District of Columbia Learner's Permit Practice Test

Free District of Columbia DMV practice test for your learner's permit — road signs, right-of-way and the rules of the road, with real District of Columbia knowledge-exam questions.

What's on the District of Columbia knowledge test

The District of Columbia knowledge test is a single 30-question exam covering road signs and the rules of the road together. You need 24 correct (80%) to pass.

Questions and exam format researched against District of Columbia's official driver handbook and state sources. Last verified 19 August 2026.

Topics covered

Sample District of Columbia permit test questions

What shape is always used for a STOP sign in the U.S. sign system used in DC?

Answer: Octagon

STOP signs use the eight-sided octagon shape nationwide, including in DC, so they're recognizable even from behind.

Road Signs

Unless otherwise posted, what is the default speed limit on ALL streets and highways in the District of Columbia?

Answer: 20 mph

As of a 2025 Vision Zero-era regulation change, DC set a citywide default speed limit of 20 mph on all streets and highways absent other posted signage.

Speed & Spacing

Under DC Code §50-1802, who is required to wear a seatbelt while a vehicle is in operation?

Answer: The driver AND all passengers, in every seat

DC's seatbelt law is broader than many states' front-seat-only rules — it requires the driver and all passengers, in every seating position, to buckle up.

DC Laws

What age range does DC's GRAD (Graduated Rermit and License) teen driving program cover?

Answer: 16-21

DC's GRAD program applies to drivers ages 16 through 21.

GRAD Teen & Permit Rules

Under DC Code §50-2201.29, what specific action is prohibited around a stopped Metrobus or DC Circulator bus?

Answer: Passing and cutting in front of a stopped Metrobus or Circulator at an intersection stop

DC Code §50-2201.29 bans passing and cutting in front of a stopped Metrobus or DC Circulator at an intersection stop.

Sharing the Road

What shape is the advance warning sign for a railroad crossing (the round yellow sign you see before the tracks, not the crossbuck at the tracks themselves)?

Answer: Circle

The advance railroad-crossing warning sign is round — the only common regulatory/warning sign that uses a circle.

Road Signs

What is the speed limit in a DC alley, absent a posted sign?

Answer: 15 mph

Alleys in DC are capped at 15 mph.

Speed & Spacing

Which of these is a recognized exception to the DC seatbelt law based on the vehicle itself?

Answer: Any vehicle manufactured before July 1, 1966

Vehicles manufactured before July 1, 1966 are exempt from the DC seatbelt requirement.

DC Laws

Ways to practise

Other states

Sources

Questions and exam format researched against District of Columbia's official driver handbook and state sources. Last verified 19 August 2026.

Full research notes, including what could not be confirmed

DC Code and 18 DCMR regulations, researched and verified 2026-08-19: 18 DCMR §2200 (citywide default/alley/school-zone/facility-adjacent speed limits, effective 2/21/2025 — a recent Vision Zero-era reduction from the more typical 25 mph default used by most states; re-verify this figure periodically given how recently it changed); DC Code §50-2201.04 (reckless/aggravated reckless driving); 18 DCMR §§2103-2104 (signals — right on red, red/flashing arrows, flashing red/yellow); DC Code §50-1802 and §50-1807 (seatbelt requirement and fine); DC Code §50-1731.04 (handheld phone ban for licensed drivers) and §50-1731.05 (stricter all-device ban for learner permit holders); 18 DCMR §303 (point system, thresholds, expiration, and safe-driving credit); DC's GRAD graduated licensing program materials (permit/provisional/full phases, hours, seasonal curfew, driver's-ed-optional status since a 2016 mandate was suspended indefinitely); 18 DCMR §2405 (no-sign-required parking prohibitions); DC Code §50-2201.29 (transit-bus passing law); DC Code §50-1703 (child passenger safety, verbatim statute). Mock exam config is a CLEARLY FLAGGED ESTIMATE: DC DMV does not publish an official question count or passing percentage, and a unified (non-split) knowledge test format is inferred rather than confirmed — this module uses { signCount: 0, signPassCount: 0, ruleCount: 30, rulePassPct: 0.8 } as a placeholder pending an official published figure; re-verify against dmv.dc.gov before treating it as authoritative. Deliberately excluded rather than invented: any work-zone-specific speed provision; a left-turn-on-red rule for one-way-to-one-way streets; whether the seatbelt law is a primary or secondary enforcement offense; a general move-over law for stopped police/emergency/service vehicles (only the narrower transit-bus passing rule was confirmed); a headlight/wiper usage requirement; handicap parking placard specifics and parallel-parking test requirements; a school-bus-specific stop-arm law; a bicycle safe-passing-distance requirement; a night-driving-hours sub-requirement within the 50-hour Parent Supervised Driving Program; and any DC-specific statutory right-of-way rule for traffic circles distinct from ordinary intersection/roundabout law (circles are used here only as route/question flavor, e.g. Dupont Circle, Thomas Circle, Logan Circle). Re-verify all figures periodically, as DC Code, DCMR regulations, and DMV program details change over time.

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