Texas Road Signs & Driver Knowledge Test
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The Texas driver knowledge test covers road signs, signals, pavement markings, right-of-way and the state's alcohol rules. Much of it is drawn from the same national standard used everywhere, so sign recognition transfers from any state.
What does not transfer is a small group of Texas laws that carry unusually large penalties.
Overview
Three Texas rules carry real money. The Move Over or Slow Down law requires moving over an entire lane or slowing to 20 mph below the posted limit near a stopped vehicle with activated overhead lights, with a first-offence fine reaching $1,250 and rising to $4,000 with possible jail where serious injury results. Passing a stopped school bus carries the same $1,250 first-offence ceiling. And for drivers under 21, any detectable amount of alcohol is the criminal offence of Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol by a Minor.
Texas also has a two-step speed structure: the statute sets a 70 mph maximum, and the Transportation Commission may raise it, up to 85 mph where an engineering and traffic investigation finds the speed reasonable and safe and the highway is designed for it.
Cost and registration
Licence and permit fees are set by the Texas Department of Public Safety and depend on the licence type and the applicant's age.
The larger figures are the penalties. A first Move Over or Slow Down offence reaches $1,250, and $4,000 with possible jail where serious injury results. Passing a stopped school bus also reaches $1,250 for a first offence. Those two ceilings match because both laws protect a person who is outside a vehicle on or beside the roadway.
Exam format
The test is multiple choice across signs and road rules. The national portion of the material — shapes, colours, line markings, right-of-way order — is the fastest to secure and the least likely to change.
The Texas material rewards attention to detail. The Move Over reduction is measured against the posted limit rather than being a fixed speed, the school bus rule turns entirely on whether the highway is divided, and the alcohol threshold for a minor is not a number at all.
Questions by topic in the Texas Road Signs practice bank
Counts describe our practice categories, which may subdivide official domains. They are not the exam’s official topic weights.
Verified facts about the Texas Road Signs test
18 statements, each bound to the official document it was taken from. The available source links open those documents.
Requirements and rules
- Up to 180 days in jail with three mandatory days
- Texas Department of Transportation
- Licence loss up to a year on a first conviction
- Texas Department of Transportation
- Texas drivers must move over an entire lane or slow to 20 mph below the posted speed limit when passing a stopped vehicle with activated overhead lights
- Texas Department of Transportation
- An open container in the vehicle is illegal even if the driver is sober
- Texas Department of Transportation
- Learner permit holders: no cellphone use in the first six months
- Texas Department of Transportation
- Infants ride rear-facing until age two or the seat's height/weight limit
- Texas Department of Transportation
- Flashing red lights or lowered arms at a crossing: stop, do not cross
- Texas Department of Transportation
- Never drive around lowered gates or cross when a train is visible
- Texas Department of Transportation
- Look and listen for trains even when lights and arms are not active
- Texas Department of Transportation
- Check every track — there may be more than one set
- Texas Department of Transportation
- Drivers must yield the right of way to trains
- Texas Department of Transportation
- Texas drivers must stop for flashing red lights or an extended stop sign from either direction, unless the bus is on the opposite side of a divided highway
- Texas Department of Transportation
- A driver may proceed once the bus has moved, the lights stop flashing, or the bus driver signals that it is safe to pass
- Texas Department of Transportation
- Any handheld device use in a school zone is illegal
- Texas Department of Transportation
- Driver and ALL passengers must wear seat belts
- Texas Department of Transportation
- No sending or receiving electronic messages while driving
- Texas Department of Transportation
- Drivers under 18 may not use handheld devices
- Texas Department of Transportation
- Any detectable amount of alcohol in a driver under 21 is the criminal offence of Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol by a Minor
- Texas Department of Public Safety
Podcast episodes
Free episodes from the Every Exam Prep podcasts that cover the Texas Road Signs test. Each one opens on Apple Podcasts.
Permit Test Prep · Sep 14, 2026 · 4 min
Texas Permit Test: No Published Count, No Published Pass Mark, and the Laws It Tests Anyway
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Frequently asked questions
What does the Texas Move Over or Slow Down law require?
When approaching a stopped vehicle displaying activated overhead lights, you must move over an entire lane or slow to 20 mph below the posted speed limit. The reduction is relative rather than absolute, so a road posted at 65 means slowing to 45, not to 20. The slow-down option applies where moving over a full lane is not possible.
Which vehicles does the Move Over law cover?
Law enforcement, tow trucks, utility vehicles, municipal waste trucks, emergency responders and TxDOT vehicles displaying activated overhead lights. Since September 1, 2025 it also covers vehicles driven by animal control officers and parking enforcement employees. The list is broader than emergency services, which is what catches drivers who scan for a police car and dismiss a utility truck.
Do you have to stop for a school bus on a divided highway in Texas?
No — that is the single exception. Texas requires you to stop for flashing red lights or an extended stop arm whichever direction you are headed, unless the bus is on the opposite side of a divided highway. On an undivided road, including any ordinary two-lane road, direction of travel makes no difference and you must stop.
What is the maximum speed limit in Texas?
The statute sets 70 mph. The higher limits Texas is known for come from the Transportation Commission, which may establish up to 85 mph where an engineering and traffic investigation finds the speed reasonable and safe and the highway is designed to accommodate it. So the answer to what the law sets is 70, even though 85 is posted somewhere in the state.
What is the alcohol limit for a Texas driver under 21?
There is no numeric threshold. Any detectable amount of alcohol while operating a motor vehicle on a public street is the criminal offence of Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol by a Minor, and Texas defines a minor as anyone under 21. That is stricter than states which set a .02 floor, because there is no band beneath which nothing happens — and the result is a criminal charge rather than an administrative violation.
How much can these violations cost?
A first Move Over or Slow Down offence reaches $1,250, rising to $4,000 with possible jail where the violation causes serious injury. Passing a stopped school bus also reaches $1,250 for a first offence. The two ceilings match because both laws protect a person who is outside a vehicle on or beside the roadway.
Sources
- 1.Move Over or Slow Down — TxDOT — Texas Department of Transportation (accessed Jul 31, 2026)
- 2.Speed Limits — TxDOT — Texas Department of Transportation (accessed Jul 31, 2026)
- 3.Texas Driver Handbook (DL-7) — Texas Department of Public Safety (accessed Jul 31, 2026)
- 4.School Bus Safety — TxDOT — Texas Department of Transportation (accessed Jul 31, 2026)
Official sources
The official documents our facts about this exam are taken from.
- Railroad Crossing Safety Tips — TxDOTTexas Department of Transportationtxdot.gov
- Move Over or Slow Down — TxDOTTexas Department of Transportationtxdot.gov
- Impaired Driving and Penalties — TxDOTTexas Department of Transportationtxdot.gov
- Texting and Cellphone Laws — TxDOTTexas Department of Transportationtxdot.gov
- School Bus Safety — TxDOTTexas Department of Transportationtxdot.gov
- Seat Belt and Car Seat Guidelines — TxDOTTexas Department of Transportationtxdot.gov
- Speed Limits — TxDOTTexas Department of Transportationtxdot.gov
- Texas Driver Handbook (DL-7)Texas Department of Public Safetydps.texas.gov
Last verified against Texas Department of Transportation's official sources:
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Driver knowledge & road-sign tests
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