NC DMV Permit Test study guide
NC DMV Permit Test · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
Driving in North Carolina is a legal privilege and a responsibility: state law requires a valid driver license before you may drive a motor vehicle on streets and highways, sit in the driver's seat while the engine is running, or steer a vehicle that is being pushed or towed. Division of Motor Vehicles issues those credentials - regular, commercial and provisional licenses and permits - along with learner permits for adults 18 and older and graduated permits and licenses for drivers 15 to 17. The NC DMV Permit Test study guide has 5 sections and about 1,688 words.
01Traffic Signs, Signals, and Road Markings
Signs communicate before you read a word. Learn the pairs: red octagon = STOP; red-and-white triangle = YIELD; yellow diamond = warning; orange diamond = work zone; green rectangle = guide; blue = services; brown = recreation; white rectangle = regulatory; pentagon = school zone or crossing; round = railroad; pennant = no-passing zone.
376 words, about 2 min02Rules of the Road and Right-of-Way
At an uncontrolled intersection, yield to a vehicle already there; if you arrive at the same time, yield to the vehicle on your right. At a four-way stop, the first vehicle to stop goes first; ties go to the right; if two vehicles face each other and one is turning left, the left-turner yields.
330 words, about 2 min03Safe Driving Practices and Following Distance
The most tested safe-driving idea is following distance. Use the three-second rule: pick a fixed object ahead, and when the rear of the vehicle ahead passes it, count "one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two, one-thousand-three." If you reach the object before three, you are too close.
318 words, about 2 min04Alcohol, Drugs, and Impaired Driving
Alcohol is a depressant that impairs judgment first, then reaction time, then coordination - which is why a driver can feel "fine" while already unsafe. North Carolina's legal limit is 0.08 BAC for drivers 21 and older, 0.04 for commercial drivers, and any measurable alcohol for drivers under 21 under the state's zero-tolerance law.
326 words, about 2 min05Vehicle Equipment, Sharing the Road, and Special Conditions
Your vehicle must be in safe working order: brakes, headlights, taillights, brake lights, turn signals, horn, mirrors, tires with adequate tread, and a clean windshield. Seat belts are required for front-seat occupants and for all passengers under 18, and children must be in an approved child restraint until age 8 or 80 pounds, then a booster.
338 words, about 2 min