Delaware DMV Permit Test cheat sheet

Sign shapes carry meaning: octagon = stop, inverted triangle = yield, pennant = no passing zone, diamond = warning, pentagon = school zone/crossing, round = railroad advance warning, rectangle = regulatory or guide.

Sign colors carry meaning: red = stop/prohibition, yellow = warning, fluorescent yellow-green = school/pedestrian/bicycle warning, orange = construction/work zone, white = regulatory, green = guide/distance, blue = services, brown = recreation/cultural.

A steady red light means stop before the crosswalk or stop line; after stopping you may turn right unless a sign prohibits it, and may turn left from a one-way onto a one-way unless prohibited.

A flashing red light is treated as a stop sign: full stop, yield, then proceed when clear. A flashing yellow light means slow down and proceed with caution; no stop is required.

A steady yellow light warns that the signal is changing to red; stop if you can do so safely, otherwise clear the intersection with caution.

A green arrow grants a protected turn in the arrow direction; opposing traffic is stopped, but you must still yield to pedestrians and to traffic already lawfully in the intersection.

Dark (unlit) signals or a signal in flashing mode are treated as a stop sign if flashing red, or as a yield-type caution if flashing yellow; if the signal is completely dark, treat the intersection as an all-way stop.

A stop line, crosswalk, or the near edge of the roadway (in that order) marks where you must stop at a stop sign or red light; if none is marked, stop before entering the crosswalk or intersection.

Pavement markings: solid white lines separate same-direction lanes and mark the right edge; solid yellow lines separate opposing traffic and mark the left edge; broken lines permit crossing when safe; double solid yellow prohibits passing in both directions.

Delaware default speed limits: 25 mph in residential and business districts, 20 mph in school zones, and 50 mph on two-lane highways outside developed areas unless posted otherwise; posted signs always control.

Right-of-way at an uncontrolled intersection: the vehicle arriving first goes first; if two arrive at the same time, the vehicle on the left yields to the vehicle on the right.

A vehicle turning left must yield to oncoming traffic going straight or turning right, and to pedestrians in the crosswalk; a vehicle turning right on red must yield to all traffic and pedestrians.

When entering a highway from an entrance ramp or driveway, you must yield to traffic already on the roadway; entering traffic does not have the right of way.

Passing is prohibited on a solid yellow line, within a no-passing zone marked by a pennant sign or pavement arrows, at railroad crossings, and within intersections (except when the passing vehicle is on a multi-lane road in the same direction).

You must stop for a school bus with flashing red lights on an undivided road; on a divided highway with a median, traffic on the opposite side is not required to stop.

Delaware's Move Over law requires drivers to slow down and, if safe, change lanes away from stopped emergency, tow, or highway maintenance vehicles displaying flashing lights.

At a railroad crossing with flashing red lights, a lowered gate, or a flagger, you must stop and remain stopped until the signals stop and the gate is fully raised; never drive around a lowered gate.

A driver must signal continuously for at least the last 300 feet before turning and must signal before changing lanes; signals must be given at least 100 feet before stopping.

Delaware's safety belt law requires the driver and all front-seat passengers to be belted, and all passengers under 16 must be properly restrained regardless of seating position.

Children under 8 years old and under 65 pounds must be secured in an appropriate child restraint (car seat or booster); children 8 and older may use the adult belt if it fits properly.

Delaware law prohibits handheld cell phone use while driving, including texting; hands-free use is permitted for licensed adults, but handheld use and texting are prohibited for all drivers.

Following distance rule: use the three-second rule in good conditions; increase to four or more seconds at night, in rain, or behind large vehicles that block your view.

A driver must dim high beams when within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle and within 200 feet when following another vehicle.

Headlights are required from sunset to sunrise and whenever visibility is reduced by weather (rain, fog, snow) such that objects are not clearly visible at 1,000 feet; wipers on means headlights on.

Hydroplaning occurs when tires ride on a film of water; ease off the accelerator, avoid braking hard, and steer straight until traction returns.

If you are involved in a crash, stop, render aid, exchange information, and report the crash to police if there is injury, death, or property damage exceeding the statutory threshold; leaving the scene of an injury crash is a felony.

Pedestrians in a marked or unmarked crosswalk have the right of way; drivers must yield and must not pass a vehicle stopped at a crosswalk.

Delaware's per se DUI limits are 0.08% BAC for drivers 21 and older, 0.02% for drivers under 21, and 0.04% for commercial vehicle drivers; exceeding the limit is itself an offense.

A DUI can be charged even below the per se limit if the driver's ability to operate a vehicle is impaired by alcohol, drugs, or a combination of both.

Delaware's implied consent law: by driving, you consent to chemical testing (breath, blood, urine) when lawfully arrested for DUI; refusing a test triggers license revocation and can be used as evidence.

Under Delaware's zero tolerance law, a driver under 21 with a BAC of 0.02% or higher faces license suspension and other penalties even without evidence of impaired driving.

Open container law: possessing an open container of alcohol in the passenger area of a vehicle is prohibited; the container must be sealed and stored where passengers do not sit.

Alcohol impairs judgment, reaction time, and coordination before the driver perceives any effect; a standard drink typically takes about one hour for the body to metabolize, and only time removes alcohol.

Prescription and over-the-counter medications that cause drowsiness, as well as cannabis and other drugs, can support a DUI charge; combining alcohol with any drug increases impairment.

A first-offense DUI in Delaware carries license revocation, fines, mandatory education/treatment, and possible jail; penalties escalate sharply for repeat offenses and for high BAC or child-in-vehicle aggravators.

If you plan to drink, designate a sober driver in advance; if you have been drinking, call a ride, use public transit, or stay put - never attempt to 'sober up' with coffee, food, or a cold shower.