Rhode Island License Rules practice test

Practice permits, restrictions for new drivers and points: 30 questions based on the Rhode Island Driver's Manual, 30 of them on Rhode Island's own rules.

Start 20 questions

Key Rhode Island facts: License Rules

Sample License Rules questions

After failing the Rhode Island knowledge exam, how long must an applicant wait before retaking it?

  • Until the next day
  • At least 6 months
  • At least 8 days
  • At least 30 days
Show the answer

At least 8 days

The DMV's Knowledge Exams page sets the wait after a failed exam.

Source: Knowledge Exams (Rhode Island DMV), Failed Exams

To move up to a provisional license, a permit holder must have no moving violation or seat belt conviction during the previous...

  • 6 months
  • 30 days
  • 3 months
  • 12 months
Show the answer

6 months

A recent conviction delays the move to the next licensing level.

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

What vision standard must a Rhode Island permit applicant meet?

  • 20/30 uncorrected, no lenses permitted
  • 20/70 in the better eye with lenses
  • 20/20 in both eyes without glasses
  • At least 20/40, glasses allowed
Show the answer

At least 20/40, glasses allowed

Applicants who wear lenses for distance must wear them at the test.

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

In which languages does the Rhode Island DMV give its computerized knowledge exam?

  • English only
  • English, Spanish and French
  • English and Spanish only
  • English, Spanish and Portuguese
Show the answer

English, Spanish and Portuguese

Other languages are possible only through a printed exam that must be requested ahead of time.

Source: Knowledge Exams (Rhode Island DMV), Knowledge Exams page

A Rhode Island provisional license holder carries too many young passengers. What is the first-offense penalty?

  • A $10 fine
  • An infraction with a $100 fine
  • A one-year license revocation
  • No penalty
Show the answer

An infraction with a $100 fine

Passenger and seating restrictions carry a fine rather than a no-license charge.

Source: R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-10-6.4, R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-10-6.4

When does a Rhode Island limited provisional license expire?

  • After exactly one year
  • After two years
  • On the holder's 18th birthday
  • On the holder's 17th birthday
Show the answer

On the holder's 18th birthday

A full operator's license is then issued under the normal renewal rules.

Source: R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-10-6.3, R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-10-6.3

Take this topic's test

More Rhode Island practice

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.