The Utah permit test has 50 questions, and you need 40 correct (80%) to pass. Official source. Page updated 2026-10-27.
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Key Utah DMV rules and numbers
These are key rules and numbers from the Utah 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 Utah DMV practice test question bank, which has 500 questions across 9 topics, checked against the Utah handbook (last verified 2026-09-08).
Speed limits
- Utah permits 25 mph in a business or residential area when no sign sets another limit and no special hazard requires a reduction. (Handbook, p. 44)
- The school-ground rule allows 20 mph while passing during recess under the stated conditions. (Handbook, p. 44)
- The handbook warns that even 10 mph on an icy road can be too fast. (Handbook, p. 45)
- Utah's speed list gives 65, 70, 75 or 80 mph on rural interstate highways, with transition zones marked by pavement markings and signs. (Handbook, p. 44)
- The Utah speed table pairs 55 miles per hour with major highways, as posted. (Handbook, p. 44)
Right of way
- The handbook says fines can run up to $3,000 for illegally passing a school bus, and a conviction usually raises insurance rates. (Handbook, p. 36)
- When Utah requires a stop at a railroad crossing, the vehicle must be more than 15 feet but not more than 50 feet from the nearest rail. (Handbook, p. 35)
- Utah permits lane filtering only when the roadway or off-ramp has at least two same-direction lanes, the posted limit is 45 miles per hour or less, the motorcycle stays at 15 miles per hour or less, and the vehicle being passed is stopped. (Handbook, p. 82)
- Utah bars parking closer than 50 feet from a railroad crossing unless signs indicate that you may park there or local law allows it. (Handbook, p. 86)
- Utah states that trains have the right-of-way 100 percent of the time, over ambulances, fire engines, cars, the police, and pedestrians, because a train cannot swerve or stop for anyone. (Handbook, p. 88)
Alcohol and DUI
- A first Not-a-Drop offense brings a six-month denial of all driving privileges for someone under 21 who drives with measurable alcohol. (Handbook, p. 52)
- Utah compares a two-year loss of privileges with the time remaining until the person reaches 21 and uses whichever is longer. (Handbook, p. 52)
- The handbook identifies 0.05 BAC for the general rule and 0.04 for CDL. (Handbook, p. 52)
- The suspension begins on the conviction date and extends one to two years from the person’s 16th birthday. (Handbook, p. 52)
- For a driver 21 or older, a first DUI conviction carries a 120-day license suspension. (Handbook, p. 52)
Signals and markings
- The ordinary entry limit is 500 feet before the left turn. (Handbook, p. 44)
- High beams blind the driver coming toward you, so the handbook requires you to dim your lights before you are within 500 feet of an oncoming car. (Handbook, p. 60)
- The express lanes on I-15 are separated from the general lanes by a double white line, and the handbook states that it is illegal to cross a double white line. (Handbook, p. 40)
- Utah gives a rider age 16 or older on a motorcycle, moped, or bicycle a narrow exception when the signal does not detect the vehicle. (Handbook, p. 82)
- Utah express lanes on I-15 may only be entered or left at specific access points with white dotted striping instead of solid lines, and those access points run about 3,000 feet long at nearly every interchange along the corridor. (Handbook, p. 40)
Parking
- Utah prohibits parking within 15 feet of a fire hydrant, so 15 feet is the closest legal spot. (Handbook, p. 32)
- Utah prohibits parking within 30 feet of any flashing beacon, stop sign, yield sign, or traffic control signal. (Handbook, p. 32)
- Utah bars parking within 20 feet of the driveway entrance to any fire station, and when signs are posted you may not park on the opposite side of the road within 75 feet of the fire station entrance. (Handbook, p. 32)
- Utah keeps fire apparatus able to swing out of a station driveway, so parking is barred within 20 feet of that entrance when a sign is posted. (Handbook, p. 32)
- An area posted for pedestrian use gets a 30 foot buffer along its edges so people stepping to the curb are not hidden behind parked cars. (Handbook, p. 32)
Safe driving
- The handbook says children must be rear facing in the back seat until at least two years of age and 30 pounds, and longer if the car seat allows it. (Handbook, p. 28)
- High beams fill the mirrors of the car ahead and blind its driver, so the handbook requires you to dim your lights when you are within 300 feet of the vehicle ahead of you. (Handbook, p. 60)
- Hydroplaning occurs when your front tires ride on water instead of the road, and the handbook says a car may start to hydroplane at speeds over 35 mph. (Handbook, p. 61)
- The handbook explains that fatigue can make your mind and body slow down, and its answer is to stop: pull off at an exit or rest area and take a 20 minute power nap, or find a place to sleep. (Handbook, p. 58)
- The handbook says an air bag comes out of the dashboard at up to 200 mph and that its force can hurt those who are too close to it. (Handbook, p. 29)
Road signs
- Return to the right-hand lane with no less than 200 feet separating you from oncoming vehicles. (Handbook, p. 34)
- Position the vehicle behind the stop line so the crosswalk and intersection remain available to other road users. (Handbook, p. 44)
- The yield sign requires a reduction in speed and giving way to traffic that has priority. (Handbook, p. 48)
- DO NOT ENTER is a regulatory sign controlling whether you may enter the roadway from the direction you are approaching. (Handbook, p. 47)
- Wrong way signs identify the risk of entering a ramp against traffic at a single-point urban interchange. (Handbook, p. 41)
Laws and paperwork
- For a driver in this adult age group, refusing the required chemical tests results in an 18-month revocation for the first offense. (Handbook, p. 53)
- First-time Class D applicants must earn 100% on the additional Traffic Safety and Trends Exam. (Handbook, p. 23)
- Entry-level learner permit knowledge scores remain valid for 18 months. (Handbook, p. 7)
- For drivers over 18, Utah permits talking on a handheld wireless communication device while driving when voice commands connect the call. (Handbook, p. 59)
- The minimum age for a driving skills test at the DLD is 16. (Handbook, p. 23)
Emergencies
- A move over conviction requires a four hour defensive driving course in a live classroom, completed within 90 days of conviction. (Handbook, p. 77)
- Place emergency flares or triangles 200 to 300 feet behind the disabled vehicle to give approaching motorists time to slow or change lanes. (Handbook, p. 67)
- Utah law says that unless you are on official business you may not follow within 500 feet of any fire vehicle responding to an alarm. (Handbook, p. 77)
- The handbook says you may be penalized severely for leaving the scene: the license may be suspended or revoked for up to one year, and you may receive up to one year in jail, a fine of up to $2,500, or both. (Handbook, p. 65)
- You must call law enforcement (911) immediately when a crash causes injury, death, or at least $2,500 in total property damage, whether or not another driver was involved. (Handbook, p. 65)
Want the reasoning behind these rules? Study the handbook, chapter by chapter, in 22 short lessons quoted from the Utah 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 Utah DMV practice test, which explains the reasoning behind every answer, or see Utah DMV facts and fees before test day.