US driving theory test practice

Maryland DMV Cheat Sheet

A condensed study guide for the Maryland MVA written knowledge test — test logistics, plus the Maryland-specific rules most likely to differ from what you already know. This isn't a substitute for the official Maryland driver's manual, or for practicing the real questions. Looking for the core rules and signs that apply everywhere, not just Maryland? Check the general driving theory cheat sheet instead.

25Questions
88%To Pass
$65 Learner's Permit (Type I)Fee

Maryland-Specific Rules

Minor & Provisional Licensing

  • Maryland's GLS runs Learner's Permit -> Provisional License -> Driver's License; once every Provisional requirement is met, the MVA auto-upgrades the record and mails the new card -- no office visit needed.
  • A first-time Type 1 Learner's Permit needs the applicant to be at least 15 years 9 months old; it lasts up to 2 years. Under 18 needs a parent/guardian co-signer; under 16 also needs a signed DL-300 form.
  • Under 25, a permit holder must complete driver education, log at least 60 hours of supervised driving (at least 10 at night), and keep a signed Practice and Skills Log.
  • At 25 or older, the practice-hour requirement drops to at least 14 practice hours (at least 3 at night), though driver education is still required.
  • Every permit must be held at least 45 days before Provisional eligibility; under 18 needs 9 months violation-free, while 18-with-diploma or 19-24 only needs 3 months.
  • A moving-violation conviction or PBJ while holding a permit resets the clock to a 9-month violation-free hold from the conviction date, at any age.
  • Graduating to a Provisional License needs completed driver education, a violation-free hold, a submitted Practice and Skills Log, and a passed driving skills test.
  • A full Driver's License needs the driver to be at least 18, have held the Provisional License at least 18 months, and have no moving-violation convictions or PBJ in that 18-month window.
  • An already-licensed driver adding a new vehicle class needs a Type 2 Learner's Permit: at least 16 years 6 months old, valid up to 180 days, driving test allowed after 14 days.
  • A Provisional License holder under 18 can't drive unsupervised 12 a.m.-5 a.m., except to/from a job, volunteer program, school activity, or athletic event/training.
  • A Provisional License holder under 18 can't drive unsupervised with unrelated passengers under 18 for the first 151 days, unless a qualified supervising driver rides along.
  • A Learner's Permit or Provisional License holder may not use any wireless device while driving, including hands-free, except for a 911 call.
  • A supervising driver must be at least 21 years old, licensed at least 3 years for the same vehicle class, and seated beside the permit holder unless the vehicle is a motorcycle.
  • A co-signer can cancel a minor's license with a written request to the MVA's Administrative Adjudication Division; it stays cancelled until the minor turns 18 or a new co-signer applies.
  • Converting a foreign license requires the vision, knowledge, and driving skills tests plus a 3-hour MVA-approved roadway safety education program; a non-English license also needs an International License or certified translation.

Licensing Tests & Process

  • The vision standard is binocular vision, at least 20/40 acuity in each eye, and a continuous field of vision of at least 140 degrees.
  • The knowledge test is 25 questions with a 20-minute time limit, taken at an MVA location.
  • Parallel parking isn't tested; instead the driving skills test requires pull-in parking, back-in parking, and a three-point turn, plus a reverse two-point turn covering the same skills.

DUI Laws & Penalties

  • Maryland's DUI threshold is a BAC of .08, but the manual stresses even one drink can impair judgment and reaction time well below that.
  • Under 21, any alcohol at all is illegal; a stop after drinking suspends or revokes the license and can add an alcohol-restriction violation charge.
  • Open container is banned anywhere in the passenger area -- even a six-pack with one open, empty, or missing can counts.
  • A DUI conviction with a child in the vehicle lets the judge double both the fine and the jail time.
  • Driving in Maryland is implied consent to a drug/alcohol test; an officer can have a drug recognition expert request a blood test, and a certified refusal statement triggers suspension.
  • A DUI conviction requires installing a breathalyzer-style ignition interlock device that blocks the vehicle from starting if alcohol is detected.

Emergency Vehicles, School Buses & Work Zones

  • Move Over Law violations escalate: $110 fine and one point normally, $150 and three points if it causes a crash, $750 and three points for a death or serious injury.
  • Work-zone lights: flashing amber/yellow = active work zone with workers present, flashing blue = active speed cameras, flashing green = highway maintenance vehicles.
  • Stop at least 20 feet from a stopped school bus with red lights flashing -- from the back if behind it, from the front if in front of it -- unless separated by a physical median.

Speed, Right-of-Way & Legal Rules

  • Follow at 3-4 seconds under ideal conditions, increasing to 4-5 seconds or more behind vehicles that stop often (buses, delivery vans).
  • Maryland law requires headlights on any time the wipers are on in inclement weather -- on top of the general rule to use them once other vehicles aren't visible from 1,000 feet away.
  • Switch high beams to low at least 500 feet before an oncoming vehicle, and when following a vehicle 300 feet or less ahead.
  • No passing within 100 feet of a bridge, elevated road, or tunnel with an obstructed view, or within 100 feet of/while crossing an intersection or railroad crossing.
  • A funeral procession may proceed through a red light with headlights and hazards on; other traffic, even facing green, must yield until it passes.
  • In a multi-lane traffic circle, no need to wait for a full gap if the circle is empty; signal right and move to the outside lane only after passing the exit before the one you want.

Vehicle Handling & Road Conditions

  • If skidding, release the accelerator or brake first, steer into the skid, look where you want to go, and brake only once traction returns.
  • Leaving the scene of a crash with a serious injury: license revoked, up to 5 years prison, up to $5,000 fine. If it results in death: a felony, up to 10 years, up to $10,000.

Pedestrians, Bicyclists & Children

  • Leave at least 3 feet when passing a bicyclist, whether in a bike lane, on the shoulder, or sharing the lane.
  • A bicyclist may use the full lane, even well below traffic speed, whenever the lane is too narrow for a car to pass safely while the bike is in it.
  • At night, a bicycle needs a headlight visible from 500 feet and a rear reflector visible from 600 feet; helmets are required under 16.
  • Mopeds and scooters may ride any road posted 50 miles per hour or less, side-by-side or alone, on the road or shoulder.
  • Electric bicycle Class 1 and 3 only assist while pedaling, stopping at 20 mph or 28 mph; Class 2 can assist by throttle whether pedaling or not, stopping at 20 mph.

Occupant, Vehicle & Parking Rules

  • Children under age 8 need a child safety seat unless the child is 4'9" or taller; children younger than 2 must ride rear-facing until the seat's height or weight limit.
  • A rear-facing car seat should never sit in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger air bag; children under 13 should ride buckled in a rear seat.
  • It's illegal to drive with earplugs, a headset, or earphones in both ears -- hearing aids are still allowed.
  • Even with a valid disability plate or placard, parking in the striped access aisle beside a disability space or blocking a curb cut is still prohibited.
Want the core rules and road signs that apply everywhere, not just Maryland?General cheat sheet →

Rules and fees change — always confirm current details with Maryland MVA before your exam. Cheat sheet v1.0, last checked 2026-07-31.