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Lesson 6 of 16 · Section Three: Vehicle Equipment, Titles, Registration, and Insurance

Headlights, seat belts, phones and insurance

Delaware requires headlights at night, whenever you cannot see 1000 feet, and whenever your wipers are on. Every occupant must be buckled, hand held phones are banned, and every vehicle must carry at least the minimum liability insurance.

Topic
Laws and paperwork
Key points
10
Numbers
9
Manual
Handbook pp. 62 to 109
What you must know

Key points

  1. Headlights must be on after sunset, before sunrise, whenever you cannot see beyond 1000 feet, and whenever wipers are on.

    Source: Handbook p. 62
    “On when driving after sunset or before sunrise. • On any other time you cannot see beyond 1000 feet. • On any time you use your windshield wipers.”
    Delaware Driver Manual, Handbook p. 62

  2. Switch to low beams 500 feet before meeting a vehicle and within 200 feet of one you follow.

    Source: Handbook p. 62
    “Switched to low beams 500 feet before meeting another vehicle or when within 200 feet of the vehicle you are following.”
    Delaware Driver Manual, Handbook p. 62

  3. All occupants must be buckled or in a child seat, and the driver gets the ticket for anyone unrestrained.

    Source: Handbook p. 63
    “Delaware law requires all occupants of a vehicle to be properly restrained in a seatbelt or child safety seat. Officers may pull over a vehicle if they see unbuckled occupants inside. The driver of the vehicle receives a ticket for any unrestrained or improperly restrained vehicle occupants.”
    Delaware Driver Manual, Handbook p. 63

  4. Children under 2 and 30 pounds ride rear facing; under 4 and 40 pounds ride in a harnessed seat.

    Source: Handbook p. 109
    “Children under age 2 AND 30 pounds to ride in a rear-facing car seat. • Children under age 4 AND 40 pounds to ride in a harnessed car seat.”
    Delaware Driver Manual, Handbook p. 109

  5. A child under 12 or under 5 feet 5 inches should not ride in the front passenger seat.

    Source: Handbook p. 109
    “A child under the age of 12 or under 5’5” should not occupy the front passenger seat of a vehicle.”
    Delaware Driver Manual, Handbook p. 109

  6. GDL drivers may not use any cell phone or electronic device while driving, even hands free.

    Source: Handbook p. 81
    “NOTE: All cell phone or electronic device use, including hands-free, is prohibited by drivers with a Graduated Driver License (GDL).”
    Delaware Driver Manual, Handbook p. 81

  7. Minimum liability coverage is $25,000 per person, $50,000 per crash and $10,000 for property damage.

    Source: Handbook p. 63
    “$25,000 for bodily injury or death of one person in any one crash. • $50,000 for bodily injury or death of two or more persons in any one crash. • $10,000 for injury to, or destruction of, property of others in any one crash.”
    Delaware Driver Manual, Handbook p. 63

  8. Driving an uninsured vehicle brings a fine of $1,500.00 to $2,000.00.

    Source: Handbook p. 63
    “The penalty for operating an uninsured vehicle is a fine not less than $1,500.00 nor more than $2,000.00.”
    Delaware Driver Manual, Handbook p. 63

  9. Studded tires are legal only from October 15 to April 15.

    Source: Handbook p. 62
    “Studded Tires - Are legal from October 15 to April 15 inclusive”
    Delaware Driver Manual, Handbook p. 62

  10. Tire tread must be at least 2/32 inch to pass inspection.

    Source: Handbook p. 64
    “Tread depth must be at least 2/32 inch measured in two adjacent treads.”
    Delaware Driver Manual, Handbook p. 64
Exact figures

Numbers to know

NumberWhat it meansManual
1000 feetheadlights on when you cannot see this farHandbook p. 62
500 feet / 200 feetlow beams when meeting or followingHandbook p. 62
2 and 30 pounds / 4 and 40 poundsrear facing and harnessed car seat limitsHandbook p. 109
12 or 5 feet 5 incheschildren under these should not ride in frontHandbook p. 109
$25,000 / $50,000 / $10,000minimum liability coverageHandbook p. 63
$15,000 / $30,000minimum PIP per person and per crashHandbook p. 63
$1,500.00 to $2,000.00fine for driving uninsuredHandbook p. 63
October 15 to April 15studded tire seasonHandbook p. 62
2/32 inchminimum tread depthHandbook p. 64
Check yourself

3 questions from the Delaware practice test

  1. 1. When must Delaware headlights be on because of weather?

    1. Only during snow, never during rain
    2. Only after sunset
    3. Only when fog reduces visibility below 100 feet
    4. Whenever windshield wipers are in use due to inclement weather
    Show answer

    Whenever windshield wipers are in use due to inclement weather. Delaware's equipment rule connects headlights to windshield wiper use when the wipers are operating because of inclement weather. The rule is not limited to darkness, a measured visibility distance, or snow alone. The best driving cue is simple: if weather requires the wipers, turn on the headlights as well. This makes the vehicle easier for others to see during rain or another qualifying condition. The choices based on sunset or a fixed distance add limits that are not in the manual's stated requirement.

  2. 2. What must Delaware GDL passengers do while the vehicle is in motion?

    1. Wear a safety belt or use a child safety seat or booster seat
    2. Remain in the back seat without restraint
    3. Wear a belt only on highways
    4. Use a booster seat only when the permit holder is under 16
    Show answer

    Wear a safety belt or use a child safety seat or booster seat. During Level One GDL driving, the permit holder and all passengers must wear a safety belt or be secured in a child safety seat or booster seat while the vehicle moves. The rule does not limit restraint use to highways, and sitting in the back does not replace a belt or appropriate child restraint. The age condition in the choice “Use a booster seat only when the permit holder is under 16” is invented. A concrete cue is to check every occupant before moving, because the wording covers both the young driver and passengers and gives two restraint paths based on the occupant's needs.

  3. 3. What electronic-device restriction applies to a Delaware Level One Learner's Permit holder?

    1. The holder may not operate while using a cellular telephone or similar device
    2. Use is allowed with a supervisor present
    3. Only texting is prohibited
    4. Hands-free calls are required but permitted
    Show answer

    The holder may not operate while using a cellular telephone or similar device. The Level One restriction prohibits the permit holder from operating a motor vehicle while using a cellular telephone, text messaging device, or similar electronic device. A supervisor does not create an exception in the quoted rule, and the wording is broader than a texting-only ban. The hands-free choice also adds permission that the restriction does not provide. The useful cue is to treat the entire listed device category as off limits while the permit holder is operating, rather than trying to classify a call as safer or more convenient.

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Practice this topic

Lock it in with laws and paperwork questions from the free Delaware practice test. Every answer comes with a plain English explanation.

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Source: the Delaware Driver Manual, Section Three: Vehicle Equipment, Titles, Registration, and Insurance. 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.

Reviewed by , CA DOI #4037122 · Last updated 2026-09-27