The Idaho permit test has 40 questions, and you need 34 correct (85%) to pass. Official source. Page updated 2026-10-27.
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Key Idaho DMV rules and numbers
These are key rules and numbers from the Idaho 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 Idaho DMV practice test question bank, which has 500 questions across 9 topics, checked against the Idaho handbook (last verified 2026-09-07).
Speed limits
- Idaho permits travel up to 65 miles per hour on urban interstate highways when the road is designated for that speed and conditions permit, unless a different limit is posted. (Handbook, p. 83)
- The special passing allowance is limited by the posted speed condition, so a 45 mile per hour road does not qualify. (Handbook, p. 77)
- Idaho's default interstate maximum is 75 mph unless a different limit is posted, and 80 mph may be allowed where signs say so. (Handbook, p. 68)
- The handbook says each tire should have at least 2/32 of an inch of tread, and the skills test vehicle check uses the same 2/32 figure. (Handbook, p. 39)
- Idaho lets the driver of a passenger vehicle, motorcycle, or pickup that is not towing exceed the posted limit by up to 15 miles per hour while passing a vehicle going below the limit on a two lane road posted 55 or higher. (Handbook, p. 77)
Right of way
- A dark signal removes the normal signal directions, so drivers must use stop-control judgment rather than treating the intersection as uncontrolled. (Handbook, p. 56)
- At a T intersection, the road ending at the cross street does not carry a driver through by default. (Handbook, p. 75)
- Idaho lists two circumstances in which a pedestrian must yield to motor vehicles: crossing a street where there is no crosswalk or intersection, and being directed to yield by a traffic signal at an intersection or crosswalk. (Handbook, p. 75)
- A vehicle leaving private property must stop before crossing the sidewalk and yield to people walking and traffic already using the public street. (Handbook, p. 70)
- Roundabout entry requires a driver to slow, obey signs and markings, and yield to pedestrians and bicyclists when entering or exiting. (Handbook, p. 62)
Alcohol and DUI
- Idaho treats a BAC of 0.20 percent or higher as a threshold for enhanced DUI penalties. (Handbook, p. 131)
- For a first failure of an evidentiary test, driving privileges are suspended for 90 days, with absolutely no driving privileges during the first 30 days of that suspension. (Handbook, p. 126)
- A first refusal brings a one year suspension with no driving privileges and a $250 civil penalty, and a second refusal within 10 years results in a two year absolute suspension, in addition to any court penalty for a DUI conviction. (Handbook, p. 127)
- If you drink enough to push your alcohol concentration past .05 be careful: at slightly above .05 the risk of causing a crash doubles, at .10 it is six times as great, and at .15 it is 25 times as great. (Handbook, p. 128)
- Idaho sets three BAC thresholds: .02 or more for drivers under 21, .04 or more for anyone operating a commercial vehicle, and .08 or more for drivers 21 or older. (Handbook, p. 131)
Signals and markings
- Idaho requires a turn signal to start at least 100 feet before a turn or lane change in a business or residential area. (Handbook, p. 72)
- A steady red circular indication requires the vehicle to remain behind the stop line. (Handbook, p. 69)
- Dashed bike lane lines identify a place where a merging movement is allowed and expected. (Handbook, p. 100)
- At a required railroad stop, the handbook gives a range that protects the vehicle from the track while keeping the driver close enough to observe the crossing. (Handbook, p. 60)
- A pedestrian hybrid beacon runs through set phases. (Handbook, p. 57)
Parking
- Idaho bans parking within 15 feet of a fire hydrant. (Handbook, p. 81)
- Parking is not allowed within 30 feet of a stop sign, yield sign, or traffic signal. (Handbook, p. 81)
- The Idaho no parking list includes anywhere within 50 feet of railroad tracks. (Handbook, p. 81)
- Idaho requires a parallel parked vehicle to be within 18 inches of the curb or edge of the roadway and to face the same direction as traffic on that side. (Handbook, p. 80)
- The no-parking distance for a crosswalk is 20 feet. (Handbook, p. 81)
Safe driving
- Low beams are required to light the roadway at least 100 feet ahead. (Handbook, p. 38)
- Driver error causes more than 90 percent of highway crashes, so a driver must learn not only the rules but the mental and physical conditions that affect performance, including mood, fatigue and distraction. (Handbook, p. 86)
- A typical 12 foot wide travel lane is not wide enough to safely share with a bicyclist, and cycling instructors teach riders to stay away from the edge of the pavement to avoid edge debris and keep room for an emergency maneuver. (Handbook, p. 100)
- Idaho requires anyone carrying children age 6 or younger in a non-commercial motor vehicle to properly protect them in approved child car safety seats. (Handbook, p. 41)
- Idaho prohibits passing within 100 feet of an intersection or a railroad crossing unless traffic control devices indicate otherwise, and within 100 feet of a bridge or tunnel when the view is blocked. (Handbook, p. 76)
Road signs
- Idaho's 3-Way Intersection warning sign means you are approaching a T intersection where your road ends. (Handbook, p. 49)
- A stop sign requires a complete stop at the clearly marked stop line. (Handbook, p. 44)
- A yield sign requires a driver to slow down and give the right-of-way to vehicles and pedestrians in the intersection being crossed or the highway being entered. (Handbook, p. 44)
- The Do Not Enter sign bars entry into that section of highway from the direction the driver is traveling. (Handbook, p. 45)
- Idaho expects drivers to recognize traffic signs through several visual and verbal features, including color, shape, messages, and symbols. (Handbook, p. 44)
Laws and paperwork
- Idaho permits studded snow tires during the seasonal window from October 1 through April 30. (Handbook, p. 42)
- Idaho's Class D knowledge test consists of 40 questions, and the handbook says an applicant may miss up to six before failing. (Handbook, p. 32)
- Idaho's fee table for a commercial driver's license lists the skills test as $10 paid to the county DMV plus up to $190 paid to the skills test examiner, a total of up to $200. (Handbook, p. 5)
- A person who moves to Idaho must apply for an Idaho driver's license within 30 days of residing there. (Handbook, p. 4)
- An approved Idaho Driver Training program includes 30 hours of classroom instruction. (Handbook, p. 19)
Emergencies
- Idaho requires headlights during the daytime when vision is reduced to 500 feet or less, and recommends low beams in those conditions. (Handbook, p. 110)
- Idaho requires a police report when a motor vehicle crash causes an injury or more than $1,500 in property damage. (Handbook, p. 121)
- Flash floods follow intense rain in a short time, often during or right after a severe thunderstorm, and small streams a few feet wide and a few inches deep can swell to over 12 inches deep and 80 feet wide in less than five minutes. (Handbook, p. 112)
- If you have emergency flares, place them 200 to 300 feet behind your car to give others warning, and stop where people have a clear view of you, never just over a hill or around a curve. (Handbook, p. 117)
- The handbook identifies 55 miles per hour as the speed at which tires may lose all contact with a wet road. (Handbook, p. 111)
Want the reasoning behind these rules? Study the handbook, chapter by chapter, in 30 short lessons quoted from the Idaho 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 Idaho DMV practice test, which explains the reasoning behind every answer, or see Idaho DMV facts and fees before test day.