VA Permit Practice Test 9

All 20 questions in test 9

Every question below comes from the Virginia 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. How does Virginia deliver a newly issued driver's license according to the manual?

   1. Only as a digital credential in a DMV app
   2. By mail, rather than issuing it at a customer service center
   3. Through the applicant's insurance company
   4. At the testing site immediately after the road test
   Show answer

   By mail, rather than issuing it at a customer service center. Virginia mails the new driver's license and does not issue licenses in customer service centers. That process is presented as a security measure. A phone application may be useful for other services, but the manual does not make it the delivery method. Insurance companies have no licensing delivery role, and passing a road test does not mean the physical credential is handed over at the testing site. Keep the mailing address current so the credential can reach you without a preventable return.

2. 2. If a Virginia vehicle has air bags, how far should the driver sit from the steering wheel?

   1. At least ten inches
   2. At least two inches
   3. At least four inches
   4. At least 24 inches
   Show answer

   At least ten inches. With air bags, drivers should move the seat back so they are at least ten inches from the steering wheel, and tilt an adjustable wheel downward so the bag points at the chest rather than the head and neck. Two or four inches puts the driver inside the zone where a deploying bag can cause injury. Twenty-four inches is not the figure the manual gives.

3. 3. What does the pennant-shaped Do Not Pass sign identify?

   
   1. A place where passing is required
   2. The beginning of a no passing zone
   3. The end of every roadway restriction
   4. A lane reserved for emergency vehicles
   Show answer

   The beginning of a no passing zone. The pennant announces the beginning of a no passing zone. A driver may not pass cars ahead in the same lane there, even when the road appears open. The answer that passing is required reverses the rule: the sign never orders a driver to pass. Calling it the end of every restriction wrongly treats the sign as an ending marker, while the emergency lane answer invents a special lane use. Treat the pennant as an early warning to finish any lawful pass before reaching the sign, then remain behind slower traffic until the restriction ends.

4. 4. What should you do when a yellow traffic light warns that the signal is changing?

   1. Speed up to clear the intersection before red appears
   2. Treat it exactly like a green signal
   3. Stop if you have not entered, or proceed cautiously if stopping is unsafe
   4. Stop only when another vehicle is entering
   Show answer

   Stop if you have not entered, or proceed cautiously if stopping is unsafe. A changing yellow signal calls for a judgment about a safe stop. If the vehicle has not entered the intersection, stop; if stopping would be unsafe, continue through cautiously. Accelerating to beat the red increases conflict risk, and treating yellow as green ignores its warning function. Check traffic behind you, brake smoothly when there is room, and never turn a caution signal into a reason to rush through the intersection.

5. 5. On an undivided highway, what must you do when an emergency vehicle approaches in the opposite lane?

   1. Continue at normal speed because it is in the other lane
   2. Move toward the centerline to give it more room
   3. Turn around before the emergency vehicle reaches you
   4. Pull to the edge of the road and stop
   Show answer

   Pull to the edge of the road and stop. On an undivided highway, an approaching emergency vehicle affects traffic in both directions. Pull to the edge of the road and stop until the emergency vehicle passes. Continuing because the vehicle is in the opposite lane ignores the manual's special requirement and leaves less room for a safe response. The centerline is not a refuge. Reduce speed early, check the shoulder, and stop where you can remain clear of the emergency vehicle's path.

6. 6. Regardless of the posted limit, what speed can expose a Virginia driver to a reckless-driving charge?

   1. Over 85 MPH
   2. Over 65 MPH
   3. Exactly 80 MPH
   4. Exactly 75 MPH
   Show answer

   Over 85 MPH. Virginia identifies driving over 85 MPH as an independent reckless-driving basis, regardless of the posted limit. Exactly 85 is not what this wording says, and 65 or 75 do not substitute for the stated number. Keep this rule separate from the 20-MPH-over-limit rule because either condition can support a charge. A posted sign does not erase the flat-speed boundary. Treat the figure as a legal limit, not as a recommended travel speed.

7. 7. When you plan to change lanes, turn, or enter or exit a highway, what should you do first?

   1. Sound the horn twice and continue
   2. Brake hard without signaling
   3. Give the proper turn signal
   4. Move immediately before checking traffic
   Show answer

   Give the proper turn signal. Virginia places the turn signal before the maneuver when a driver plans to change lanes, turn, or enter or exit a highway. Signaling communicates the intended movement to nearby drivers, but it does not give permission to move into an occupied space. Braking hard without signaling can surprise traffic behind you, and sounding the horn is not a substitute for the required signal. Moving immediately before checking traffic skips the safety check. Signal first, then inspect mirrors and blind spots, and complete the movement only when the lane or turn path is clear.

8. 8. If your vehicle veers off the road, what should you do to regain the roadway safely?

   1. Brake hard and turn sharply back onto the road
   2. Accelerate onto the shoulder until the vehicle straightens
   3. Turn toward the ditch to keep the tires from sliding
   4. Gradually reduce speed, look where you want to go, and steer slowly back
   Show answer

   Gradually reduce speed, look where you want to go, and steer slowly back. A driver who leaves the roadway should stay calm, ease the vehicle down in speed, focus on the intended path, and make a gentle steering correction. The choice calling for hard braking and a sharp turn is risky because an abrupt movement can create another loss of control. The manual connects over-correction with a rear-wheel slide and emphasizes gradual steering. A useful cue is to reduce speed first, then guide the vehicle back when the tires and traffic conditions allow it.

9. 9. After failing Virginia’s knowledge exam, how long must an applicant under age 18 wait before retaking it?

   1. A full 15 days
   2. Seven days
   3. Two days
   4. Until turning 18
   Show answer

   A full 15 days. An applicant under 18 must wait a full 15 days after failing the knowledge exam before trying again. Two days is associated with a different testing rule in the manual, and seven days is not the stated retest interval. The applicant does not have to wait until age 18. Count the full waiting period from the failed attempt, then schedule the next test after the required interval has elapsed.

10. 10. What does a Do Not Enter sign tell you about the direction of travel?

    
    1. The direction is open to local traffic only
    2. You cannot drive in that direction
    3. You may enter after stopping twice
    4. The road becomes two-way beyond the sign
    Show answer

    You cannot drive in that direction. Do Not Enter is a regulatory warning that the approach is prohibited. The sign does not create an exception for local drivers, and stopping does not turn an illegal entry into a legal one. A driver who crosses it may be traveling against vehicles headed the other way, with a serious head-on crash risk. The practical cue is simple: read the red restriction before entering a ramp, street, or roadway and choose another lawful route.

11. 11. At what point must an adult Virginia driver complete a driver improvement clinic because of demerit points?

    1. After 6 points in 12 months
    2. After 12 demerit points within 12 months or 18 points within 24 months
    3. After 30 points in 24 months
    4. Only after a suspension
    Show answer

    After 12 demerit points within 12 months or 18 points within 24 months. Drivers 18 or older must complete a driver improvement clinic when they accumulate 12 demerit points within 12 months or 18 points within 24 months, and if the clinic is not completed within 90 days DMV suspends the driving privilege. Reaching 18 points in 12 months or 24 in 24 brings a 90 day suspension plus the clinic. Under 18, a single demerit conviction requires the clinic.

12. 12. What are Virginia's minimum liability limits for policies effective on or after January 1, 2025?

    1. $25,000, $50,000 and $20,000
    2. $30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident for injury, and $20,000 property damage
    3. $50,000, $100,000 and $25,000
    4. $15,000, $30,000 and $10,000
    Show answer

    $50,000, $100,000 and $25,000. For policies effective on or after January 1, 2025, Virginia requires at least $50,000 for injury or death of one person, $100,000 for two or more people, and $25,000 for property damage. The 30/60/20 limits applied to policies effective from January 1, 2022 through December 31, 2024. The former uninsured motor vehicle fee option ended July 1, 2024. Check the policy effective date.

13. 13. When must Virginia motorists use headlights because of bad weather?

    1. Whenever windshield wipers are being used because of bad weather
    2. Only when rain reduces visibility to 100 feet
    3. Only when another driver flashes headlights
    4. Only when driving after midnight
    Show answer

    Whenever windshield wipers are being used because of bad weather. Virginia requires headlights whenever windshield wipers are used as a result of bad weather. The rule improves your ability to see and helps other road users notice your vehicle. Midnight is not the trigger, and waiting for visibility to fall to 100 feet delays the required action. Another driver’s signal has no bearing on your duty. Turn on the headlights as soon as weather requires the wipers, keep the windshield clear, and remember that the manual also specifies headlights in inclement weather when visibility is reduced to 500 feet.

14. 14. What kind of message does a black and white traffic sign usually convey?

    1. A warning about a curve or slippery pavement
    2. Directions to a historical or cultural attraction
    3. A legal regulation such as a speed limit or turn rule
    4. Information about nearby motorist services
    Show answer

    A legal regulation such as a speed limit or turn rule. Black paired with white signals regulatory information, meaning the sign communicates an operating rule backed by law. Speed limits and turn prohibitions are examples. A curve or slippery pavement warning describes the yellow and black combination. Historical or cultural destinations use brown and white, and motorist services use blue and white. A useful roadside cue is to treat a black and white panel as an instruction you must obey, not merely a suggestion about something you may encounter ahead.

15. 15. A police officer directs you to stop while your traffic signal is green. Which instruction must you follow?

    1. The green signal and continue through
    2. The officer's direction to stop
    3. The signal only after checking for cross traffic
    4. Neither instruction until another officer arrives
    Show answer

    The officer's direction to stop. Virginia tells drivers to obey all signs and signals unless a police officer or another authorized person directs traffic, and to always follow the officer's direction. That instruction controls even when the traffic signal is green. Continuing through because the light permits movement would ignore the person actively managing the intersection. Checking for cross traffic remains good practice, but it does not authorize you to reject the stop command. The visible officer is the cue that normal signal operation has been superseded. Stop where directed and wait for the officer's next instruction.

16. 16. What must a driver do when police, fire, rescue, or ambulance vehicles approach from behind using a siren, flashing lights, or both?

    
    1. Maintain speed until reaching an intersection
    2. Turn left into the emergency vehicle’s path
    3. Stop in the center of the travel lane
    4. Immediately yield the right-of-way
    Show answer

    Immediately yield the right-of-way. Virginia requires an immediate response when a police, fire, rescue, or ambulance vehicle approaches from behind with a siren, flashing lights, or both. The driver must yield the right-of-way, then make room safely so the emergency vehicle can proceed. Maintaining speed until an intersection delays the response, while turning left may place the driver in the emergency vehicle’s route. Stopping in the center of the lane does not provide a predictable path. Check mirrors often, signal when practical, and move to a safe position without creating a second hazard.

17. 17. When making a U-turn, what must you do before proceeding?

    1. Accelerate immediately without signaling
    2. Stop only after entering the opposite lane
    3. Turn on your left-turn signal, stop, and yield for approaching traffic
    4. Use the right-turn signal and proceed without yielding
    Show answer

    Turn on your left-turn signal, stop, and yield for approaching traffic. Before making a U-turn, Virginia directs the driver to use the left turn signal, stop, and yield for approaching traffic. The acceleration choice removes the required stop and yield, while stopping only after entering the opposite lane waits too late to stop safely. A right turn signal communicates a different movement and does not provide the needed warning. Check for No U-Turn and No Left Turn signs first, then wait until the path is clear. The practical cue is left signal, stop, yield, and proceed only after approaching traffic no longer creates a hazard.

18. 18. After a crash, how long does a Virginia officer with probable cause have to arrest the driver for DUI without a warrant?

    1. Within 30 minutes of the crash
    2. Within one hour, and only at the scene
    3. Within 24 hours of the crash
    4. Within three hours of the crash
    Show answer

    Within three hours of the crash. If a crash happens and an officer has probable cause, the driver can be arrested for DUI within three hours without a warrant and at any location. The arrest does not have to happen at the scene, so leaving does not end the officer's authority. Thirty minutes and one hour are shorter than the law allows. Twenty-four hours goes beyond it. Implied consent also means the driver has agreed to a breath test on request.

19. 19. When passing a person riding a bicycle, how much clearance must a Virginia driver provide?

    
    1. At least three feet to the left
    2. Exactly six inches from the bicycle
    3. At least one foot to the right
    4. No clearance if the driver signals first
    Show answer

    At least three feet to the left. Virginia requires a driver approaching or passing a person on a bicycle, moped, or similar device to reduce speed and pass at least three feet to the left. One foot is too little room for a wobble, wind, or a pavement hazard. Six inches is plainly unsafe, and a turn signal does not replace the required lateral space. Wait for a safe opening, check the full passing path, and return only when clear. The concrete cue is to picture a three foot buffer between the vehicle and the rider.

20. 20. How far from an intersection must a Virginia driver park?

    1. At least 10 feet
    2. At least 15 feet
    3. At least 50 feet
    4. At least 20 feet
    Show answer

    At least 20 feet. Parking within 20 feet of an intersection is prohibited in Virginia. Cars parked at the corner hide pedestrians and cross traffic from turning drivers. Fifteen feet is the rule for a hydrant and for a fire, ambulance or rescue station entrance, so it belongs to other items. Fifty feet is the railroad crossing distance, and ten feet is too close under any Virginia parking rule.