AL Permit Practice Test 1

All 20 questions in test 1

Every question below comes from the Alabama question bank on this page. Open a question to see the correct answer and the explanation. Nothing here is hidden behind a signup.

1. 1. How should an Alabama driver handle hydroplaning?

   1. Press the accelerator to regain traction
   2. Take the foot off the accelerator and let the car slow down
   3. Turn sharply toward the nearest lane
   4. Apply the parking brake immediately
   Show answer

   Take the foot off the accelerator and let the car slow down. When hydroplaning begins, the manual recommends taking your foot off the accelerator and allowing the car to slow down. Pressing the accelerator can maintain the speed that lifted the tires onto water, while a sharp turn or parking-brake application can create an unpredictable skid. Keep steering controlled and avoid abrupt inputs until tire contact returns. Good tread helps prevent complete hydroplaning, but it cannot make excessive speed safe when water is deep or rain is severe.

2. 2. In Alabama, how must a driver respond to a flashing red traffic signal?

   1. Treat it as a stop sign and proceed only when safe
   2. Treat it as a yield and continue if the lane looks open
   3. Treat it as a green signal for the direction of travel
   4. Stop only if a train or emergency vehicle is visible
   Show answer

   Treat it as a stop sign and proceed only when safe. A flashing red signal carries the same stopping duty as a stop sign. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop, check for conflicting traffic and pedestrians, and proceed only when the route is safe. The yield choice would let a driver roll through without stopping, which is not permitted by this signal. A flashing red is also different from a green indication, so the choice “Treat it as a green signal for the direction of travel” reverses the required response. Remember the color and pattern together: red that flashes still means stop, even when the intersection appears empty.

3. 3. Why are motorcycles hard to identify in traffic, according to the Alabama manual?

   1. They are always painted dark colors
   2. They ride only on the shoulder
   3. They travel faster than cars
   4. They are only about two feet wide compared with the five to six foot width of a car
   Show answer

   They are only about two feet wide compared with the five to six foot width of a car. Motorcycles are not easily identified in traffic because they are only about two feet wide compared with the five to six foot width of an automobile. Even when seen, drivers may misjudge how far away a motorcyclist is and how fast it is closing. Look twice for motorcycles at intersections and before lane changes, and remember a rider may forget to cancel a turn signal.

4. 4. What does an Alabama yield sign require when pedestrians or vehicles are crossing?

   1. Slow down and yield, stopping if necessary
   2. Maintain speed because the sign only gives advice
   3. Stop for exactly five seconds in every case
   4. Yield only to vehicles on the intersecting road
   Show answer

   Slow down and yield, stopping if necessary. A yield sign requires the driver to slow down and give the right of way to pedestrians crossing and vehicles on the intersecting street or highway. If the traffic situation requires it, the driver must stop. The sign does not merely suggest caution, so maintaining speed is unsafe. A fixed five-second stop is not the rule because the action depends on the traffic present. Pedestrians are included, which makes the choice “Yield only to vehicles on the intersecting road” incomplete. Approach with reduced speed, scan both directions, and be ready to stop before entering the conflict area.

5. 5. Under Alabama's child restraint law, how long must a child use a forward-facing child seat?

   1. Until 3 years of age
   2. Until at least 5 years of age or 40 pounds
   3. Until 15 years of age
   4. Until 20 pounds
   Show answer

   Until at least 5 years of age or 40 pounds. After the rear-facing stage, Alabama requires a convertible seat in the forward position or a forward-facing seat until the child is at least 5 years of age or 40 pounds. A booster seat is then used until age 6, and a seat belt through age 15. Three years is not the rule. Fifteen is the end of the child restraint law's coverage, and 20 pounds is the rear-facing threshold.

6. 6. In Alabama, at what blood alcohol content is it unlawful for a school bus or daycare driver to drive?

   1. .08% or more
   2. .02% or more
   3. .04% or more
   4. .10% or more
   Show answer

   .02% or more. Alabama sets different limits by driver type: .08 percent for most drivers, .04 percent for commercial vehicle operators, and .02 percent for both drivers under 21 and school bus and daycare drivers. So a school bus or daycare driver is covered at .02 percent or more. The .08 and .04 figures belong to other groups, and .10 percent is not a limit in the manual.

7. 7. What penalty applies to a second conviction under Alabama's Hands-Free Law?

   1. $50 fine and 1 point
   2. $150 fine and 3 points
   3. $25 fine and no points
   4. $100 fine and 2 points
   Show answer

   $100 fine and 2 points. Alabama's Hands-Free Law, which the manual lists as effective June 2024, sets rising penalties within a 24-month period: a first conviction brings a $50 fine and 1 point, a second a $100 fine and 2 points, and a third a $150 fine and 3 points. So the $50 and $150 choices describe the first and third convictions. A $25 fine with no points is not part of this schedule. Each step adds both money and points, so repeat offenses within 24 months build up quickly on the driving record.

8. 8. An Alabama driver accumulates 12 to 14 points in a 2-year period. How long is the suspension?

   1. 90 days
   2. 120 days
   3. 60 days
   4. 365 days
   Show answer

   60 days. Alabama's point suspension schedule starts at 12 to 14 points in a 2-year period, which brings a 60 day suspension. It then climbs to 90 days for 15 to 17 points, 120 days for 18 to 20, 180 days for 21 to 23, and 365 days for 24 or more. So 90, 120 and 365 days belong to higher point totals. The driver may request a pre-suspension or administrative hearing.

9. 9. What happens to a driver’s otherwise available right of way when entering an uncontrolled intersection at an unlawful speed?

   1. It remains unchanged
   2. It transfers to the vehicle behind
   3. It is forfeited
   4. It applies only if the driver sounds the horn
   Show answer

   It is forfeited. 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. The rule therefore removes the protection a driver might expect from the ordinary priority arrangement. The unchanged choice ignores the speed condition, while the horn choice invents a way to restore priority. The vehicle-behind option has no role in the stated rule. A good memory cue is that right of way is not a shield for illegal speed: unlawful entry means the driver gives up the otherwise available priority.

10. 10. What school related requirement applies to Alabama license applicants under 19?

    1. They must have a college acceptance letter
    2. They must complete driver education in school
    3. There is no school requirement
    4. They must show secondary school graduation or current attendance under Act 93-368, with limited exclusions
    Show answer

    They must show secondary school graduation or current attendance under Act 93-368, with limited exclusions. 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. All applicants under 19 present a current Student Enrollment/Exclusion Form. The same list of ineligible persons includes habitual drunkards, narcotic addicts, and anyone who fails a required examination. The enrollment form must be current at the time of application.

11. 11. If the accelerator pedal sticks, what should you try first?

    1. Press the pedal harder until it releases
    2. Hook your toe under the pedal and try to raise it
    3. Shift into reverse while moving forward
    4. Turn sharply toward the nearest curb
    Show answer

    Hook your toe under the pedal and try to raise it. A stuck accelerator requires a controlled attempt to free the pedal before choosing a more serious response. The manual advises hooking your toe under the pedal and attempting to raise it. Pressing harder could keep the vehicle accelerating, while shifting into reverse or steering abruptly could create a separate loss of control. If the pedal will not come free, the engine can be turned off to slow the vehicle, though power steering and power brakes will then be lost. Keep the vehicle pointed safely while reducing speed.

12. 12. What does the yellow warning sign with repeated curves warn a driver about?

    
    1. A single straight section followed by a mandatory U-turn
    2. A sharp turn or curve in the direction of the arrow
    3. A high wind area requiring hazard lights
    4. A rough bridge allowing traffic in one direction only
    Show answer

    A sharp turn or curve in the direction of the arrow. This warning sign tells the driver to expect a sharp turn or curve in the direction shown by its arrow, and the manual notes that these signs are normally placed in series. It does not announce a mandatory U-turn, a high wind area, or one way traffic across a rough bridge. Reduce speed before the first change in alignment, stay within the lane, and continue looking beyond the initial bend for the next warning. The repeated placement is a useful cue that the roadway may continue changing direction rather than straighten immediately.

13. 13. What does an Alabama NO PASSING ZONE sign mark?

    
    1. A temporary detour around construction
    2. A place where passing is required
    3. A lane reserved for slow vehicles
    4. A section where passing is prohibited
    Show answer

    A section where passing is prohibited. The NO PASSING ZONE sign marks the beginning of a section where passing is prohibited because the roadway ahead may not provide a safe view. It reinforces the solid yellow centerline and warns against entering the opposing lane. The choice saying passing is required reverses the sign's purpose, while a slow-vehicle lane would describe a traffic-use instruction rather than a restriction on overtaking. Treat the pennant-shaped sign as an immediate cue to remain behind the vehicle ahead and wait until the restriction ends or a clearly permitted passing area appears.

14. 14. What does a broken centerline generally indicate on an Alabama roadway?

    1. The roadway is reserved for emergency vehicles
    2. Traffic must stop before crossing the line
    3. Only buses may cross the line
    4. Passing is unrestricted when it can be done safely
    Show answer

    Passing is unrestricted when it can be done safely. The manual uses broken lines in areas where passing has no line-based restriction, but safety conditions still control the maneuver. A driver must have enough distance, visibility, and time to pass without exceeding the speed limit or creating a conflict. The stop choice treats a broken marking like a stop control, while the bus and emergency-vehicle choices invent special lane privileges. Read the broken line as permission to consider passing, not a guarantee that passing is safe. Check traffic, road conditions, and the full maneuver before moving left.

15. 15. Where does the Alabama manual say a three-point turn is not permitted?

    1. On interstate freeways
    2. On residential streets
    3. At intersections with no traffic
    4. In a private driveway
    Show answer

    On interstate freeways. A three-point turn is prohibited on interstate freeways. The maneuver requires several direction changes and can expose a driver to fast traffic, making a controlled turnaround at an appropriate location safer. The residential street choice is too broad because local conditions and ordinances govern many ordinary streets. An intersection with no traffic is not automatically excluded by this statement, and a private driveway is not the named prohibition. If a route requires reversing direction, continue to a legal, visible location where the turn can be completed without endangering anyone.

16. 16. How long is an Alabama 15-year-old learner license valid, and how many times may it be renewed?

    1. Four years, with one renewal permitted
    2. Two years, with unlimited renewals
    3. Six months, with no renewal permitted
    4. Until age 18, with two renewals permitted
    Show answer

    Four years, with one renewal permitted. The restricted learner license described for a 15-year-old remains valid for four years and may be renewed once. The two-year option shortens the period and adds renewals the manual does not authorize. A six-month period confuses the learner license with another licensing milestone, and an age-based expiration is not the stated validity rule. For a test question, separate the duration from the renewal count: four years is the license period, and one is the permitted renewal total.

17. 17. A LEFT LANE MUST TURN LEFT sign is posted ahead. Which driver must follow it?

    
    1. Only a driver who is making a U-turn
    2. Every driver approaching, including those in the right lane
    3. A driver traveling in the left lane
    4. Only a driver who has already entered the intersection
    Show answer

    A driver traveling in the left lane. The instruction applies to traffic occupying the left lane, which must turn left at the upcoming intersection. It does not force the right lane to turn, and it has nothing to do with a U-turn or vehicles already inside the junction. Move into a permitted lane early if you need a different movement. Lane position is the key cue, not merely the presence of the sign overhead.

18. 18. What does an Alabama 16 year old need before driving without supervision?

    1. A letter from the school principal
    2. A second road test
    3. Parental or legal guardian permission
    4. Proof of 100 practice hours
    Show answer

    Parental or legal guardian permission. The GDL summary says 16 year olds must have parental or legal guardian permission to receive a license and to drive without supervision. A principal's letter and a second road test are not part of the rule. Alabama's manual sets no 100 hour practice requirement. Even with permission, the teen's first months of licensing come with passenger, nighttime and handheld device restrictions.

19. 19. What is required when you approach an Alabama regulatory sign?

    1. Obey it without hesitation
    2. Treat it only as a suggestion
    3. Follow it only when another vehicle is nearby
    4. Ignore it unless it is fluorescent yellow
    Show answer

    Obey it without hesitation. Regulatory signs control traffic and must be obeyed without hesitation. Treating one as a suggestion removes the legal force described in the manual. Waiting for another vehicle is also wrong because the duty applies whenever the sign regulates your movement, whether the road is busy or empty. Fluorescent yellow is associated with pedestrian crossings and school zones, not a condition that determines whether a regulatory sign counts. A practical cue is the word regulatory: it signals a rule governing movement, speed, turns, stopping, or other required conduct.

20. 20. What minimum blood alcohol concentration makes driving unlawful for a person under 21 in Alabama?

    1. 0.06 percent or more
    2. 0.04 percent or more
    3. 0.02 percent or more
    4. 0.08 percent or more
    Show answer

    0.02 percent or more. For a person under 21, Alabama identifies 0.02 percent or more as an unlawful blood alcohol concentration for operating or being in actual physical control of a vehicle. The 0.04 percent threshold applies to commercial vehicle operators, while 0.08 percent is the general adult threshold listed elsewhere. Choosing 0.06 invents a middle limit that the manual does not use. The safest plan is no alcohol before driving, because impairment can occur before a driver reaches any legal threshold and the consequences can include license action and criminal penalties.