Maryland MVA Driver Knowledge Test — Questions and Answers

Question 1: What should you do if you lose your Maryland driver’s license and need a replacement?

Call the DMV for instructions and continue driving without a license
Use a temporary license issued online until the replacement arrives
Report the loss to the police and wait for a replacement license in the mail
Visit a Maryland DMV branch to apply for a replacement license (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Visit a Maryland DMV branch to apply for a replacement license

If a Maryland driver's license is lost or stolen, the driver must apply for a replacement. The most direct and common method is to visit a Maryland MVA (Motor Vehicle Administration) branch in person to apply for a duplicate license, providing necessary identification and paying the required fee.

Question 2: A provisional license holder who moves to Maryland at age 17 with an out-of-state license should expect what?

To automatically receive a full Maryland license
To be subject to Maryland's graduated licensing restrictions until eligible for a full license (Correct answer)
To restart with a learner's permit regardless of experience
To be exempt from all passenger and night restrictions

Correct answer: To be subject to Maryland's graduated licensing restrictions until eligible for a full license

Drivers under 18 transferring to Maryland are placed into the graduated licensing system with its provisional restrictions.

Question 3: When may you legally park in a bicycle lane in Maryland?

If you stay under 5 minutes
During off-peak hours automatically
Whenever the lane appears unused
Only where signs or local law specifically permit it (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Only where signs or local law specifically permit it

Bicycle lanes are travel lanes for bikes, and parking in them is prohibited unless specifically authorized.

Question 4: What is required to schedule a driving test appointment in Maryland?

An application form submitted in person
A referral from a driving school
A payment of a non-refundable fee and proof of identity
A valid learner's permit and a completed driver education course (Correct answer)

Correct answer: A valid learner's permit and a completed driver education course

In Maryland, scheduling a driving test appointment requires a valid learner's permit and proof of completion of a driver education course. The learner's permit legally allows individuals to practice driving under supervision, while the driver education course provides foundational knowledge and skills. These requirements ensure that applicants have received adequate preparation before attempting the official road test.

Question 5: A Maryland learner's permit holder is caught driving alone. What is a likely consequence?

Vehicle forfeiture
Permit suspension and a delayed path to a provisional license (Correct answer)
Immediate upgrade denial for life
Only a warning with no record

Correct answer: Permit suspension and a delayed path to a provisional license

Driving unsupervised on a permit can lead to suspension and restarting the required waiting period.

Question 6: Your right wheels drop off the pavement onto a soft shoulder. What is the correct recovery technique?

Ease off the gas, hold the wheel firmly, and steer back gently when safe (Correct answer)
Accelerate to climb back onto the pavement
Jerk the wheel sharply back onto the road
Brake as hard as possible immediately

Correct answer: Ease off the gas, hold the wheel firmly, and steer back gently when safe

Slowing gradually and steering back gently prevents overcorrecting, which can cause a rollover or a crash into oncoming traffic.

Question 7: A funeral procession with headlights on is passing through an intersection. Generally, you should:

Yield and not cut through the procession (Correct answer)
Honk to request passage
Drive between the vehicles if there is a gap
Merge into the procession to save time

Correct answer: Yield and not cut through the procession

Drivers should yield to a funeral procession and never break its line of vehicles.

Question 8: A flashing yellow arrow signal in Maryland means a driver may:

Make a cautious turn after yielding to oncoming traffic and pedestrians (Correct answer)
Turn only after coming to a complete stop
Turn without yielding to oncoming traffic
Not turn until the arrow turns solid green

Correct answer: Make a cautious turn after yielding to oncoming traffic and pedestrians

A flashing yellow arrow is an unprotected turn signal, meaning drivers may turn but must yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians.

Question 9: Which family transfers may qualify for an excise tax exemption when titling a vehicle in Maryland?

Transfers between friends and neighbors
Transfers between any two Maryland residents
Transfers between coworkers
Transfers between immediate family members, such as parent to child or between spouses (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Transfers between immediate family members, such as parent to child or between spouses

Maryland exempts certain immediate-family title transfers, such as between spouses or parent and child, from excise tax.

Question 10: What driver education must Maryland applicants complete before obtaining a provisional license?

20 hours of classroom instruction only
10 hours of behind-the-wheel training only
30 hours of classroom instruction and 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training (Correct answer)
40 hours of classroom instruction and 10 hours of behind-the-wheel training

Correct answer: 30 hours of classroom instruction and 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training

Maryland's standardized driver education program requires 30 classroom hours plus 6 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction.

Question 11: How does an ignition interlock device work?

It reports the car's location to police hourly
It limits the vehicle's top speed
It records video of the driver at all times
The driver must give an alcohol-free breath sample before the engine will start (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The driver must give an alcohol-free breath sample before the engine will start

An ignition interlock requires a breath sample below the set limit before allowing the engine to start.

Question 12: What can happen if you cancel your vehicle insurance in Maryland without returning your plates?

You face uninsured motorist penalty fees and possible registration suspension (Correct answer)
Nothing, as long as the car is parked
Your driver's license is permanently revoked
Only a warning letter is issued

Correct answer: You face uninsured motorist penalty fees and possible registration suspension

Maryland assesses uninsured motorist penalties and may suspend the registration when insurance lapses on plated vehicles.

Question 13: What does a solid white line painted along the right edge of a Maryland roadway indicate?

A no-parking zone
A bicycle-only lane
The center of the roadway
The boundary of the travel lane and the shoulder (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The boundary of the travel lane and the shoulder

A solid white line on the right edge marks the boundary between the travel lane and the road shoulder.

Question 14: When driving behind a horse-drawn vehicle or a rider on horseback, you should:

Slow down and pass with care, leaving plenty of room (Correct answer)
Rev your engine to alert the rider
Honk so the animal moves aside
Follow closely until the road widens

Correct answer: Slow down and pass with care, leaving plenty of room

Loud noises can startle horses, so drivers should slow down and pass quietly with a wide margin.

Question 15: Where must you park when parallel parking on a two-way street in Maryland?

On either side, facing any direction
On the left side if it is closer
Facing against traffic if signs allow
On the right side, with the flow of traffic (Correct answer)

Correct answer: On the right side, with the flow of traffic

On a two-way street you must park on the right side, facing the same direction as traffic flow.

Question 16: How long must a new driver under 25 hold a learner's permit conviction-free before applying for a provisional license in Maryland?

3 months
9 months (Correct answer)
12 months
6 months

Correct answer: 9 months

Drivers under 25 must hold the learner's permit for at least 9 months without a moving violation conviction.

Question 17: An upside-down triangle (pointing downward) with a red border is what type of sign in Maryland?

A yield sign requiring drivers to give the right-of-way (Correct answer)
A stop sign variant used at low-speed intersections
A warning sign for a divided highway
A school zone speed limit sign

Correct answer: A yield sign requiring drivers to give the right-of-way

The downward-pointing triangle with a red border is the standard yield sign shape, universally recognized for giving right-of-way.

Question 18: You are making a U-turn where permitted. Who has the right-of-way?

All approaching traffic from both directions (Correct answer)
You, since U-turns are permitted there
Only traffic on your side of the road
Vehicles turning right

Correct answer: All approaching traffic from both directions

A driver making a U-turn must yield to all approaching traffic before completing the maneuver.

Question 19: What should a driver do when approaching a flashing red traffic light?

Treat it as a yield sign
Stop completely, then proceed when safe (Correct answer)
Stop and wait for a green light
Slow down and proceed if clear

Correct answer: Stop completely, then proceed when safe

A flashing red light must be treated the same as a STOP sign — come to a full stop, then proceed when safe.

Question 20: What does a brown sign typically indicate on Maryland roadways?

Motorist services like fuel and food
Recreational, cultural, or scenic attractions (Correct answer)
Construction zone warnings
County or municipal boundary lines

Correct answer: Recreational, cultural, or scenic attractions

Brown signs are used to designate recreational areas, national parks, historic sites, and scenic or cultural attractions.

Question 21: At a four-way stop, if two vehicles arrive at the same time from perpendicular directions, who goes first?

The vehicle on the left
The vehicle on the right (Correct answer)
The vehicle going straight
The larger vehicle

Correct answer: The vehicle on the right

When two vehicles arrive simultaneously at a four-way stop, the vehicle to the right has the right of way.

Question 22: What does a green arrow displayed alongside a red traffic light mean?

You must wait for a full green signal before proceeding
You may proceed in the direction the arrow points after yielding (Correct answer)
The signal is malfunctioning and you should treat it as a stop sign
You may proceed in the arrow direction after a full stop

Correct answer: You may proceed in the direction the arrow points after yielding

A green arrow with a red light (protected turn signal) means you may proceed in the arrow's direction after yielding to any pedestrians or vehicles lawfully in the intersection.

Question 23: A white rectangular sign with black lettering in Maryland is used for what purpose?

Indicating nearby services
Warning of hazards ahead
Marking pedestrian zones
Providing regulatory information drivers must follow (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Providing regulatory information drivers must follow

White rectangular signs with black lettering are regulatory signs that convey laws and rules drivers are required to obey.

Question 24: What does a flashing yellow traffic light indicate?

The intersection is closed
The light is about to turn red
Stop and wait for green
Proceed with caution at reduced speed (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Proceed with caution at reduced speed

A flashing yellow light warns drivers to slow down and proceed through the intersection with caution.

Question 25: Under Maryland's 'Move Over' law, when passing a stopped emergency vehicle with flashing lights on the shoulder, you must:

Move to a non-adjacent lane if possible, or slow to a safe speed (Correct answer)
Turn on hazard lights and continue
Stop completely behind the vehicle
Maintain your speed and lane

Correct answer: Move to a non-adjacent lane if possible, or slow to a safe speed

Maryland's Move Over law requires changing lanes away from stopped emergency vehicles or slowing to a reasonable speed if changing lanes is unsafe.

Maryland MVA Driver Knowledge Test

The Maryland MVA knowledge test evaluates your understanding of traffic laws, road signs, and safe driving practices required to obtain a Maryland driver's license or learner's permit. Test-takers must answer at least 22 of 25 questions correctly to pass.

Questions

20 min

Time Limit

88%

To Pass

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Exam Rules

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