Penalties & Licensing

Study questions with answers

12 sample Penalties & Licensing questions with the correct answer, a short explanation, and the official handbook reference. Read through them, then take the quiz above.

1. 1. Before a driver under 18 can take the road test, they must complete 65 hours of supervised skill-building that includes:

   Correct answer: 10 hours at night and 5 hours in bad weather

   The 65 required practice hours must include at least 10 hours of nighttime driving and 5 hours of driving in bad weather.

   Source: PA Driver's Manual — Non-Commercial Learner's Permit Information

2. 2. If an officer pulls you over in a work zone for a moving violation and your headlights are off when they should be on, you will be:

   Correct answer: Fined an additional $25

   Failing to use your headlights in a posted work zone adds a $25 fine on top of the original violation.

   Source: PA Driver's Manual — Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings

3. 3. After you pass the Knowledge Test and receive a learner's permit, it is valid for:

   Correct answer: One year

   A learner's permit is valid for one year. During that time you may practice driving under the required supervision.

   Source: PA Driver's Manual — Non-Commercial Learner's Permit Information

4. 4. The Pennsylvania Knowledge Test has 18 multiple-choice questions in all. To pass it, you must correctly answer at least:

   Correct answer: 15 correctly

   The knowledge test has 18 questions, and you must answer 15 correctly to pass.

   Source: PA Driver's Manual — Non-Commercial Learner's Permit Information

5. 5. When you drive with a learner's permit, the licensed adult supervising you must:

   Correct answer: Ride in the front seat with you

   Your supervising driver, who must be a licensed driver at least 21 (or a parent, guardian, or spouse 18 or older), must sit in the front seat with you at all times.

   Source: PA Driver's Manual — Non-Commercial Learner's Permit Information

6. 6. A driver under 18 will receive a mandatory 90-day suspension for a first occurrence if they accumulate six or more points or are convicted of driving how far over the posted speed limit?

   Correct answer: 26 mph or more over the limit

   For drivers under 18, reaching six points or being convicted of driving 26 mph or more over the limit brings a 90-day suspension for the first occurrence, and 120 days for later ones.

   Source: PA Driver's Manual — Non-Commercial Learner's Permit Information; Driving Record Information

7. 7. If PennDOT finds your registered vehicle went without required insurance for 31 days or more, your registration will be suspended for:

   Correct answer: 3 months

   A lapse in required liability insurance of 31 days or longer leads to a three-month registration suspension, and if you drove the vehicle, a three-month suspension of your driving privilege as well.

   Source: PA Driver's Manual — Driving Record Information

8. 8. A junior driver's license holder generally may not drive between the hours of:

   Correct answer: 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.

   A junior driver is barred from the road from 11 p.m. until 5 a.m. unless a parent or qualifying adult rides along, or an exception such as work (with a notarized affidavit) applies.

   Source: PA Driver's Manual — Non-Commercial Learner's Permit Information

9. 9. A driver who refuses chemical testing must pay a chemical test refusal restoration fee. For a first offense, that fee is:

   Correct answer: $500

   The restoration fee for refusing a chemical test starts at $500 the first time, rises to $1,000 for a second refusal, and reaches $2,000 for a third or later one, on top of other restoration fees.

   Source: PA Driver's Manual — Driving Record Information

10. 10. Once your driving record is reduced to zero points and stays at zero for how long, any new points are treated as a first accumulation?

    Correct answer: 12 consecutive months

    Once your record holds at zero for 12 straight months, any points added afterward count as a first accumulation.

    Source: PA Driver's Manual — Driving Record Information

11. 11. For a first offense, a driver under 18 faces a mandatory 90-day suspension after reaching six points, or after a conviction for driving how much over the posted limit?

    Correct answer: 26 mph or more over the limit

    For drivers under 18, hitting six points, or a conviction for going 26 mph or more above the limit, means a 90-day suspension the first time and 120 days after that.

    Source: PA Driver's Manual — Non-Commercial Learner's Permit Information; Driving Record Information

12. 12. If you are under 21 and convicted of driving under the influence for the first time, your license will be suspended for:

    Correct answer: One year

    A first DUI conviction for a driver under 21 brings a full one-year license suspension, along with jail time and a fine.

    Source: PA Driver's Manual — Driving Record Information