The Texas Driver Handbook states a 70% passing score but does not specify a fixed Class C question count. Official source. Page updated 2026-10-12.
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Key Texas DMV rules and numbers
These are key rules and numbers from the Texas 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 Texas DMV practice test question bank, which has 500 questions across 9 topics, checked against the Texas handbook (last verified 2026-09-07).
Speed limits
- For speeds above 30 mph during good road conditions, Texas recommends a four-second gap between your vehicle and the one ahead. (Handbook, p. 45)
- Many limited access highways in Texas have posted speed limits from 75 up to 85 mph. (Handbook, p. 46)
- The Texas speed limits table sets 30 mph in an urban district and 15 mph in an alley. (Handbook, p. 46)
- The Texas speed table lists 70 mph for passenger cars on a highway numbered by Texas or the U.S. outside an urban district, including Farm to Market and Ranch to Market roads. (Handbook, p. 46)
- The Speed Limits table organizes maximum speeds for all vehicles under different roadway and vehicle conditions. (Handbook, p. 46)
Right of way
- The railroad crossing rules list an approaching train within about 1,500 feet that produces an audible signal identifying the immediate hazard. (Handbook, p. 21)
- At an intersection without signs, signals, multiple-lane priority, or pavement priority, Texas directs a driver to yield to a vehicle that has entered or is approaching from the right. (Handbook, p. 20)
- A left turn crosses the path of traffic coming straight from the opposite direction, so the handbook requires the turning driver to yield to that vehicle. (Handbook, p. 20)
- The handbook says drivers should always look out for pedestrians whether those pedestrians have the right-of-way or not. (Handbook, p. 23)
- Texas requires drivers to yield to police cars, fire trucks, ambulances, and other emergency vehicles using the listed warnings. (Handbook, p. 22)
Alcohol and DUI
- For a first non-driving alcohol offense by a minor, the handbook says the driver license will be suspended for 30 days, or the privilege will be denied if the person is not licensed. (Handbook, p. 13)
- For a minor who is at least 17 but less than 21, the third non-driving alcohol offense carries a 180-day driver-license suspension, or denial of the privilege if the person is not licensed. (Handbook, p. 13)
- When a breath or blood specimen shows a BAC of 0.08 or greater, the handbook says a driver license may be suspended for 90 days for the first offense, with longer periods for subsequent offenses. (Handbook, p. 58)
- The handbook states that a person age 21 or older is legally intoxicated at a BAC of 0.08 or more. (Handbook, p. 55)
- For a minor's first refusal to provide a breath or blood specimen, the listed consequence is a 180-day suspension of the driver license, or denial of driving privilege if the person is not licensed. (Handbook, p. 57)
Signals and markings
- A solid yellow line on your side marks a no-passing zone. (Handbook, p. 34)
- Broken or dashed yellow lines permit passing or changing lanes when the maneuver is safe. (Handbook, p. 34)
- A flashing red signal requires a complete stop before the crosswalk or intersection, followed by movement only when it is safe. (Handbook, p. 25)
- A flashing yellow light warns drivers to slow down and proceed with caution. (Handbook, p. 25)
- Solid white lines may mark pavement edges and shoulders, channelizing, transitions, and lane use control. (Handbook, p. 34)
Parking
- The parallel-parking procedure says the vehicle should not be more than 18 inches from the curb or edge of the road. (Handbook, p. 44)
- Texas says that, whether occupied or not, you must not park or allow a vehicle to stand idling within 15 feet of a fire hydrant. (Handbook, p. 42)
- The Texas no parking list includes within 30 feet upon the approach to any flashing signal, stop sign, yield sign, or other traffic control signal located at the side of a road. (Handbook, p. 42)
- Texas forbids parking a vehicle, occupied or not, within 50 feet of the nearest rail of a railroad crossing. (Handbook, p. 42)
- Parking illegally in a disabled space in Texas is a misdemeanor with a fine of $500 to $750 for a first offense. (Handbook, p. 42)
Safe driving
- Texas requires headlights beginning 30 minutes after sunset and ending 30 minutes before sunrise. (Handbook, p. 47)
- Texas restricts drivers under 18 from using a wireless communication device, and the rule expressly includes hands-free devices. (Handbook, p. 3)
- The slow-moving vehicle emblem is required for vehicles designed to operate at a maximum speed of 25 mph or less. (Handbook, p. 37)
- Texas requires headlights beginning 30 minutes after sunset and ending 30 minutes before sunrise, or any time individuals or vehicles cannot be seen clearly for at least 1,000 feet. (Handbook, p. 47)
- Texas requires a federally approved child car seat for a child under 8 who occupies a seat equipped with a safety belt, unless that child is more than 4 feet 9 inches tall. (Handbook, p. 64)
Road signs
- The handbook ties the pentagon shape to school advance and school crossing signs. (Handbook, p. 26)
- Warning signs alert drivers to conditions immediately ahead and tell them what to look for. (Handbook, p. 26)
- The Texas table of signs by shape says the octagon is used exclusively for stop signs. (Handbook, p. 26)
- White stop lines are painted across pavement lanes at traffic signs or signals, and drivers are required to stop behind the line. (Handbook, p. 34)
- The handbook treats a stop sign as a complete-stop requirement, not a suggestion to slow down. (Handbook, p. 30)
Laws and paperwork
- A Texas learner license issued to a minor expires on that minor’s 18th birthday. (Handbook, p. 1)
- The handbook defines a provisional license as a driver license issued to persons 16 to 18 years of age with Phase Two graduated driver license restrictions applied. (Handbook, p. 3)
- Phase Two restricts driving privileges until the holder’s 18th birthday after a provisional license is issued. (Handbook, p. 2)
- The handbook expressly excludes Class M motorcycle licenses from the GDL Phase One requirements, so neither a curfew-only exception nor an under-18 version applies. (Handbook, p. 2)
- Texas lists a $125 reinstatement fee for every Administrative License Revocation (ALR) suspension. (Handbook, p. 12)
Emergencies
- Texas prohibits following within 500 feet of a fire truck answering an alarm when its flashing red lights are on. (Handbook, p. 22)
- If the brakes fail, the handbook advises using the parking brake and shifting to a lower gear. (Handbook, p. 49)
- When a disabled vehicle cannot be moved off the road, the handbook says to get everyone out of the car and off the road. (Handbook, p. 48)
- Texas gives two protective actions when a covered emergency or service vehicle is stopped with lights activated. (Handbook, p. 46)
- The low-speed condition has its own threshold. (Handbook, p. 23)
Want the reasoning behind these rules? Study the handbook, chapter by chapter, in 19 short lessons quoted from the Texas 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 Texas DMV practice test, which explains the reasoning behind every answer, or see Texas DMV facts and fees before test day.