Texas DMV Permit Test · Class C Knowledge Test
Texas DMV Permit Test Licensing, Alcohol, and Driver Responsibility Summary
- Importance
- ★★★★☆ (4 / 5)
- Weight
- About 6 of 30 Class C Knowledge Test questions (20%)
Graduated driver license rules for teens, insurance and crash duties, alcohol and drug laws, implied consent, phone use, and seat belts.
Licensing, Alcohol, and Driver Responsibility: must-know points
- An adult is legally intoxicated at a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or higher. Drivers under 21 may not drive with any detectable amount of alcohol.
- By driving in Texas, you agree to give a breath or blood specimen if arrested for driving while intoxicated (implied consent).
- Texting while driving is illegal for all drivers in Texas, and drivers under 18 may not use any wireless communication device.
Licensing, Alcohol, and Driver Responsibility: 10 sample questions
Question 1. A teen with a Texas learner license wants to practice driving. Who must be in the front passenger seat?
- ① Any licensed driver who is at least 18 years old
- ② A licensed driver age 21 or older with at least one year of driving experience
- ③ Any adult, even one without a driver license
- ④ No one, if the teen drives only during the day
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Answer: ② A licensed driver age 21 or older with at least one year of driving experience
Key point: Learner license: licensed driver 21+ in the front seat
A learner license holder may drive only with a licensed driver age 21 or older who has held a license for at least one year sitting in the front passenger seat.
Wrong choices
- Any licensed driver who is at least 18 years old: An 18-year-old does not meet the age 21 requirement.
- Any adult, even one without a driver license: The supervising adult must hold a valid driver license.
- No one, if the teen drives only during the day: There is no daytime exception; a supervising driver is always required.
Question 2. A 17-year-old Texas driver gets a phone call while driving. What does the law allow?
- ① Calls from a parent only, if they are kept short
- ② No phone use, even hands-free, except in an emergency
- ③ Any phone use while stopped at a red light
- ④ Hands-free calls only, as long as there is no texting
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Answer: ② No phone use, even hands-free, except in an emergency
Key point: Under 18: no phone use while driving, even hands-free
Texas law says a driver under 18 may not use a wireless communication device while driving, including hands-free, except in an emergency.
Wrong choices
- Hands-free calls only, as long as there is no texting: Hands-free use is allowed for adults, but not for drivers under 18.
- Any phone use while stopped at a red light: The ban covers operating the vehicle, and stopping at a red light is still driving in traffic.
- Calls from a parent only, if they are kept short: There is no exception for calls from a parent.
Question 3. An adult driver in Texas wants to read a text message while the car is moving. Is this legal?
- ① Yes, if the driver is 18 or older
- ② Yes, if the car is going under 30 mph
- ③ No, reading or sending texts while driving is illegal for all drivers
- ④ Yes, as long as the driver does not reply
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Answer: ③ No, reading or sending texts while driving is illegal for all drivers
Key point: Texting while driving is illegal statewide for all ages
Texas law makes it illegal for any driver to read, write, or send an electronic message on a handheld device while the vehicle is moving. A first offense brings a fine of $25 to $99; repeat offenses cost more.
Wrong choices
- Yes, if the driver is 18 or older: Being an adult does not make texting while driving legal.
- Yes, as long as the driver does not reply: Reading a message is banned, not just sending one.
- Yes, if the car is going under 30 mph: There is no low-speed exception.
Question 4. What are the minimum liability insurance limits for a car in Texas?
- ① $25,000 / $50,000 / $25,000
- ② $50,000 / $100,000 / $50,000
- ③ $15,000 / $30,000 / $5,000
- ④ $30,000 / $60,000 / $25,000
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Answer: ④ $30,000 / $60,000 / $25,000
Key point: Texas minimum liability insurance = 30/60/25
Texas requires at least 30/60/25 liability coverage: $30,000 for injury to one person, $60,000 for all injuries in one crash, and $25,000 for property damage.
Wrong choices
- $25,000 / $50,000 / $25,000: 25/50/25 is lower than the Texas minimum.
- $15,000 / $30,000 / $5,000: 15/30/5 is far below the Texas minimum.
- $50,000 / $100,000 / $50,000: 50/100/50 is more coverage than the law requires. It is allowed but not the minimum.
Question 5. For a driver age 21 or older, at what blood or breath alcohol concentration is the driver legally intoxicated in Texas?
- ① 0.05
- ② 0.02
- ③ 0.10
- ④ 0.08
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Answer: ④ 0.08
Key point: Legally intoxicated at 0.08 alcohol concentration (21+)
In Texas, a driver is legally intoxicated with an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more. A driver can also be intoxicated at a lower level if alcohol or drugs have taken away normal use of their mind or body.
Wrong choices
- 0.10: 0.10 was used in the past but is above the current Texas limit.
- 0.05: 0.05 is not the Texas legal limit, though driving can already be impaired at that level.
- 0.02: 0.02 is not the Texas limit for adult drivers.
Question 6. A 19-year-old driver in Texas has had a small amount of beer. How much alcohol may be in the driver's system?
- ① Less than 0.05 alcohol concentration
- ② None; any detectable amount is illegal
- ③ Less than 0.08 (the adult limit)
- ④ Less than 0.02 alcohol concentration
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Answer: ② None; any detectable amount is illegal
Key point: Under 21: any detectable alcohol while driving is an offense
Texas has zero tolerance for drivers under 21. It is an offense for a minor to drive in a public place with any detectable amount of alcohol in their system.
Wrong choices
- Less than 0.08 (the adult limit): 0.08 is the adult limit, not the limit for drivers under 21.
- Less than 0.05 alcohol concentration: 0.05 is not a Texas standard for minors.
- Less than 0.02 alcohol concentration: Under 21 there is no allowed level; any detectable alcohol is enough.
Question 7. What is the youngest age at which a Texas teen can apply for a learner license?
- ① 14
- ② 17
- ③ 15
- ④ 16
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Answer: ③ 15
Key point: Texas learner license: minimum age 15
A Texas teen can apply for a learner license at age 15, after meeting driver education and other DPS requirements.
Wrong choices
- 14: 14 is too young for a Texas learner license.
- 16: 16 is the youngest age for a provisional license, the next step.
- 17: 17 is not the starting age; teens may start at 15.
Question 8. A 6-year-old child is 3 feet 10 inches tall. How must the child ride in a passenger car in Texas?
- ① In a child safety seat or booster seat that fits the child
- ② In any seat, as long as an adult holds the child
- ③ In the back seat with a regular seat belt only
- ④ In the front seat with the shoulder belt behind the child
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Answer: ① In a child safety seat or booster seat that fits the child
Key point: Under 8 and under 4'9": must use a child safety seat
Texas law requires a child younger than 8 to ride in a child passenger safety seat (such as a booster seat) unless the child is taller than 4 feet 9 inches. The seat must be used as the maker's instructions say.
Wrong choices
- In the back seat with a regular seat belt only: A seat belt alone does not fit most children under 4 feet 9 inches; the law requires a safety seat.
- In any seat, as long as an adult holds the child: An adult's arms cannot hold a child in a crash.
- In the front seat with the shoulder belt behind the child: Putting the shoulder belt behind a child removes most of its protection.
Question 9. A 16-year-old has a new provisional license. Under Texas law, when may the teen drive between midnight and 5 a.m.?
- ① Never, not even for work or a medical emergency
- ② Only on weekends and during school holidays
- ③ Only for work, a school activity, or a medical emergency
- ④ Any time, as long as a friend under 21 rides along
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Answer: ③ Only for work, a school activity, or a medical emergency
Key point: New driver under 18: no midnight-5 a.m. driving except work/school
A new driver under 18 may not drive after midnight and before 5 a.m. unless it is needed for work, a school-related activity, or a medical emergency.
Wrong choices
- Any time, as long as a friend under 21 rides along: Having a friend along does not create an exception.
- Only on weekends and during school holidays: There is no weekend or holiday exception.
- Never, not even for work or a medical emergency: The law does allow driving for work, school activities, and medical emergencies.
Question 10. A 16-year-old with a new provisional license is driving with no adult in the car. How many passengers under 21 who are not family members may ride along?
- ① No more than two
- ② No more than one
- ③ No more than three
- ④ None at all
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Answer: ② No more than one
Key point: Provisional license: at most one non-family passenger under 21
A new driver under 18 may not drive with more than one passenger under 21 who is not a family member. Family members do not count toward this limit.
Wrong choices
- No more than two: Two such passengers is more than the law allows.
- No more than three: Three such passengers is more than the law allows.
- None at all: The law allows one; it does not ban all young passengers.
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