Michigan Permit Practice Test 2
A second full-length Michigan practice test: 30 fresh multiple-choice questions with zero repeats from Test 1. Check the SOS site for the current question count and passing score.
Tap an answer. The explanation opens so you can learn it, then go on. Keyboard: A–D or 1–4 to answer, then Enter or Space.
Question 1 of 30
1. A 17-year-old in Michigan claims, 'I only need to stay under the adult limit.' Under zero tolerance, the BAC that actually applies to under-21 drivers is what?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C. The adult limit is irrelevant for minors. Michigan's zero-tolerance law applies at 0.02% for drivers under 21, because any alcohol raises a new driver's crash risk. If you are under 21, drinking and driving do not mix.
2. You are approaching an intersection and the traffic light turns steady red. What must you do?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C. A steady red light requires a full stop before the stop line or crosswalk, or before entering the intersection if there is no line. Stopping at the line protects people crossing. Remember: red means stop, every time.
3. What should you do when you approach an intersection with a flashing yellow light?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C. A flashing yellow light does not require a stop; it tells you to slow down, scan the intersection, and proceed carefully. It marks spots with extra risk, so treat flashing yellow as a caution flag, not a green light.
4. If a state legalizes marijuana possession, may you drive under the influence of the drug?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Official NHTSA drug-impaired-driving guidance says Even in states where marijuana laws have changed, it is still illegal to drive under the influence of the drug. Driving impaired by any substance is against the law in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
5. You are entering a roundabout. Which statement describes the correct way to use it?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Entering drivers yield to vehicles already circulating in the roundabout, then merge and travel counterclockwise to the exit. Because everyone flows one way and entries wait, roundabouts avoid head-on conflicts. Traffic already in the circle goes first.
6. Signs on Michigan highways vary from road to road, but the law sets one absolute top limit for the fastest routes. That limit is which value?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D. By statute, 75 mph is the fastest any Michigan road can be posted. Below that ceiling, engineers set each road's limit for its design and traffic, which is why the posted sign on your road governs.
7. A tire blows out at highway speed. What should you do first?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B. A blowout pulls the car; your job is to keep it pointed straight while speed drops. Hard braking can spin you. Once you are slow and under control, signal and move off the pavement. Hold, ease, then brake.
8. You are 25 and had wine at a dinner party in Michigan. Before driving home, you check the law. At what BAC does driving become illegal for you?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D. For adult drivers in Michigan, driving is illegal at a BAC of 0.08% or above. Because impairment starts before the limit, the safest plan after drinking is a ride share, taxi, or sober designated driver.
9. What penalty does official NHTSA impaired-driving guidance say the laws should establish for failing or refusing a BAC test?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Official NHTSA Uniform Guidelines for State Highway Safety Programs say The laws should establish effective penalties that include Administrative license suspension or revocation for failing or refusing to submit to a BAC or other drug test. The leftover implied-consent mnemonic is not on that page; this nearby official national refusal-penalty sentence is.
10. What is the highest posted highway speed you should expect to see in Michigan?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C. Michigan's top posted highway limit is 75 mph. Most roads are lower. Do not treat the state maximum as the speed for every freeway ramp or work zone.
11. Traffic ahead suddenly stacks up on a freeway. What is the safest speed choice?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B. The posted limit is a maximum, not a target. In dense or slowing traffic you must drop to a speed that lets you stop in the space you can see. Basic speed law: do not drive faster than conditions allow.
12. You see a white square sign showing a curved U-shaped arrow inside a red circle with a slash through it. What is prohibited?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B. The slashed U-arrow bans U-turns at that location, usually because oncoming drivers cannot see you turn around in time. Continue to a spot where reversing direction is legal and safe. Red circle plus slash means the pictured move is forbidden.
13. When must Michigan headlights be on, besides a half hour after sunset to a half hour before sunrise?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Michigan requires headlights anytime there is not enough daylight to see people and vehicles clearly at 500 feet, and from a half hour after sunset until a half hour before sunrise. It is illegal to use only parking lights when headlights are required. Dim high beams within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle.
14. An orange sign with a black arrow reads DETOUR. What is this sign telling you?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Detour signs guide you along a temporary route when the normal road is closed, often for construction or an emergency. Keep following the arrows until the detour ends, and the route will return you to your original road.
15. Many regulatory signs show a picture inside a red circle crossed by a red diagonal slash. In general, what does that design mean?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D. In the MUTCD symbol system, a red circle with a diagonal slash over any picture means that action is not allowed, such as no trucks or no bicycles. It works without words, so drivers of any language understand instantly. Slash means stop doing it.
16. A GPS in Michigan suggests 40 mph on a residential block with no posted limit. The handbook-style default you should prefer is:
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C. Apps guess; Michigan's default for this kind of street is 25 mph unless a sign posts otherwise. Believe the sign first, then the state's default, then the gadget.
17. Who writes the official new-driver (graduated licensing) rules that apply on Michigan roads?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A. GDL hours, night limits, and passenger rules are Michigan law, explained by the SOS. A school or insurer may summarize them, but they are not the source. Learn the Michigan version, not a generic US version.
18. You are making a study calendar for the Michigan knowledge test. You can hold a learner's permit beginning at which age?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Put 14 years, 9 months on the calendar for Michigan. That is the first legal day for a learner's permit, after you pass the knowledge and vision screens the SOS requires.
19. Why is it illegal to park on a sidewalk or in a crosswalk?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Sidewalks and crosswalks are reserved walking space; a parked car there pushes pedestrians, strollers, and wheelchairs out into traffic lanes. The law keeps walking paths continuous and safe. If people walk there, your car does not belong there.
20. You reach a stop sign at an intersection that has a painted stop line. Where must you bring your vehicle to a complete stop?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A. At a stop sign you must stop completely before the stop line; with no line, stop before the crosswalk or the intersection edge. Stopping short protects people in the crosswalk. If you need a better view, creep forward only after the full stop.
21. What is double parking, and why is it against the rules?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D. Double parking means standing or parking in the roadway alongside a vehicle already parked at the curb. It blocks a travel lane, hides pedestrians, and pins in the parked car, so the practice is prohibited on public streets.
22. How does NHTSA describe the graduated driver licensing system?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Official NHTSA GDL guidance says GDL is a three-phase system for beginning drivers, consisting of a learner’s permit, an intermediate license, and a full license. GDL allows beginning drivers to acquire driving experience in less-risky situations and under direct supervision during the learner’s permit phase.
23. Leaving a one-way street, you see a yellow diamond sign with two vertical arrows pointing in opposite directions. What is it warning you about?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A. The two-way traffic sign warns that the one-way section is ending and vehicles will now come toward you. Keep to the right and use extra care when passing. Two opposite arrows mean the road now flows both ways.
24. In Michigan, an under-21 driver can face a license suspension for alcohol at a much lower level than an adult DUI. That zero-tolerance level is which of these?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D. Reaching 0.02% can cost a driver under 21 their license in Michigan, even when they show no obvious impairment. The state treats underage drinking and driving as a license issue first, aiming to stop the habit early.
25. A large truck ahead starts to turn right but swings left first. What should you do?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Long vehicles off-track: the rear wheels take a tighter path, so drivers swing wide. The tempting gap on the right is a crush zone. If you cannot see the mirrors, the driver cannot see you. Wait behind the trailer.
26. You turn onto a quiet Michigan street lined with houses and no speed sign. Unless a local rule posts something else, the usual default is:
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Unposted residential streets in Michigan are generally 25 mph. Watch for school and work-zone drops. When houses line the road and no sign argues otherwise, think 25 mph.
27. If your car stalls on a railroad track, what does NHTSA say to do first?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Official NHTSA railroad-crossing guidance says If your car stalls on a track, quickly get everyone out — even if you don’t see a train coming. Run away from the tracks and your car to avoid being hit by flying debris. Call the number on the blue emergency notification system sign.
28. Unless a sign posts another limit, the usual residential or city default in Michigan is:
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Michigan's typical unposted residential / city default is 25 mph. School zones and work zones drop lower. If houses line the street and no sign argues, start at 25 mph and watch the next plaque.
29. A pedestrian has stepped into a marked crosswalk on your street, and the light is green for you. What must you do?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Pedestrians in a crosswalk have the right-of-way even when your light is green. Stop or slow until they are clear. A green light does not let you run someone over. People in the stripes go first.
30. Under Michigan's hands-free law, what penalty does a driver face for a first offense of holding a phone behind the wheel?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D. Holding or using a phone while driving in Michigan is a civil infraction: first offense costs $100 or 16 hours of community service, or both; repeats cost $250 or 24 hours, and fines double after at-fault crashes.
Enter or Space also advances.