Rhode Island Permit Practice Test

Our Rhode Island test draws from 370 free practice questions based on the Rhode Island Driver's Manual, 170 of them on Rhode Island's own rules. Each test picks its questions at random, so every try is different. No sign-up: answer the questions, get your score, and see why each answer is right.

The Rhode Island knowledge test

Passing score
28 of 40 (70%)
Question pool for the Rhode Island test
370 questions170 on Rhode Island rules

The Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles sets the passing score at 70%. The Rhode Island DMV's driver's manual says the knowledge exam has 40 multiple-choice questions. The Community College of Rhode Island, which gives the DMV knowledge test in its driver education course, sets the passing score at 70%.

Practice by topic

Rhode Island rules to know for the test

A few facts from the Rhode Island Driver's Manual that our Rhode Island questions are written from. Each links to its handbook section.

License Rules

Safe Driving

Right-of-Way

  • If two vehicles arrive at an intersection from different roads at roughly the same time, the vehicle on the left must give way to the one on its right. R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-17-1(b)
  • An intersection without signs or signals should be treated as if a yield sign were present. Traffic Lights/Signals, PDF p. 41

Alcohol & Drugs

Emergencies

Insurance & Collisions

  • Minimum liability insurance is $25,000 per person for bodily injury or death, $50,000 per accident for two or more people, and $25,000 for property damage, or $75,000 combined single limit. R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-47-2(13)(i)(A)
  • An owner who knowingly operates or allows operation without required insurance may face a license and registration suspension of up to 3 months and a $100 to $500 fine for a first offense. R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-47-9(a)(1)

Sample Rhode Island practice questions

On a multi-lane road, where should a slow-moving vehicle drive?

  • On the shoulder of the road
  • In the left-hand lane
  • In whichever lane is open
  • In the right-hand lane
Show the answer

In the right-hand lane

The exception is passing another vehicle or preparing for a left turn.

Source: R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-15-2, R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-15-2

Which lane position is safest under normal conditions when no hazards exist to either side?

  • Straddling the right lane line
  • 3 to 6 inches from the right line
  • 3 to 6 inches from the left line
  • The middle of the lane
Show the answer

The middle of the lane

The manual calls the middle of the lane lane position 1.

Source: Rhode Island Driver's Manual (April 2024), Lane Positions, PDF p. 51

A tow truck with flashing lights is stopped at the roadside on a road with two lanes in your direction. What should you do?

  • Stay in the near lane at full speed
  • Move to the other lane when safe
  • Stop behind it
  • Honk and pass closely
Show the answer

Move to the other lane when safe

If you cannot safely change lanes, slow down.

Source: R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-14-3, R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-14-3(b)

How far may you drive in a two-way left turn lane while preparing to turn?

  • As far as you like
  • No more than 500 feet
  • No more than 200 feet
  • No more than 20 feet
Show the answer

No more than 200 feet

Do not use the lane as a passing lane.

Source: R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-15-19, R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-15-19(2)

The brake pedal goes straight to the floor. What should you try first?

  • Steer into the oncoming lane to slow
  • Turn off the engine immediately
  • Shift into park to stop the car
  • Pump the brake pedal repeatedly
Show the answer

Pump the brake pedal repeatedly

Pumping may restore enough pressure; downshifting and the parking brake follow.

Source: Rhode Island Driver's Manual (April 2024), Total Brake Failure, PDF p. 43

Who may serve as the supervising driver for a Rhode Island permit holder?

  • Any licensed driver aged 18 or older with a clean record
  • A driver 21 or older licensed for 5 years
  • Any driver who has been licensed for at least 1 year
  • A licensed sibling aged 19 or older with two years' experience
Show the answer

A driver 21 or older licensed for 5 years

The supervising driver must meet both the age and the years-licensed requirement.

Source: Rhode Island Driver's Manual (April 2024), Limited Learner Permit, PDF p. 11

When may a Rhode Island provisional license holder drive alone for any reason?

  • From 5:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.
  • From 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
  • From 5:00 a.m. to midnight
  • From 4:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Show the answer

From 5:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.

Outside those hours, only the listed exceptions allow driving without a supervisor.

Source: R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-10-6, R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-10-6(b)(2)(ii)(B)

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About these questions

We wrote these practice questions from the facts in the Rhode Island Driver's Manual (Rhode Island Driver's Manual, April 2024 edition (cover date; 87 PDF pages; PDF pages equal the printed page numbers), the manual linked from the Division of Motor Vehicles' Operator Manuals page and read 2026-11-10 at dmv.ri.gov/media/966/download. dmv.ri.gov pages and that file are behind a Cloudflare check that blocks curl (HTTP 403), so the pages and the PDF were read in the built-in browser and the PDF text was extracted there and saved to sources/RI/handbook.txt (the 2024 PDF itself could not be saved with curl). An older manual dated rev. 08/2015 (Driver_Manual_FINAL.pdf) is still on dmv.ri.gov and was saved as sources/RI/handbook_2015.pdf only to compare editions. The manual says on PDF p. 6 that it is a guideline and not a legal document, so every legal rule used in questions was checked against R.I. Gen. Laws Title 31 on webserver.rilegislature.gov (sections read 2026-11-10, including laws amended in 2025). Out-of-date or inconsistent manual statements and how they were handled: (1) DUI and chemical test refusal (PDF pp. 61-63) count repeat offenses within 5 years, but R.I. Gen. Laws 31-27-2 and 31-27-2.1 count them within 10 years; questions use the statute. (2) Phones (PDF pp. 36-37) describe only the ban for drivers under 18 and texting; since July 2, 2025 (2025 P.L. ch. 401 and 402) 31-22-30 bars using a handset for any purpose while driving except hands-free, and 31-22-31 bars hand-held calls ($100 fine); questions use the statutes. (3) Full license age: PDF p. 14 says at least 17 years 6 months, 31-10-6(b)(3) says at least 17 and under 18; no question asks the age. (4) Fines: PDF pp. 27 and 59 give $85 for a child restraint violation and PDF p. 58 gives $500 for no proof of insurance, while the schedule in 31-41.1-4 shows $100 for a child restraint violation and 31-47-9 sets $100 to $500 for a first insurance offense; school bus penalty PDF p. 54 says $250 to $500 while 31-20-12 says up to $300 for a first offense ($250 to $500 applies to camera cases under 31-51-2.2); no question asks these fines except the insurance penalty, which follows 31-47-9. (5) Shared (two-way) left turn lane (PDF p. 38): the manual says no entry unless turning within 100 feet, but 31-15-19(2) allows driving in the lane up to 200 feet; the question uses 200. (6) Bicycle passing: PDF p. 55 advises 3 to 5 feet of clearance, while 31-15-18 defines a safe distance as enough to prevent contact if the cyclist falls, with no fixed number; the question uses the statute and bicycle_pass_ft is left open. (7) Permit validity: PDF p. 12 says the permit lasts until age 18 and can be renewed twice, the DMV New License Permits page says a permit may be renewed one time, and 31-10-6(b)(1) says valid one year; no question asks it. (8) The manual cites the car door law as 31-21-1 (PDF p. 56) but it is 31-21-14; the question cites 31-21-14. (9) Adult learners: the manual does not state the 30-day wait before an adult permit holder's road test; the DMV New License Permits page does, and the question cites that page. (10) Right-turn-on-red, the stop-sign three-second pause (PDF p. 32) and lane-position advice are manual guidance; only the first is also in statute (31-13-6(3)(i)(A)). (11) The older 2015 manual's license renewal ages (2-year license from age 68) and texting fines ($85 to $125) are superseded and not used. edition) and from official sources on road signs. Every answer links to its source, so you can check it and read more.

DMV Decoded is an independent guide, not a government agency. This practice test is not connected to the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles, and your actual test will have different questions. Study the handbook, and check the agency's website for current rules.