Texas Car / Permit Practice Test
The Texas Car / Permit knowledge test has 30 questions, and you need 21 correct (70%) to pass. Practice free with questions written from the official Texas driver handbook — every one has a clear explanation, and you can retake as often as you like with no sign-up.
Content reviewed against official driver handbooks · July 7, 2026
What's on the Texas written test
The Texas Car / Permit knowledge test has 30 questions; you need 21 correct (70%) to pass.
Based on the official Texas exam format — always confirm current details with your state DMV.
Practice by topic
Focus on one area at a time — each topic has its own set of Texas practice questions.
Learn the shapes, colors, and meanings of regulatory, warning, and guide signs — from stop and yield to construction and school-zone signs.
Speed limits, turning and signaling rules, headlight and seat-belt requirements, and the everyday laws every driver must follow.
Who goes first at intersections, four-way stops, roundabouts, and crosswalks, and how to yield to pedestrians and emergency vehicles.
How to pass the first time
- Read the official Texas driver handbook at least once before test day.
- Practice by topic to find your weak spots, then fix them.
- Take full-length practice tests until you pass comfortably every time.
- Read every explanation — understanding beats memorizing.
Texas Car / Permit test — frequently asked questions
How many questions are on the Texas Car / Permit test?
The Texas Car / Permit knowledge test has 30 questions, and you need 21 correct (70%) to pass. Our practice tests mirror that format.
How many questions can I miss on the Texas Car / Permit test?
You can miss up to 9 of the 30 questions and still pass — you need 21 correct, which is 70%.
Can I retake the practice test?
Yes — practice as often as you like, completely free. The questions and answer choices are shuffled each time.
Can I take the Texas practice test in Spanish?
Yes. Every question here is available in English and Spanish — switch languages anytime. Many states also offer the real knowledge test in languages other than English; confirm what Texas offers with your DMV.
Can I practice on my phone?
Yes. The practice tests work in any mobile or desktop browser — no app or sign-up needed — so you can study anywhere.
Are these the real DMV test questions?
No. Our questions are original, written from the current official Texas driver handbook to match the real test's topics and style. We are not affiliated with any DMV or government agency.
What's the best way to study?
Read the Texas driver handbook, practice by topic to target weak areas, and finish with full-length tests until you consistently pass.
Other Texas practice tests
Take the Car / Permit test in another state
Every Texas question is written from the official Texas 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
Texas Car / Permit questions with answers
20 sample questions from the Texas Car / Permit question bank — each with the correct answer, a short explanation, and the section of the official handbook it comes from.
1. Texas law prohibits parking within how many feet of a crosswalk at an intersection?
Correct answer: 20 feet
You may not park within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection. Parking closer blocks the view of drivers and pedestrians and can hide people who are trying to cross.
Source: Texas Driver Handbook — Parking
2. While driving you see a round yellow sign with a black 'X' and two 'R' letters. What does it indicate?
Correct answer: A railroad crossing is ahead; slow down and be ready to stop for trains.
A railroad crossing is ahead; slow down and be ready to stop for trains. (This is the "Railroad Crossing Ahead" sign.)
3. Your right tires drift off the pavement onto a lower shoulder. The best response is to:
Correct answer: ease off the gas, keep control, and steer back gently when it is safe
Do not jerk the wheel or brake hard, which can cause a skid or rollover. Ease off the gas, hold the wheel firmly, let the car slow, then steer gently back onto the pavement when it is safe.
4. Texas requires drivers to carry at least the minimum liability insurance, commonly stated as 30/60/25. The '25' stands for:
Correct answer: $25,000 of coverage for others' property damage per crash
The 30/60/25 minimums are $30,000 for injuries to one person, $60,000 total per crash, and $25,000 for property damage — so the '25' is $25,000 of coverage for others' property damage per crash.
5. A large truck ahead of you has its right-turn signal on but first swings wide to the left. You should:
Correct answer: stay back and never try to pass on the right side of the truck
Big trucks need extra room and often swing wide left to make a right turn. Never try to squeeze between the truck and the curb on its right, where the driver cannot see you.
Source: Texas Driver Handbook — Sharing the Road with Trucks
6. A traffic signal showing a flashing red light means you should:
Correct answer: stop, then proceed when it is safe, just as you would at a stop sign
A flashing red light works like a stop sign: come to a full stop, yield to others, and go only when the way is clear.
7. The Texas 'two-second rule' is a way to judge:
Correct answer: a safe following distance behind the vehicle ahead
Pick a fixed point; when the car ahead passes it, you should reach it no sooner than two seconds later. Increase the gap in poor conditions.
8. When you pull out from a private driveway or alley onto a street, you must:
Correct answer: yield to traffic on the street and to pedestrians on the sidewalk
A vehicle entering a road from a driveway, alley, or private property must yield to all traffic already on the road and to pedestrians on the sidewalk before entering.
9. In Texas, an adult 21 or older is legally intoxicated to drive at a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of:
Correct answer: 0.08 or higher
For adult drivers 21 and older, the legal BAC limit is 0.08. You can also be charged if alcohol or drugs impair your normal faculties below that level.
10. Unless another limit is posted, what is the speed limit in a Texas urban district?
Correct answer: 30 mph
In urban districts the standard limit is 30 mph unless signs say otherwise. Always follow the posted limit, which can be higher or lower.
11. How does driving at a higher speed affect the distance needed to stop your vehicle?
Correct answer: the higher your speed, the greater the distance needed to stop
Stopping distance grows quickly as speed rises because both reaction distance and braking distance increase. Higher speeds need much more room to stop.
12. When you finish parking parallel to a curb, your tires should be within about:
Correct answer: 18 inches of the curb
Park within about 18 inches of the curb. Parking too far out leaves your car sticking into the traffic lane and can earn a ticket.
Source: Texas Driver Handbook — Parking
13. A five-sided (pentagon-shaped) sign is used to mark:
Correct answer: a school zone or school crossing
The pentagon shape marks school zones and school crossings. Expect children nearby and be ready to stop; reduced speed limits often apply.
14. Your engine stalls on a railroad crossing and a train is approaching. You should:
Correct answer: get everyone out at once, move away from the tracks, then call for help
Get everyone out of the vehicle immediately and move well away from the tracks, walking toward the train at an angle so debris is thrown away from you. Then call for help; never try to restart the car.
15. If you are lawfully arrested for DWI and refuse to give a breath or blood sample, Texas law provides for:
Correct answer: an automatic suspension of your driver license
Because of implied consent, refusing a lawful breath or blood test after a DWI arrest results in an automatic driver-license suspension.
16. When driving near a motorcycle, you should remember that the motorcycle:
Correct answer: is entitled to a full lane, so you should not crowd or share its lane
Motorcycles have the same right to a full lane as any vehicle. Give them the whole lane and check your blind spots — they are easy to miss.
17. A green arrow shown at a traffic signal means you may:
Correct answer: turn in the direction of the arrow, yielding to pedestrians already crossing
A green arrow gives you a protected turn in the direction it points; oncoming and cross traffic are held by a red light. You must still yield to any pedestrians already in the crosswalk.
18. When driving at night, you should not 'overdrive' your headlights. This means you should:
Correct answer: keep your speed low enough to stop within the distance your lights show
Overdriving your headlights means going so fast that you cannot stop within the distance you can see ahead. Keep your speed low enough to stop within the area your lights reveal.
19. You have a green light (no arrow) and want to turn left across oncoming traffic. You must:
Correct answer: yield to oncoming vehicles and pedestrians, then turn when it is safe
A green light without an arrow does not give you the right-of-way to turn left. You must yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians first.
20. Which of these will actually lower a person's blood alcohol concentration after drinking?
Correct answer: only the passage of time
Only time lets the body remove alcohol from the blood. Coffee, a cold shower, food, or fresh air may make someone feel more awake but do not make them sober or safe to drive.