MN Permit Practice Test 2

All 20 questions in test 2

Every question below comes from the Minnesota 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. When must Minnesota drivers use their headlights according to the vehicle-equipment section?

   1. Only between midnight and dawn on rural roads
   2. From sunset until sunrise and whenever the road ahead cannot be seen for at least 500 feet
   3. Only during rain, never during snow or fog
   4. Whenever another driver flashes headlights
   Show answer

   From sunset until sunrise and whenever the road ahead cannot be seen for at least 500 feet. The manual says to turn headlights on at sunset and keep them on until sunrise. It also requires them during rain, snow, hail, sleet, fog, or any time the road ahead cannot be seen for at least 500 feet. The choice “Only between midnight and dawn on rural roads” narrows the clock and location without support. The third excludes weather conditions expressly listed, and the fourth makes another driver's signal the trigger. Turn the lights on before visibility becomes marginal, then keep them operating through the entire period when darkness or weather limits what you can see.

2. 2. With a round green light, what must a driver do before completing a left turn?

   
   1. Enter the turn from the far-right lane
   2. Turn immediately because green always protects the movement
   3. Wait until the signal becomes a green arrow
   4. Yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians crossing in front
   Show answer

   Yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians crossing in front. A round green light permits movement through the intersection, but a left-turning driver must still yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians crossing in front of the vehicle. Enter only when the intersection is clear and the opposing gap is safe. A green arrow provides protected movement in its direction, but waiting for an arrow is not required when the ordinary turn can be completed legally. The green signal also does not justify an immediate turn across an approaching vehicle. Look straight ahead and across the crosswalk before turning.

3. 3. If the accelerator remains stuck, what sequence should you follow?

   1. Press the accelerator repeatedly until it releases
   2. Turn the key off while traveling in the lane
   3. Apply the brakes, shift into neutral, and steer toward the shoulder
   4. Pull the parking brake sharply before steering
   Show answer

   Apply the brakes, shift into neutral, and steer toward the shoulder. If lifting the stuck pedal does not free it, first apply the brakes and shift into neutral to disconnect engine power. Then choose a safe path and steer toward the shoulder. This order helps reduce speed while preserving control of the vehicle. Turning the key off while moving may create steering or braking complications, pressing the accelerator does not solve the jam, and a sharp parking-brake application can cause a skid. Keep the vehicle pointed straight, activate hazard lights when appropriate, and pull completely off the roadway as soon as it is safe.

4. 4. Why should a Minnesota driver reduce speed on a gravel or dirt road?

   1. The posted limit automatically doubles on loose surfaces
   2. Stopping takes longer and skidding is easier when turning
   3. The road requires driving in the opposing lane
   4. Headlights cannot be used on an unpaved road
   Show answer

   Stopping takes longer and skidding is easier when turning. Loose road surfaces reduce traction and make vehicle response less predictable. The manual specifically advises slowing down on gravel or dirt because stopping takes longer and skidding is easier during a turn. The posted speed does not double, and the surface does not require a driver to use opposing traffic lanes. Headlights remain governed by visibility and other lighting rules. Enter a gravel stretch with a lower, controlled speed, leave extra following room, and brake smoothly before a curve. That combination gives the tires more opportunity to maintain contact with the road.

5. 5. What maximum penalty does Minnesota law set if a death results while a driver is fleeing police in a motor vehicle?

   1. Up to one year in jail
   2. A $5,000 fine only
   3. Up to 40 years in prison, a fine up to $80,000, or both
   4. License revocation only
   Show answer

   Up to 40 years in prison, a fine up to $80,000, or both. Under Minnesota Statutes section 609.487, if the course of fleeing a peace officer results in death, the driver may be sentenced to up to 40 years in prison, fined up to $80,000, or both. Great bodily harm carries up to seven years and $14,000, and substantial bodily harm up to five years and $10,000. Fleeing without injury is itself a felony punishable by up to three years and one day and $5,000. Older manual figures of 10 years and $20,000 for a death are out of date.

6. 6. A steady yellow light appears while you approach an intersection. What does Minnesota's manual direct you to do?

   1. Accelerate so you pass before the light turns red
   2. Stop before entering if you can do so safely
   3. Back away from the intersection after entering it
   4. Stop in the intersection regardless of traffic position
   Show answer

   Stop before entering if you can do so safely. A steady yellow light means the signal is about to turn red. The driver should not enter the intersection if stopping safely is possible. If a safe stop is no longer possible, proceed through cautiously rather than braking abruptly or reversing. Accelerating to beat the red encourages a speed increase when caution is required. Once a driver is waiting in the intersection to turn, the manual says to complete the turn as soon as safe and not back up. Use the yellow indication as an early decision point: check distance, brake smoothly, and stop before the line when practical.

7. 7. What does this lane-ending warning require from traffic in the right lane?

   
   1. Stop in the lane until a police officer directs movement
   2. Continue in the right lane because it gains priority
   3. Merge into left-lane traffic and yield
   4. Move onto the shoulder and pass the remaining lane
   Show answer

   Merge into left-lane traffic and yield. The warning shows two lanes becoming one, with the right lane ending. Drivers in that lane must merge into the left-lane traffic and yield while doing so. Continuing straight does not preserve priority after the lane ends, and stopping is not the ordinary merging procedure. The shoulder is not a passing lane. Signal, check the gap, and combine with traffic smoothly while following any work-zone directions. Looking early at the lane markings gives you time to merge without an abrupt movement.

8. 8. What happens to the license after a third DWI within 10 years in Minnesota?

   1. Loss for at least three years, and the license is canceled
   2. A 90 day revocation
   3. A one year revocation only
   4. A 30 day suspension
   Show answer

   Loss for at least three years, and the license is canceled. A third offense within 10 years of the first two brings loss of license for a minimum of three years and a canceled license, along with a required chemical use assessment, required ignition interlock, one year in jail or a $3,000 fine or both, a forfeited vehicle, and impounded plates. Ninety days and one year are the first and second offense minimums. A 30 day suspension is the first Not a Drop penalty for underage drivers.

9. 9. What criminal penalty does the Minnesota manual list for a first DWI offense?

   1. 90 days in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both
   2. One year in jail, a $3,000 fine, or both
   3. Seven years in prison and a $14,000 fine
   4. A $275 fine only
   Show answer

   90 days in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both. The manual lists 90 days in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both for a first DWI offense, alongside the minimum 90-day revocation and optional ignition interlock. One year in jail and a $3,000 fine is the level for second and third offenses. Seven years and $14,000 is the felony DWI maximum. Two hundred seventy-five dollars is the repeat texting fine.

10. 10. What is the minimum license revocation for a first DWI offense in Minnesota?

    1. One year minimum
    2. Three years
    3. Seven days
    4. 90 days, or 30 days if you plead guilty
    Show answer

    90 days, or 30 days if you plead guilty. A first DWI offense brings a minimum 90-day revocation, reduced to 30 days if you plead guilty. No work permit is issued until 15 days of revocation have passed, and none at all if the alcohol concentration was 0.16 percent or greater. One year is the second offense minimum, and three years the third. Seven days is the temporary license period before the revocation starts.

11. 11. How many licensed drivers does Minnesota have, according to the manual?

    1. About 10 million
    2. About 500,000
    3. About 1 million
    4. More than 4.5 million
    Show answer

    More than 4.5 million. There are more than 4.5 million licensed drivers in Minnesota, and the number is growing as the state implements the Driver's License for All law, which lets residents obtain a standard license regardless of immigration status. Driver and Vehicle Services wants every one of those drivers to know the laws and practices that lead to safe driving, which is the purpose of the manual and the tests.

12. 12. When children are present in a Minnesota school zone, what speed action is required?

    1. Keep the ordinary road speed without checking the area
    2. Accelerate through before more children arrive
    3. Slow down
    4. Stop in the travel lane until the zone is empty
    Show answer

    Slow down. The school-zone rule is triggered by children being present, and the driver's required response is to slow down. It does not say to speed up and clear the area, nor does it allow a driver to ignore the surroundings at the ordinary road speed. A full stop in the lane is also not the instruction unless another traffic control requires one. Reduce speed early, scan for children near the roadway, and remain ready to stop for someone entering the path.

13. 13. What defines a commercial vehicle in Minnesota?

    1. Any vehicle used for business
    2. Any vehicle with a trailer
    3. Any vehicle over 10,000 pounds
    4. A vehicle or combination weighing more than 26,000 pounds used to transport passengers or property
    Show answer

    A vehicle or combination weighing more than 26,000 pounds used to transport passengers or property. A commercial vehicle is a motor vehicle or combination of motor vehicles that weighs more than 26,000 pounds and is used to transport passengers or property. Commercial vehicles need more stopping distance than cars, have large blind spots, and may use speed limiters. Give them room, pass promptly, and never linger beside a truck or cut in front of one.

14. 14. What traffic pattern does the arrow on this sign establish?

    
    1. Traffic in the specified lane flows only in the arrow's direction
    2. Traffic may travel either direction after yielding
    3. Only buses may use the lane
    4. The lane is reserved for left turns
    Show answer

    Traffic in the specified lane flows only in the arrow's direction. This sign establishes one-way movement, so vehicles in the specified lane must follow the arrow's direction. It does not create a two-way lane, and yielding does not permit a driver to travel against the posted flow. The bus-only choice describes a special-use lane, while the left-turn choice would require a lane-use control instruction. A useful cue is to look for the arrow's single direction and check nearby lane markings before entering. Treat the sign as a legal direction of travel, not as a suggestion about which way seems convenient.

15. 15. During the second six months of a Minnesota provisional license, how many passengers under 20 who are not immediate family members may ride without a parent or guardian accompanying the driver?

    1. One
    2. Two
    3. No more than three
    4. No numerical limit
    Show answer

    No more than three. The second six-month period permits no more than three passengers under 20 unless a parent or guardian accompanies the provisional driver. The choice “One” is the tighter limit for the first six months. The choice “Two” understates the allowance, while the choice “No numerical limit” ignores the continuing restriction. The timing matters, so a driver cannot apply the second-period number immediately after receiving the license. Keep the license date in mind, count young passengers before departure, and remember that the manual separately allows immediate family members under 20 during both periods.

16. 16. What vision must a Minnesota applicant have?

    1. 20/20 in both eyes
    2. At least 20/40 corrected or uncorrected, with at least 105 degrees of peripheral vision
    3. 20/70 with 90 degrees
    4. Any vision with glasses
    Show answer

    At least 20/40 corrected or uncorrected, with at least 105 degrees of peripheral vision. Your normal or corrected vision must be at least 20/40 and your peripheral vision must be at least 105 degrees. If your peripheral vision is less than 105 degrees or you fail the screening, you will be asked to see an eye doctor and return the report to the Driver Evaluation Unit. The screening is not a medical exam; it only checks the minimum standards.

17. 17. What does the X-shaped sign identify?

    
    1. A school crossing
    2. A railroad crossing
    3. A four-way intersection
    4. A no-passing zone
    Show answer

    A railroad crossing. The crossbuck is the railroad-crossing marker. It tells a driver that tracks cross the roadway, so the driver should search in both directions and be prepared to stop. A school crossing uses a pentagon-shaped warning sign, a crossroad uses a diamond warning sign, and a no-passing zone uses a pennant on the left side. When a crossbuck is visible, do not treat the X as a general intersection symbol. Look for additional tracks, signals, gates, and trains.

18. 18. What does a Minnesota School Zone sign indicate?

    1. A school or approved school crosswalk is ahead, so watch for children
    2. A school bus may be passed without checking traffic
    3. A pedestrian signal will stay green for all drivers
    4. The road becomes a no-passing zone in every direction
    Show answer

    A school or approved school crosswalk is ahead, so watch for children. A School Zone warning sign tells drivers that a school or approved school crosswalk is ahead. It also calls attention to children and the need to be prepared to stop. The sign does not permit passing a bus, guarantee a favorable signal, or create a universal no-passing rule. Reduce speed as appropriate, scan sidewalks and the crossing, and expect a child to enter the roadway unexpectedly. The pentagon shape and yellow or fluorescent yellow-green color can help with recognition, while the warning message guides the immediate driving response.

19. 19. What must a driver do at a flashing red traffic light before proceeding?

    1. Come to a complete stop, yield, and proceed when the intersection is clear
    2. Slow down but continue without stopping if no car is close
    3. Treat it as a green light for the major roadway
    4. Stop only when a pedestrian is already crossing
    Show answer

    Come to a complete stop, yield, and proceed when the intersection is clear. A flashing red light has the same stopping behavior as a stop sign. Come to a complete stop, yield to vehicles and pedestrians that reached the intersection before you, and continue only after the intersection is clear. The slow-and-continue choice removes the required stop, even if the road appears empty. Do not assume the major roadway has priority without evaluating the intersection and other road users. The cue is red plus flashing still means stop: full stop first, then yield and proceed when safe.

20. 20. Who is responsible for making sure children riding in your vehicle use an age-appropriate restraint?

    1. Only the child’s parent, even when not present
    2. The driver
    3. The passenger sitting in the front seat
    4. The vehicle manufacturer
    Show answer

    The driver. The Minnesota manual places passenger-safety responsibility on the driver. That includes insisting that everyone wears a seat belt and making sure children are secured in an age-appropriate child restraint system. The parent-only choice may sound reasonable, but it does not remove the driver’s stated duty during the trip. Before moving, check that young passengers are properly buckled and that the restraint matches the child’s needs. This is an active responsibility, not something delegated to the front passenger. The cue is simple: the person controlling the vehicle must verify passenger protection.