Free · 25 short lessons · Quoted from the manual
Alabama Driver Handbook, Chapter by Chapter
Start with lesson 1Every chapter of the Alabama Driver Manual that matters for the written test, cut down to the rules and exact numbers you need. Each point links to the manual text it comes from, with the page, and ends with questions from our free Alabama practice test.
25 lessons in handbook order
Read one lesson, answer its 3 check questions, then drill that topic in the practice test. Most lessons take about 5 minutes.
- Lesson 1Chapter 1: Your License to DriveLaws and paperwork
Who needs a license, and the knowledge and road tests
Alabama will not license anyone under 16, and applicants under 19 must be in school or have graduated. The knowledge test costs $5 and covers traffic laws, road signs and safe driving.
8 key points · 5 numbers · Handbook pp. 5 to 11
- Lesson 2Chapter 1: Your License to DriveLaws and paperwork
The learner license and graduated license rules
At 15 you can get a learner license with a Y restriction that requires a licensed adult 21 or older beside you. Teens hold it at least six months, then face passenger, curfew and phone limits.
9 key points · 9 numbers · Handbook pp. 9 to 84
- Lesson 3Chapter 1: Your License to DriveLaws and paperwork
Renewal, address changes and license classes
A license lasts four years and can be renewed up to 180 days early, with a 60 day grace period after it expires. Report an address change within 30 days, and carry your license whenever you drive.
7 key points · 6 numbers · Handbook pp. 13 to 16
- Lesson 4Chapter 2: You May Lose Your LicenseLaws and paperwork
Losing your license, points and phone laws
A canceled, suspended or revoked license costs at least $100 to reinstate, plus extra fees in some cases. Holding a phone while driving improperly and texting both bring fines and points.
7 key points · 7 numbers · Handbook pp. 16 to 32
- Lesson 5Chapter 3: The Driving TaskSafe driving
Good driving habits, turns and three point turns
Buckle up before starting, keep both hands on the wheel and stay in a single lane. Signal at least 100 feet before a turn, and never make a three point turn where drivers cannot see you from 500 feet.
7 key points · 2 numbers · Handbook pp. 20 to 23
- Lesson 6Chapter 3: The Driving TaskSafe driving
Curves, bicycles, motorcycles and large vehicles
Slow down before curves, and pass bicyclists with at least three feet. Motorcycles are hard to see and get a full lane, and trucks need far more room to stop than cars.
8 key points · 5 numbers · Handbook pp. 23 to 28
- Lesson 7Chapter 3: The Driving TaskLaws and paperwork
Parking, safety belts and child restraints
Every occupant must be restrained, and children through age 15 must be buckled in the right seat for their age. Parking is banned near crosswalks, signals, railroad tracks and hydrants.
7 key points · 5 numbers · Handbook pp. 28 to 30
- Lesson 8Chapter 4: The DriverSafe driving
Phones, fatigue, following distance and crashes
Your first job with a phone in the car is driving, and drowsiness is a major danger on interstates. Use the two second rule, and stretch it to four or five seconds in bad conditions.
8 key points · 5 numbers · Handbook pp. 31 to 40
- Lesson 9Chapter 4: The DriverAlcohol and DUI
Alcohol and the DUI law
At .08 percent everyone is definitely impaired, and Alabama makes driving at .08 or more unlawful. Lower limits apply to commercial drivers, drivers under 21 and school bus drivers.
7 key points · 4 numbers · Handbook pp. 33 to 34
- Lesson 10Chapter 4: The DriverAlcohol and DUI
DUI penalties and implied consent
A first DUI brings a $600 to $2,100 fine, up to a year in jail and a 90 day suspension, and penalties climb with each conviction. By driving you consent to a chemical test, and refusing means suspension.
7 key points · 6 numbers · Handbook pp. 33 to 34
- Lesson 11Chapter 4: The DriverRoad signs
Railroad crossings
The round yellow RR sign sits 750 feet before the tracks. Stop when lights flash or gates lower, never drive around gates, and never shift gears on the crossing.
8 key points · 3 numbers · Handbook pp. 38 to 40
- Lesson 12Chapter 5: Signs, Signals and Road MarkingsRoad signs
Sign types, regulatory signs and four way stops
Signs come in three types: regulatory, warning and guide, and their shapes and colors tell you which. Regulatory signs must be obeyed without hesitation, and at a four way stop the first to arrive leaves first.
8 key points · 2 numbers · Handbook pp. 41 to 44
- Lesson 13Chapter 5: Signs, Signals and Road MarkingsRoad signs
Warning, construction and guide signs
Warning signs are black and yellow, and construction signs are black and orange. Guide signs are green for directions, blue for services and brown for recreation.
8 key points · 1 numbers · Handbook pp. 44 to 51
- Lesson 14Chapter 5: Signs, Signals and Road MarkingsSignals and markings
Pavement markings
Centerlines are yellow on two lane highways and white on multi lane highways and one way streets. A solid yellow line on your side means no passing, and double solid white lines may not be crossed.
7 key points · 0 numbers · Handbook pp. 52 to 53
- Lesson 15Chapter 5: Signs, Signals and Road MarkingsSignals and markings
Traffic signals, arrows and lane use signals
Steady red means stop until green, and steady yellow means clear the intersection. Green arrows protect your turn, and a red X over a lane means do not drive in it.
7 key points · 0 numbers · Handbook pp. 54 to 56
- Lesson 16Chapter 5: Signs, Signals and Road MarkingsRight of way
Roundabouts
In a roundabout, traffic moves counterclockwise and vehicles already inside have the right of way. Yield to traffic on your left, never turn left to enter, and circle again if you miss your exit.
8 key points · 1 numbers · Handbook pp. 57 to 58
- Lesson 17Chapter 6: Traffic LawsSpeed limits
Speed limits
Alabama's basic speed law says never drive faster than is reasonable for conditions. Statutory limits run from 30 mph in urban districts to 70 mph where posted on interstates.
7 key points · 3 numbers · Handbook pp. 44 to 60
- Lesson 18Chapter 6: Traffic LawsRight of way
Right of way and yielding
At an uncontrolled intersection, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right, and entering at an unlawful speed forfeits your right of way. Yield to blind pedestrians, to traffic when leaving a driveway and to oncoming traffic when turning left.
7 key points · 0 numbers · Handbook pp. 62 to 63
- Lesson 19Chapter 6: Traffic LawsEmergencies
Stopping rules, school buses and emergency vehicles
Stop at least 20 feet from a school bus with flashing red lights and its stop arm out, from either direction. For emergency vehicles with lights and siren, pull to the side and stop, clearing any intersection first.
8 key points · 4 numbers · Handbook pp. 60 to 65
- Lesson 20Chapter 6: Traffic LawsSafe driving
Passing, backing, lane changes and loads
Pass on the left only when you can finish without speeding, and never where you cannot see 500 feet on a curve or hill. Check your blind spot before changing lanes, and never back on freeways.
8 key points · 2 numbers · Handbook pp. 64 to 67
- Lesson 21Chapter 6: Traffic LawsLaws and paperwork
Traffic stops, insurance and window tint
Every vehicle must carry liability insurance of at least 25/50/25, and violations bring fines up to $500 and then $1,000. Only the top 6 inches of the windshield may be tinted.
6 key points · 4 numbers · Handbook pp. 67 to 68
- Lesson 22Chapter 6: Traffic LawsEmergencies
The Move Over Law
On roads with four or more lanes, vacate the lane next to a stopped emergency vehicle or wrecker. If you cannot, or on two lane roads, slow to 15 mph under the limit, or to 10 mph where the limit is 20 or less.
5 key points · 4 numbers · Handbook pp. 68 to 76
- Lesson 23Chapter 7: Adjust to Driving ConditionsSafe driving
Night and winter driving
About half of Alabama's fatal crashes happen after dark. Dim high beams within 500 feet of oncoming traffic and 200 feet behind another car, and use headlights from a half hour after sunset to a half hour before sunrise.
8 key points · 3 numbers · Handbook pp. 69 to 71
- Lesson 24Chapter 7: Adjust to Driving ConditionsSafe driving
Skids, hydroplaning, fog and hills
In a skid, do not brake until you regain control. Partial hydroplaning starts around 35 mph, and in fog or snow use low beams and be ready to stop within your view.
7 key points · 1 numbers · Handbook pp. 71 to 73
- Lesson 25Chapter 7: Adjust to Driving ConditionsEmergencies
Driving emergencies
Think before you act. For a blowout, hold the wheel, steer straight and ease off the gas, and know what to do for brake failure, a car in your lane, a stall on the tracks and a stuck pedal.
7 key points · 0 numbers · Handbook pp. 73 to 75
Read, check, then practice
- Read a lesson. Open any point's source to see the exact manual wording and page.
- Answer the 3 check questions at the end without looking back.
- Drill that topic in the free Alabama practice test, then take a full test when every lesson feels easy.
- Keep the Alabama cheat sheet for a last look before test day.
Source: the Alabama Driver Manual (November 2024). Lessons are plain English summaries, not the law itself; where they differ, the manual and the statute govern. Every quote on these pages is checked against our saved copy of the manual. Last checked 2026-09-27.