Utah Permit Practice Test 1
This free Utah practice test has 30 multiple-choice questions covering road signs, right-of-way, speed limits, and safe driving — the same topics the DLD tests. The real DLD Written Knowledge Test has 50 questions.
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. What penalties does NHTSA list for impaired driving?
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Correct answer: A. Official NHTSA drunk-driving guidance says penalties for impaired driving can include driver’s license revocation, fines, and jail time. The leftover implied-consent chemical-test sentence is not on that page; this nearby official penalty list is.
2. An orange sign with a black arrow reads DETOUR. What is this sign telling you?
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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.
3. You are 25 and had wine at a dinner party in Utah. Before driving home, you check the law. At what BAC does driving become illegal for you?
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Correct answer: D. For adult drivers in Utah, driving is illegal at a BAC of 0.05% or above. Because impairment starts before the limit, the safest plan after drinking is a ride share, taxi, or sober designated driver.
4. Which official NHTSA NDR code records driving with an expired or missing license?
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Correct answer: A. Official 23 CFR 1327 Appendix A lists B51 Expired or no driver license (includes DL, CDL, and Instruction Permit). The leftover impound-and-delay sentence is state sanction wording; this nearby official national code is.
5. How far from other traffic must you dim headlights in Utah?
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Correct answer: A. Utah says if your high beams are on and a car is coming toward you, dim before you get within 500 feet of the oncoming car. If you are following a car, dim when you are within 300 feet of the vehicle ahead. If the other driver does not dim, look at the right side of the road.
6. On its fastest highways, Utah allows a top posted speed limit of which value?
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Correct answer: A. The highest speed limit in Utah is 80 mph, and only certain highways are posted that high. Most roads carry lower limits, so drive by the signs in front of you, and slow down when conditions worsen.
7. At a crosswalk signal, what is the difference between the walking-person symbol and the raised-hand symbol?
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Correct answer: C. The walking-person symbol invites pedestrians to begin crossing, while the raised hand warns them not to start; a flashing hand means finish crossing if already in the street. Drivers should expect people in the crosswalk during these phases.
8. You are 16 and hold a Utah driver license (not a permit). During which hours are you generally prohibited from driving?
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Correct answer: C. Utah Code 41-8-2 bars licensed drivers younger than 17 from driving between 12:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. Fatigue and darkness multiply teen crash risk. Exceptions cover work, school activities, farm work, emergencies, or a licensed adult 21+ beside you.
9. It is late at night and the unposted residential streets in your Utah neighborhood are empty. The legal maximum for these streets remains which speed?
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Correct answer: C. Empty or busy, day or night, the default limit on unposted residential streets in Utah stays 25 mph. Darkness actually cuts how far you can see and react, so conditions may call for less, not more, than the limit.
10. A white vertical rectangle reads SPEED LIMIT 55. What does that number legally mean?
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Correct answer: C. A white rectangular speed limit sign is a regulatory sign, so the number is the maximum lawful speed in ideal conditions. Rain, fog, or heavy traffic can make even that speed illegal. Treat the posted number as a ceiling, not a target.
11. Under Utah's Move Over law, what should you do when approaching a stopped emergency vehicle with flashing lights on the roadside?
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Correct answer: C. Utah's Move Over law says slow down, leave room, and change lanes away from a stopped vehicle with flashing lights when it's safe. Roadside workers keep getting struck. Skip it after a conviction and you face a mandatory four-hour class.
12. A 30-year-old driver in Utah takes a chemical test after a crash. Prosecutors can prove DUI from the test result alone once the BAC is at least which value?
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Correct answer: D. A test showing 0.05% or higher proves per-se DUI in Utah without any other evidence of impairment. Lawmakers chose that threshold because crash risk climbs sharply near it, though alcohol degrades driving skills at lower levels too.
13. A traffic light turns steady yellow as you approach the intersection. What does this signal tell you?
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Correct answer: A. A steady yellow light warns that the signal is about to turn red. Stop if you can do it safely; if you are too close to stop smoothly, continue through with caution. Yellow means prepare, not race.
14. If coffee is not enough, what short-term drowsy-driving step does NHTSA list?
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Correct answer: A. Official NHTSA drowsy-driving guidance says Drinking coffee or energy drinks alone is not always enough. They might help you feel more alert, but the effects last only a short time. Pull over for a short 20-minute nap in a safe place.
15. You are driving through a residential district in Utah and see no speed limit signs. What is the default speed limit?
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Correct answer: C. Where no sign is posted, Utah's default residential limit is 25 mph. Homes mean driveways, pets, and kids near the road, so the default stays low. A posted sign overrides the default, so watch for one.
16. You and another driver stop at a four-way stop at exactly the same time, and the other car is on your right. What should you do?
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Correct answer: D. When two drivers stop at the same moment, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right. This tiebreaker gives everyone the same answer without guessing. Remember the phrase: right goes right away.
17. In Utah, what is the youngest age at which you can apply for a learner's permit?
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Correct answer: B. Utah issues learner's permits starting at age 15. The permit opens the first stage of graduated licensing, where you build skills with a supervising adult before earning fuller privileges. Know your state's number; it varies nationwide.
18. In a work zone, an orange sign warns of a flagger ahead. The flagger signals you to stop, even though the traffic light beyond is green. What should you do?
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Correct answer: C. Flaggers control traffic through work zones, and you must obey their directions even when they conflict with posted signs or signals. They can see hazards you cannot. Remember: in a work zone, the person outranks the light.
19. What is the right way to pass a bicyclist riding near the edge of your lane?
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Correct answer: B. Pass a bicyclist the patient way: ease off the gas, give plenty of side clearance, and wait until oncoming traffic allows a safe move. A wobble or pothole can push a rider sideways, so space is survival.
20. The posted limit is unchanged, but traffic, weather, and light have all gotten worse. What does the basic speed rule require?
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Correct answer: C. The basic speed rule says you may not drive faster than conditions safely allow, no matter what the sign posts. Rain, darkness, and crowds shrink your margin for error. Conditions set the real limit; the sign sets the ceiling.
21. Ahead of a raised concrete median you see a white sign reading KEEP RIGHT with an arrow curving to the right. What should you do?
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Correct answer: A. KEEP RIGHT tells you the roadway splits around an island, median, or obstruction, and all traffic must pass on the right side. Passing left would put you into oncoming lanes. Follow the arrow around the obstacle, then continue straight.
22. A 19-year-old is pulled over in Utah after a party. Under the zero-tolerance law, what BAC is enough for an underage drinking-and-driving violation?
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Correct answer: D. For drivers under 21 in Utah, a violation begins at any detectable amount. Zero-tolerance laws exist because young, inexperienced drivers face high crash risk with any alcohol. If you are underage, the only legal amount is none.
23. When you stop at a Utah railroad crossing, how far from the nearest rail must you be?
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Correct answer: A. Utah says when you stop at a railroad crossing you must be between 15 and 50 feet from the nearest rail. Trains sound horns as they approach, so turn the radio down. Never stop on the tracks.
24. Which shape is used only for yield signs, so you can recognize the sign even when you cannot read its face?
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Correct answer: D. Only yield signs use the downward-pointing triangle, just as only stop signs use the octagon. Unique shapes let drivers react from the outline alone in fog or darkness. Picture the point aiming down, telling you to back off and give way.
25. A 19-year-old driver in Utah says a single sip cannot matter. Under the under-21 rule, the limit is which of these?
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Correct answer: B. Utah applies a zero-tolerance rule for drivers under 21: any detectable amount. A sip can be enough. If you are under 21, the only safe plan is no alcohol before driving.
26. How does NHTSA say alcohol changes the abilities needed to drive?
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Correct answer: A. Official NHTSA drunk-driving guidance says Alcohol is a substance that reduces the function of the brain, impairing thinking, reasoning and muscle coordination. All these abilities are essential to operating a vehicle safely.
27. Why does NHTSA tell you to slow down in snow or sleet?
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Correct answer: A. Official NHTSA winter-driving guidance says Slow down. It’s harder to control or stop your vehicle on a slick or snow-covered surface. The leftover bridges-ice-first sentence is not on that page; this nearby official slick-surface rule is.
28. In which situations should you add extra following distance behind the vehicle ahead?
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Correct answer: C. Add following distance whenever stopping gets harder or seeing gets worse: slick roads, tailgaters behind you, big trucks blocking your view, or motorcycles that can stop quickly. More risk calls for more room ahead of you.
29. You are parking facing uphill on a street with a curb. Which way should you turn your front wheels?
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Correct answer: B. When parking uphill with a curb, turn the wheels away from the curb and let the car roll back until a tire rests against it. The curb then works as a block. Up and away is the memory cue.
30. A pedestrian has stepped into a marked crosswalk on your street, and the light is green for you. What must you do?
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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.
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