct answer: It reduces inhibitions and can create false confidence in the driver's own driving ability. Alcohol lowers inhibitions and can make a driver feel more confident than their actual abilities justify, leading them to take chances they normally would not.

Source: New York Driver Handbook, Ch9 What Alcohol Does p.54 - 'You can gain confidence about driving, when you should not be driving at all.'

1. Reducing speed to 15 mph
2. Pulling over immediately
3. Turning on the hazard lights
4. Using the headlights

Correct answer: Using the headlights. Using the wipers because of rain, snow, or sleet also creates the legal duty to use headlights.

Source: Virginia Driver Handbook, p.22, Lights

1. The passenger's school
2. The driver
3. No one, it is the passenger's own choice
4. The owner

Correct answer: The driver. The driver carries responsibility for anyone under 18 in the vehicle being properly restrained.

Source: Virginia Driver Handbook, p.26, Seat Belts

1. A licensed driver at least 21 years old
2. Any friend or acquaintance with a valid license
3. A sibling of any age
4. No supervision is required

Correct answer: A licensed driver at least 21 years old. The general rule requires a licensed driver who is at least 21 years old in the front passenger seat.

Source: Virginia Driver Handbook, p.31, Learner's Permit

1. To show the current posted speed limit for that particular lane
2. To tell drivers when the priced lane is actively charging a toll
3. To announce a lane closure for maintenance
4. To display the distance to the next rest area

Correct answer: To tell drivers when the priced lane is actively charging a toll. This sign displays the time periods during which a managed toll lane is in operation and charging drivers a fee to use it.

Source: MUTCD 2009 Part 2B

1. 0.02%
2. 0.05%
3. 0.10%
4. 0.08%

Correct answer: 0.08%. Virginia sets the standard legal intoxication threshold at 0.08% for drivers 21 and older.

1. 7 seconds
2. 8 seconds
3. 3 seconds
4. 1 second

Correct answer: 3 seconds. Virginia recommends at least 3 seconds between the two vehicles passing the same fixed point under normal conditions.

1. Parking is allowed for up to 30 minutes
2. Parking is allowed only for disabled permit holders
3. No stopping, standing, or parking is allowed there
4. Parking is unrestricted at that curb

Correct answer: No stopping, standing, or parking is allowed there. In Virginia, a red-painted curb means stopping, standing, or parking there is not allowed.

1. Nothing, it is only a suggestion
2. A warning letter only, no other penalty
3. A court-ordered suspension and demerit points
4. A mandatory apology to the officer

Correct answer: A court-ordered suspension and demerit points. Violating this rule can lead to a court suspension of the license and demerit points on the record.

Source: Virginia Driver Handbook, p.18, Yielding to Vehicles with Flashing Lights

1. Other drivers may not be able to see your vehicle in time to react
2. U-turns are only allowed on flat, straight roads for fuel efficiency
3. It voids your vehicle's insurance
4. Hills and curves have no posted speed limit

Correct answer: Other drivers may not be able to see your vehicle in time to react. Limited visibility means an approaching driver may not see a car making a U-turn until it's too late to stop safely.

Source: California Driver Handbook, Turns-Illegal U-Turns p.62-67

1. Speed up to clear the area
2. Honk continuously
3. Slow down and watch for children
4. Turn on the high beams

Correct answer: Slow down and watch for children. Even when excused from stopping, a driver still slows down and stays alert for children near the bus.

Source: Virginia Driver Handbook, p.15, Stopping for School Buses

1. Continue driving since you're going the opposite direction
2. Stop, just as if you were behind the bus instead
3. Slow down but you do not need to stop fully
4. Only stop if you see children on the road

Correct answer: Stop, just as if you were behind the bus instead. On an undivided road, a driver approaching from either direction must stop for a school bus displaying flashing red lights, not only drivers behind the bus.

Source: Texas Driver Handbook, Ch4 Yield Right-of-Way to School Buses, p.29: "If you approach a school bus from either direction and the bus is displaying alternately flashing red lights, you must…

1. 40 mph
2. 30 mph
3. 25 mph
4. 10 mph

Correct answer: 25 mph. Virginia's posted school-zone limit of 25 mph applies whenever the zone is active, to protect students walking or crossing nearby.

1. To make room for street cleaning equipment
2. Because it is required on every road with more than two lanes
3. To separate cars from bicycles during rush hour
4. To give more lanes to the direction with heavier traffic at that time of day

Correct answer: To give more lanes to the direction with heavier traffic at that time of day. Reversible lanes let a road allocate more capacity to whichever direction has heavier traffic during morning or evening rush hour.

Source: Florida Driver Handbook, PDF p.54, Reversible Lanes: direction of traffic is normally reversed at set times

1. Passing is not allowed on your side of the line
2. You may pass whenever it looks safe to do so
3. It means the lane ahead is permanently closed
4. It means you are entering a one-way street

Correct answer: Passing is not allowed on your side of the line. When the yellow center line on your side is solid, you are not allowed to cross it to pass; passing is prohibited for your direction.

Source: California Driver Handbook, PDF p.41, solid yellow line: no passing on your side

1. It is illegal to use a car horn near any bicycle at any time
2. Bicyclists generally cannot hear a car horn at all
3. It could startle them, causing a loss of control or swerve
4. It has no real effect on the bicyclist whatsoever

Correct answer: It could startle them, causing a loss of control or swerve. A sudden horn blast can startle a bicyclist, causing a loss of balance or an unsafe swerve. Horns should be reserved for situations where a collision must be avoided.

Source: California Driver Handbook, Horn, Headlights, and Emergency Signals-Do Not Use Your Horn, p.74 (2020 handbook PDF)

1. $100/300/50
2. $20/40/15
3. $10/20/10
4. $30/60/20

Correct answer: $30/60/20. Virginia's minimum liability limits are $30/60/20 (thousands), covering injury to one person, injury total per accident, and property damage.

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

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

1. Ride against traffic so they can see approaching cars
2. Ride with traffic and obey all signals and stop signs
3. Follow different rules than cars since they aren't motor vehicles
4. Only stop at stop signs if other traffic is present

Correct answer: Ride with traffic and obey all signals and stop signs. On the road, a bicycle is treated much like a car: riders go with the flow of traffic and must obey signals and signs.

Source: California Driver Handbook, Sharing the Road-Bicycles, p.88 (2020 handbook PDF)

1. True
2. False

Correct answer: True. In Virginia, holding the phone to make a voice call while driving is illegal under the general handheld rule: True.

1. Free vehicle inspections offered at that same location
2. A rental car service
3. A vehicle weigh station
4. Roadside assistance for a disabled or broken-down vehicle

Correct answer: Roadside assistance for a disabled or broken-down vehicle. This sign tells drivers that roadside assistance services, useful if their vehicle breaks down, are available nearby.

Source: MUTCD 2009 Part 2D

1. Ignore it completely since it's not in your lane
2. Stop your vehicle next to it to offer help
3. Move over a lane, or slow down if you cannot
4. Turn on your high beams to see better

Correct answer: Move over a lane, or slow down if you cannot. Move-over laws generally require drivers to move over a lane away from a stopped vehicle displaying warning lights, or to slow down if changing lanes is not possible.

Source: California Driver Handbook, Special Driving Situations-Move Over and Slow Down, p.94 (2020 handbook PDF)

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"