Page updated 2026-10-19.
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Key Alabama DMV rules and numbers
These are key rules and numbers from the Alabama handbook, a few per topic so they fit on one printed page. We favor rules that state a specific number. Every fact below comes from our free Alabama DMV practice test question bank, which has 500 questions across 9 topics, checked against the Alabama handbook (last verified 2026-09-07).
Speed limits
- A school-zone sign identifies the speed limit that governs during the hours printed on the sign. (Handbook, p. 44)
- Alabama treats a speed above a statutory limit as prima facie evidence that the speed is unlawful, and the manual notes that the driver may be arrested. (Handbook, p. 59)
- The manual states that all speed limits in municipalities are maximum speeds. (Handbook, p. 59)
- Alabama's statutory limits depend on the type of road. (Handbook, p. 60)
- Minimum speed limits may be set on some roadways, and where they are posted, any speed below that minimum is considered unlawful under normal weather, road, and traffic conditions. (Handbook, p. 60)
Right of way
- At an uncontrolled intersection, Alabama assigns the yield duty to the vehicle on the left when vehicles arrive from different roadways at about the same time. (Handbook, p. 63)
- Alabama’s intersection rule says that a driver entering an uncontrolled intersection at an unlawful speed loses any right of way the driver might otherwise have. (Handbook, p. 63)
- The manual places the duty at any intersection when a blind person is carrying a white cane tipped with red and holding it extended, or is using a guide dog. (Handbook, p. 63)
- Cars entering from a private road or driveway must stop and yield to cars already on a public street or highway. (Handbook, p. 63)
- The manual directs drivers to enter a roundabout when there is a safe gap and to turn right to join the counterclockwise flow. (Handbook, p. 57)
Alcohol and DUI
- Alabama treats a blood alcohol concentration of .08 percent or more as unlawful for ordinary drivers, even apart from proof that alcohol affected driving. (Handbook, p. 33)
- The manual presents Alabama's point system as a uniform system used to suspend driver licenses on one or both of the grounds listed in Section 32-5A-195. (Handbook, p. 18)
- Special studies show that fatal accident involvement of drinking drivers is as high as 50 percent, a fact not recognized by people who drink and drive. (Handbook, p. 33)
- The penalty for a first DUI conviction is a fine of $600 to $2,100, up to one year in jail, or both, and the driver license is suspended for 90 days. (Handbook, p. 33)
- Section 32-5A-191(f) sets a fine of $1,100 to $5,100 for a second DUI conviction within 10 years, with jail of up to one year. (Handbook)
Signals and markings
- Alabama requires headlights, not parking lights alone, from 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise. (Handbook, p. 69)
- A green arrow permits the indicated movement, but vehicles entering on that arrow must still yield to other traffic lawfully using the intersection. (Handbook, p. 63)
- In fog or heavy snow, keep your headlights on low beam. (Handbook, p. 73)
- Alabama uses yellow centerlines on two-lane highways because the line separates traffic moving in opposite directions. (Handbook, p. 52)
- The manual uses broken lines in areas where passing has no line-based restriction, but safety conditions still control the maneuver. (Handbook, p. 52)
Parking
- Facing downhill with a curb, turn the front wheels toward the curb and shift into reverse or PARK. (Handbook, p. 28)
- Uphill parking with a curb calls for wheels turned away from that curb, plus low gear or PARK and the hand brake set. (Handbook, p. 28)
- A vehicle left standing beside a rural highway remains a hazard while any part of it stays in the path of moving traffic. (Handbook, p. 28)
- Crosswalks and sidewalks belong to people on foot, so a parked vehicle there pushes walkers into the street and blocks wheelchairs, strollers, and children walking to school. (Handbook, p. 29)
- With no curb, the handbook gives one wheel direction for both slopes: toward the edge of the road, whether the car faces uphill or downhill. (Handbook, p. 28)
Safe driving
- Up to about 35 mph, most tires wipe water off the road surface the way a windshield wiper clears glass. (Handbook, p. 72)
- The manual lists 30 miles per hour as the statutory limit in an urban district, unless an officially posted speed zone establishes another limit. (Handbook, p. 60)
- When a school bus displays flashing red lights and its extended stop area, Alabama directs traffic coming from either direction to stop at least 20 feet from the bus. (Handbook, p. 62)
- Alabama prohibits crossing the centerline to pass on a curve or hill when the driver cannot see a clear passing distance of at least 500 feet. (Handbook, p. 65)
- The manual lists at least $25,000 for death or bodily injury to one person under Alabama’s Mandatory Liability Insurance Law. (Handbook, p. 68)
Road signs
- As you approach a 4-way stop intersection, the Alabama manual says to look for other vehicles approaching at the same time. (Handbook, p. 42)
- Alabama uses a bicycle sign stating that a 3 foot minimum clearance is required when passing. (Handbook, p. 50)
- Crossbucks are found at most railroad crossings. (Handbook, p. 39)
- A STOP sign requires a complete stop before entering the intersection. (Handbook, p. 60)
- A YIELD sign calls for reduced speed and yielding to vehicles and pedestrians legally crossing the roadway. (Handbook, p. 63)
Laws and paperwork
- Alabama will not license any person under the age of 19 who is not in compliance with Alabama Act 93-368, which requires secondary school graduation or current attendance, with limited exclusions. (Handbook, p. 6)
- Any person 14 or 15 years of age may obtain a restricted license to operate a motor driven cycle weighing not more than 200 pounds and not exceeding 150cc engine displacement. (Handbook, p. 10)
- Alabama's Hands-Free Law, enforced since June 2024, sets penalties that rise with each conviction within a 24 month period. (Handbook, p. 16)
- Alabama’s child restraint law requires children through age 15 to be restrained while riding in motor vehicles in Alabama. (Handbook, p. 30)
- The manual names passenger cars, pickup trucks, vans with seating capacity of 10 or fewer, minivans, and sport utility vehicles as covered vehicle types. (Handbook, p. 30)
Emergencies
- For a night breakdown, place flares or reflectors from 100 to 500 feet to the rear of your vehicle on the right hand edge of the highway to warn other traffic. (Handbook, p. 70)
- For a two-lane road with a posted speed limit of 20 mph or less, the move-over provision requires travel at 10 mph when a lane change is unsafe or not possible. (Handbook, p. 68)
- Headlights must be dimmed within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle. (Handbook, p. 69)
- Alabama reserves the 500 foot following distance during an emergency run for vehicles on necessary official business. (Handbook, p. 65)
- For highway emergencies, to report accidents and drunk drivers, dial *HP, which is *47, toll free on your cell phone to contact Alabama State Troopers. (Handbook, p. 76)
Want the reasoning behind these rules? Study the handbook, chapter by chapter, in 25 short lessons quoted from the Alabama manual.
Signs
Sign shape and color carry meaning before you even read the words. A red octagon always means stop, a red-bordered triangle pointing down means yield, and yellow diamonds warn of a hazard ahead. For every sign image used in our practice test, with the exact meaning and explanation, see the full road sign glossary.
Keep studying
This cheat sheet is a summary, not a substitute for practice. Test yourself with the free Alabama DMV practice test, which explains the reasoning behind every answer, or see Alabama DMV facts and fees before test day.