You need 80% or higher on each component of the Indiana permit knowledge exam; the official Indiana sources we checked do not state a fixed question count. Official source. Page updated 2026-10-16.
Study this first
Key Indiana DMV rules and numbers
These are key rules and numbers from the Indiana 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 Indiana DMV practice test question bank, which has 500 questions across 9 topics, checked against the Indiana handbook (last verified 2026-09-07).
Speed limits
- Indiana treats an area with at least 50,000 residents as urban for these default limits. (Handbook, p. 41)
- Indiana requires work-site speed limits to be at least 10 miles per hour below the maximum established speed for that area. (Handbook, p. 41)
- Indiana's speeding points are 2 for 1 to 15 mph over, 4 for 16 to 25 mph over, and 6 for 26 or more mph over. (Handbook, p. 21)
- On rural interstates, outside urban areas of at least 50,000 people, passenger vehicles may not exceed 70 mph or the posted limit. (Handbook, p. 40)
- On rural interstates, trucks with a declared gross vehicle weight greater than 26,000 pounds may not exceed 65 mph or the posted limit, while passenger vehicles may go 70 mph. (Handbook, p. 40)
Right of way
- When passing, return to the right side of the road no less than 100 feet before any oncoming vehicle. (Handbook, p. 38)
- At an all-way stop, Indiana first gives priority to the vehicle that stopped first. (Handbook, p. 39)
- A flashing yellow arrow permits the turn, but it does not give an unqualified path. (Handbook, p. 34)
- Indiana's rule for an authorized parked vehicle with amber flashing lights requires a lane change away from the vehicle when possible. (Handbook, p. 51)
- Indiana requires incoming traffic to yield to traffic already circulating in a roundabout. (Handbook, p. 40)
Alcohol and DUI
- The manual identifies a BAC in excess of .08 as exceeding Indiana's legal limit for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. (Handbook, p. 23)
- Failing a chemical test in Indiana brings a suspension of driving privileges for 180 days, separate from any suspension a court may later order after a conviction for operating while intoxicated. (Handbook, p. 24)
- When a driver under 18 is cited for operating a vehicle while intoxicated, the Juvenile Court may also recommend suspension of the driver’s privileges. (Handbook, p. 24)
- A motorist who refuses a chemical test faces a one year suspension under the manual. (Handbook, p. 24)
- A motorist who refuses a chemical test faces a one-year suspension, but with a previous operating while intoxicated conviction the refusal suspension is two years. (Handbook, p. 24)
Signals and markings
- Indiana specifically prohibits using a telecommunications device while operating a motor vehicle, with exceptions for hands free communication or a bona fide 911 emergency. (Handbook, p. 45)
- Vehicles in the listed required categories must stop not closer than 15 feet and not farther than 50 feet from the nearest rail. (Handbook, p. 48)
- Indiana's tractor trailer section lists 8 feet 6 inches as the maximum width for a vehicle operating without a special permit. (Handbook, p. 49)
- School buses must stop at railroad crossings between 15 and 50 feet from the nearest rail. (Handbook, p. 48)
- Active bells, flashing lights, or gates require a complete stop and no movement until the warning is canceled or a law enforcement officer or railroad flagman directs the driver to proceed. (Handbook, p. 48)
Parking
- After you back in at a 45 degree angle and then turn the steering wheel to the left, sharply and then gradually, while backing into the space, the last step is to straighten your vehicle's wheels and pull forward in the space. (Handbook, p. 54)
- The manual says to use your turn signal when entering traffic from a parking space. (Handbook, p. 54)
- Parking in the diagonally striped space next to a reserved parking space is prohibited at all times, even with a valid placard. (Handbook, p. 18)
- The manual’s list of prohibited parking areas includes parking beside another parked vehicle. (Handbook, p. 54)
- Indiana's list of prohibited parking areas includes sidewalks and the space in front of any driveway, along with intersections, pedestrian crosswalks, fire lanes, and bridges. (Handbook, p. 54)
Safe driving
- The rollover risk of a 15 passenger van increases dramatically as the number of occupants increases. (Handbook, p. 42)
- Fuel consumption increases steadily above 45 miles per hour, with passenger cars and light trucks using approximately 50 percent more fuel traveling at 75 miles per hour than at 55. (Handbook, p. 42)
- A new Indiana resident has 60 days to obtain an Indiana driver's license. (Handbook, p. 2)
- Nationally, an estimated 17.6 percent of all fatal motor vehicle crashes involved a fatigued driver. (Handbook, p. 45)
- Although anyone can make the fatal mistake of driving without adequate rest, young adults ages 16 to 29 are at the highest risk, accounting for 64 percent of fatigue related accidents. (Handbook, p. 45)
Road signs
- The slow-moving vehicle emblem identifies a vehicle that cannot exceed 25 miles per hour. (Handbook, p. 30)
- Chapter 6 opens by saying that traffic signs control traffic flow and make streets and highways safe for drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians. (Handbook, p. 27)
- Indiana's manual assigns red to traffic regulations that require immediate action to avoid threats to traffic safety. (Handbook, p. 27)
- Yellow and fluorescent yellow-green signs alert drivers to conditions, hazards, and school areas ahead. (Handbook, p. 27)
- White signs commonly display rules that drivers must obey, including speed limits and turn restrictions. (Handbook, p. 27)
Laws and paperwork
- If you are under 18 and not enrolled in a driver education program, you may practice with a licensed driver who has valid driving privileges, is 25 years of age or older, and is related to you by blood, marriage or legal status. (Handbook, p. 4)
- A driving skills exam may be scheduled no more than three weeks, and no less than 48 business hours, ahead of time through IN.gov/BMV or the BMV Contact Center, though a license branch visit may get you a sooner slot. (Handbook, p. 5)
- At the time of application for a driver's license, you must submit a completed State Form 54706, the Log of Supervised Driving Practice, showing proof of the 50 hours of driving practice. (Handbook, p. 9)
- An Indiana license issued to someone younger than 21 remains probationary until the holder turns 21. (Handbook, p. 10)
- Indiana generally bars passengers during the first 180 days of a probationary license, but the manual specifically allows the driver's spouse without another accompanying individual. (Handbook, p. 10)
Emergencies
- Indiana lists parking within 15 feet of a fire hydrant as prohibited, so a vehicle must stay at least that far away. (Handbook, p. 54)
- Indiana's roadside emergency guidance places a red emergency reflective triangle 200 feet behind the disabled vehicle under ordinary conditions. (Handbook, p. 60)
- Indiana lists railroad crossings among locations where passing is prohibited within 100 feet. (Handbook, p. 38)
- A driver of a disabled truck, bus, or tractor-trailer must display three bidirectional emergency reflective triangles meeting Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 125, or at least six fuses or three liquid burning flares. (Handbook, p. 57)
- The manual says there are approximately 20 seconds to escape once the lights begin flashing and the gate begins lowering. (Handbook, p. 49)
Want the reasoning behind these rules? Study the handbook, chapter by chapter, in 17 short lessons quoted from the Indiana 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 Indiana DMV practice test, which explains the reasoning behind every answer, or see Indiana DMV facts and fees before test day.