Speed limits and work zones

Key points

1. With no posted limit, drive 15 mph approaching a school crosswalk and 25 mph in business or residential districts.

   Source: Handbook p. 40

   “15 mph when approaching a school crosswalk. • 25 mph in any business or residential district.”
   Arizona Driver License Manual and Customer Service Guide, Handbook p. 40

2. Unposted limits are 55 mph on open highways or city freeways, 65 mph on designated open highways and 75 mph on rural freeways.

   Source: Handbook p. 40

   “55 mph on open highways or city freeways. • 65 mph on designated open highways. • 75 mph on rural freeways.”
   Arizona Driver License Manual and Customer Service Guide, Handbook p. 40

3. White speed limit signs with black letters show the maximum legal speed.

   Source: Handbook p. 40

   “White speed limit signs with black letters are regulatory signs and indicate the maximum speed you can legally go.”
   Arizona Driver License Manual and Customer Service Guide, Handbook p. 40

4. Orange signs with black letters give recommended safe speeds for curves, grades or other conditions.

   Source: Handbook p. 40

   “Orange signs with black letters indicate recommended safe speeds due to the curvature or grade of the road or other special conditions at that location.”
   Arizona Driver License Manual and Customer Service Guide, Handbook p. 40

5. In bad weather, double your following distance and reduce speed.

   Source: Handbook p. 40

   “When driving in bad weather, double the following distance from the vehicle in front of you and reduce speed appropriately.”
   Arizona Driver License Manual and Customer Service Guide, Handbook p. 40

6. Driving too slowly can be as dangerous as driving too fast.

   Source: Handbook p. 40

   “Driving too slowly can be as dangerous as driving too fast.”
   Arizona Driver License Manual and Customer Service Guide, Handbook p. 40

7. From the first school crossing sign past the crossing, the maximum speed is 15 mph.

   Source: Handbook p. 42

   “The maximum speed from the first sign to past the school crossing sign is 15 mph.”
   Arizona Driver License Manual and Customer Service Guide, Handbook p. 42

8. When signs are posted, fines for speeding in a work zone are doubled.

   Source: Handbook p. 44

   “When signs are posted, fines for a speed violation are doubled.”
   Arizona Driver License Manual and Customer Service Guide, Handbook p. 44

Numbers to know

Recognize these signs

3 questions from the Arizona practice test

1. 1. What is the unposted speed limit in an Arizona business or residential district?

   1. 25 mph
   2. 15 mph
   3. 55 mph
   4. 75 mph
   Show answer

   25 mph. In a business or residential district with no posted limit, Arizona lists 25 mph as the required speed. The 15 mph figure applies when approaching a school crosswalk, while 55 mph applies to open highways or city freeways and 75 mph to rural freeways. Identify the road setting before choosing a number. A city district and an open or rural freeway do not share the same unposted limit, so the surroundings matter as much as the absence of a sign.

2. 2. On an unposted designated open highway in Arizona, what speed limit must be observed?

   1. 65 mph
   2. 55 mph
   3. 75 mph
   4. 25 mph
   Show answer

   65 mph. The unposted limit for a designated open highway is 65 mph. Arizona assigns different numbers to nearby categories: 25 mph in a business or residential district, 55 mph on an open highway or city freeway, and 75 mph on a rural freeway. The word designated matters because it points to the specific highway category in the list. Do not select the rural freeway figure simply because both settings are outside a town. Match the road type exactly.

3. 3. What is the unposted Arizona speed limit when approaching a school crosswalk?

   1. 20 mph
   2. 15 mph
   3. 25 mph
   4. 35 mph
   Show answer

   15 mph. Arizona sets an unposted speed of 15 mph when approaching a school crosswalk. The 25 mph district limit is a general business or residential figure, but it does not replace the lower school-crosswalk number. The manual separately discusses portable school signs and the same 15 mph maximum through the crossing area. Slow before reaching the crossing, watch for children and crossing guards, and keep the lower number in mind whenever a school crosswalk is the road feature ahead.

Source: the Arizona Driver License Manual and Customer Service Guide, Section 3: Roadway and Vehicle Knowledge. This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.