How to pass the Maryland permit test the first time
Independent practice site. We're not the MVA and aren't connected to any government agency.
Find your weak topics before you start reading, and study those first. Learn the rules that look alike as pairs, side by side. Then bring back every question you miss on a later day, until you've got it right on two different days.
Every fact here comes from the Maryland Driver's Manual. The pages are listed at the end, so you can check any of it.
Start with the free check-up to see which topics to study first. The free test takes about 5 minutes.
What the Maryland knowledge test is
It's the written test you pass, with a vision screening, to get your learner's permit. It asks about motor vehicle laws, safe driving and traffic signs, and the manual says it holds everything you'll be tested on.
The numbers to know
- 25Questions
- 20 minutesTime limit
- An MVA locationWhere
You take it at an MVA location, and you make an appointment first. 25 questions in 20 minutes is a bit under a minute each, so practice at that pace.
The manual gives the number of questions and the time, but no pass mark, so aim to know every topic rather than to scrape by.
What's on it: nine topics
To study the manual, it helps to split its rules into topics. This site uses nine, and the test draws from all of them.
Some topics are mostly about who does what, like who goes first at a four-way stop. Others are mostly numbers: distances, seconds, ages, days and fines. Those you have to memorize, and they're easy to swap.
Rules people often mix up
Many rules in the manual come in look-alike pairs: the same kind of situation with a different number or a small change. Learn each pair together, so you know which goes with which.
Numbers that come in pairs
High beams
- The bigger number
- Dim them 500 feet before a car coming toward you
- The smaller number
- Dim them within 300 feet of a car you're following
Following distance
- The bigger number
- 4 or 5 seconds behind a bus or delivery van
- The smaller number
- 3 to 4 seconds behind a car
Move Over Law
- The bigger number
- $150 and 3 points if it causes a crash
- The smaller number
- $110 and 1 point
| High beams | Following distance | Move Over Law | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The bigger number | Dim them 500 feet before a car coming toward you | 4 or 5 seconds behind a bus or delivery van | $150 and 3 points if it causes a crash |
| The smaller number | Dim them within 300 feet of a car you're following | 3 to 4 seconds behind a car | $110 and 1 point |
Yellow X signals over a lane
Steady yellow X
- What it means
- Move out of the lane as soon as you safely can
Flashing yellow X
- What it means
- You may use the lane to turn left
| Steady yellow X | Flashing yellow X | |
|---|---|---|
| What it means | Move out of the lane as soon as you safely can | You may use the lane to turn left |
The mix-up
Not quite: On a four-lane road, I don't stop for a school bus on the other side.
Right: Only a physical barrier lets you keep going. With painted lines only, you stop, at least 20 feet away.
The mix-up
Not quite: Under 18, hands-free calls are fine.
Right: Under 18, you may not use a phone at all while driving, even hands-free. Only a 911 call is allowed.
The mix-up
Not quite: The Move Over Law is only for police cars and tow trucks.
Right: It covers any vehicle stopped on the road with its lights flashing: move over, or slow down if you can't.
How to study in the days you have
A week before the test
- Take a practice test before you read anything, and note which topics you missed. Those are the ones you study first.
- Study your two or three weakest topics a day. Read their pages in the manual, answer questions on them, and read why each wrong answer is wrong.
- Keep a list of every question you miss, and try each one again on a later day. Cross it off once you've got it right on two different days.
- On each of the last three days, start with a full practice exam against the clock. Spend the rest of your time on the topic it shows is weakest.
- The day before, go over your list of misses and the number pairs one last time. Don't start anything new.
With less time, keep the same order and squeeze it. With one evening, take a practice test, go over what you got wrong and the number pairs, and stop there.
What to bring
Before you leave
- Your MVA appointment.
- An original document proving your age, with your full name, like a birth certificate or passport.
- Proof of lawful status, if you were born outside the United States.
- Your Social Security number, or proof that you aren't eligible for one.
- Two documents proving you live in Maryland. Originals or certified copies: no photocopies or notarized copies.
- Your glasses or contacts if you need them: there's a vision screening.
Under 25, you must be at least 15 years and 9 months old. Under 18, a parent or legal guardian co-signs your application, and under 16 you also bring the DL-300 school attendance form.
After you pass
Your permit lasts up to 2 years. You drive only with a supervising driver who is at least 21, has been licensed at least 3 years, and sits beside you. Under 18, you may not use a phone at all while driving.
Before a provisional license you finish driver education and log at least 60 practice hours, 10 of them at night. Under 18, you hold the permit at least 9 months without a violation, then pass the driving skills test.
Questions people ask
How many questions are on the Maryland permit test?
25 questions, and you have 20 minutes. You take it at an MVA location.
What score do I need to pass?
The manual doesn't give a pass mark. Ask the MVA, and practice until you get nearly every question right.
Can I take the Maryland permit test in another language?
The MVA offers some tests in other languages. If yours is offered, you must take it at least 5 times before you can use an interpreter.
What do I bring to the permit test?
Your appointment, an original proof of age, your Social Security number, two proofs of Maryland residence, and under 18 a parent or guardian to co-sign.
Take the free 20-question test
20 questions from every topic, each with the answer explained and a link to the manual page. Ready's bar is 80%: 16 right. Free, no sign-up.
Go deeper
Practice the rules in this guide
Each one has a free practice question with the answer explained.
- Low beams 500 feet before oncoming cars
- Low beams within 300 feet of a car you follow
- Following distance: 3 to 4 seconds
- More room behind buses and vans
- Move Over fine: $110 and 1 point
- Move Over fine when it causes a crash
Show all 15
Sources
Maryland Driver's Manual
- Section 1, Driving Tests Requirements: page 7
- Section 2, Licensing Requirements and Process: pages 9, 10 and 12
- Section 3, Basic Driving: page 15
- Section 4, Signs, Signals and Pavement Markings: page 18
- Section 5, Driving Situations and Conditions: page 27
- Section 6, Dangerous Driving Behaviors: page 35
- Section 7, Sharing the Road: pages 38 and 39
- Section 8, Crashes and Traffic Stops: page 45
- Section 10, Other Important Information: page 51
Checked against these sources on October 24, 2026.
We read these sources and wrote this guide in our own words. The MVA has the final word, and rules change, so check anything important with the MVA before your appointment.