Virginia Car / Permit practice
Virginia Car / Permit: Signals & Pavement Markings practice test
How to read traffic signals, lane lines, and pavement markings — including yellow and white lines, arrows, and flashing lights.
Content reviewed against official driver handbooks · August 12, 2026
14 questions · pass with 11 correct. You get instant feedback and an explanation after every answer.
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12 sample Signals & Pavement Markings questions with the correct answer, a short explanation, and the official handbook reference. Read through them, then take the quiz above.
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1. At an intersection with a bicycle box painted on the pavement, drivers must:
Correct answer: Stop behind the box on a red light
You must stop for a red light behind the bike box, not inside it, so cyclists can move in front of you. Turning right on red is prohibited at these crossings.
2. A steady red arrow is displayed for your lane. Under Virginia law you may:
Correct answer: Not turn in the arrow's direction unless a sign allows it
Virginia bars both right and left turns on a red arrow unless a sign specifically authorizes it. You must remain stopped as long as the red arrow shows.
3. Broken white lines on a roadway separate:
Correct answer: Lanes of traffic going the same way
Broken white lines separate lanes headed the same way. You may cross them to change lanes when it is safe.
4. A center lane edged on both sides by one solid and one broken yellow line is set aside for:
Correct answer: Making left turns from either direction
This two-way center lane is only for making left turns from either direction. Drivers may not travel farther than 150 feet within it.
5. Two solid yellow lines down the middle of a road may be crossed only to:
Correct answer: Make a left turn when it is safe
Two solid yellow lines separate opposing traffic and forbid passing in both directions. You may cross only to make a left turn or to pass a pedestrian or cyclist when the opposite lane is clear.
6. A pavement symbol showing a bicycle beneath two chevron arrows (a 'sharrow') tells drivers that:
Correct answer: Cyclists may use the full travel lane
A sharrow appears on lanes too narrow to share side by side. It shows where cyclists should ride and reminds drivers to expect bicycles in the travel lane.
7. At a steady red traffic signal in Virginia, before turning right you must first:
Correct answer: Stop completely, then yield before turning
A right turn on red is allowed only after you come to a full stop, then look both ways and yield to pedestrians and traffic, including motorcycles and bicycles.
8. A lane above the roadway is marked with a steady red X signal. This means you:
Correct answer: Must never drive in that lane
A red X over a lane means that lane is closed to you; never drive in it. A green arrow means the lane is open in your direction.
9. A broken yellow line runs beside a solid yellow line on a two-lane road. Passing is:
Correct answer: Allowed only from the broken-line side
You may pass only from the side where the line is broken. Drivers on the solid-line side may not pass, though they may cross it to make a left turn.
10. A curb painted red in Virginia generally means you may:
Correct answer: Not stop, stand, or park there
A red curb means no stopping, standing, or parking at all. White curbs allow a brief stop to pick up or drop off people; yellow curbs allow loading while you stay with the car.
11. A flashing yellow traffic light means that a driver should:
Correct answer: Slow down and proceed carefully
A flashing yellow light marks a spot with extra hazards. Slow down and move through it with caution, staying alert for cross traffic and pedestrians.
12. When you approach a flashing red traffic light, you should treat it like:
Correct answer: A stop sign
A flashing red light works like a stop sign: come to a full stop, yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians, and go only when the way is clear.
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Every Virginia question is written from the official Virginia driver handbook and checked against its current edition. DMV Test Free is a free, independent study resource — not affiliated with any DMV or government agency. About DMV Test Free