You approach an intersection with a flashing red light. You must:

Stop completely, then go when it is safe, as at a STOP sign

Proceed without stopping; the light is out of order

Stop only if cross traffic is present

A flashing yellow traffic light means:

Speed up to clear the intersection

The light ahead turns from green to steady yellow. You are close to the intersection but can still stop safely. You should:

Stop before the stop line or crosswalk

The traffic lights at an intersection are completely dark because of a power outage. In most states you should:

Treat the intersection as an all-way stop

Proceed as if you had a green light

Yield only to vehicles on your right

Yellow center lines on a road separate:

Traffic moving in opposite directions

The road from the right shoulder

On a two-lane road, there is a solid yellow line on your side of the center and a broken yellow line on the other side. This means:

You may not pass, but drivers on the other side may pass when safe

Both directions may pass when safe

Neither direction may ever cross the lines

You may pass, but the other direction may not

Two solid yellow lines in the center of the road mean:

Passing is not allowed in either direction

Passing is allowed in both directions

Broken (dashed) white lines between lanes mean:

The lanes move in the same direction and you may change lanes when safe

Traffic in the lanes moves in opposite directions

A center lane is marked on each side by a solid yellow line and a broken yellow line, with left-turn arrows pointing in both directions. This lane is used for:

Left turns by drivers traveling in either direction

A green arrow pointing left means:

You may make a protected left turn; oncoming traffic is stopped

Left turns are allowed only after yielding to oncoming traffic

You must stop for a red light at an intersection that has a crosswalk but no painted stop line. Where should you stop?

Past the crosswalk, at the edge of the intersection

A row of white triangles painted across your lane, pointing toward you, means:

Yield here to traffic and pedestrians

A white diamond symbol painted in a lane means the lane is:

Reserved for high-occupancy vehicles (HOV), buses or other special uses

On a divided highway or a one-way road, a solid yellow line marks the:

Center between two lanes going the same way

An overhead lane-use signal shows a steady red X above your lane. This means:

The lane is open to all traffic

Move into this lane to turn left

Traffic Signal and Pavement Marking Questions, With Answers

Traffic signal and marking questions test whether you know exactly what each light, arrow and painted line requires. In short: a flashing red light works like a STOP sign, a flashing yellow means slow down and go with care, yellow lines separate traffic going in opposite directions and white lines separate lanes going the same way. Practice all 15 test-style questions below.

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DMVPermitUSA is an independent study tool. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or operated by any state DMV, BMV, MVD, DPS or other government agency. Always check your state's official driver handbook and DMV website for current requirements.

Practice signal and marking questions · Take a full mock exam

You approach an intersection with a flashing red light. You must: A. Slow down and proceed with caution / B. Stop completely, then go when it is safe, as at a STOP sign / C. Proceed without stopping; the light is out of order / D. Stop only if cross traffic is present. Answer: B. Stop completely, then go when it is safe, as at a STOP sign. A flashing red signal means the same as a STOP sign. Come to a complete stop, yield to traffic and pedestrians, and go only when the way is clear.
A flashing yellow traffic light means: A. Stop and wait for green / B. The light is about to turn red / C. Speed up to clear the intersection / D. Slow down and proceed with caution. Answer: D. Slow down and proceed with caution. A flashing yellow light is a warning. You do not have to stop, but slow down, watch for cross traffic and pedestrians, and be ready to stop.
The light ahead turns from green to steady yellow. You are close to the intersection but can still stop safely. You should: A. Stop before the stop line or crosswalk / B. Speed up to beat the red light / C. Continue at the same speed / D. Honk and go through. Answer: A. Stop before the stop line or crosswalk. A steady yellow means the signal is about to turn red. Stop if you can do so safely; continue only if you are already in the intersection or too close to stop safely.
The traffic lights at an intersection are completely dark because of a power outage. In most states you should: A. Proceed as if you had a green light / B. Yield only to vehicles on your right / C. Treat the intersection as an all-way stop / D. Wait until the power returns. Answer: C. Treat the intersection as an all-way stop. In most states, a dark signal is treated as an all-way stop: stop completely, then take turns in the order of arrival. A police officer's directions override this.
Yellow center lines on a road separate: A. Lanes moving in the same direction / B. The road from the right shoulder / C. Traffic moving in opposite directions / D. Bike lanes from travel lanes. Answer: C. Traffic moving in opposite directions. Yellow lines always separate traffic going in opposite directions. White lines separate lanes going the same direction and mark the right edge of the road.
On a two-lane road, there is a solid yellow line on your side of the center and a broken yellow line on the other side. This means: A. Both directions may pass when safe / B. Neither direction may ever cross the lines / C. You may pass, but the other direction may not / D. You may not pass, but drivers on the other side may pass when safe. Answer: D. You may not pass, but drivers on the other side may pass when safe. The line closest to you controls you. A solid line on your side means no passing for you; a broken line on the other side lets those drivers pass when it is safe.
Two solid yellow lines in the center of the road mean: A. Passing is not allowed in either direction / B. Passing is allowed in both directions / C. The road is one-way / D. The lane is reserved for buses. Answer: A. Passing is not allowed in either direction. Double solid yellow lines mean no passing for both directions. Most states let you cross them only to turn left into or out of a driveway, alley or side road.
Broken (dashed) white lines between lanes mean: A. Traffic in the lanes moves in opposite directions / B. The lanes move in the same direction and you may change lanes when safe / C. You are on the shoulder / D. Lane changes are prohibited. Answer: B. The lanes move in the same direction and you may change lanes when safe. Broken white lines separate lanes going the same way, and you may cross them after signaling and checking your mirrors and blind spot. A solid white line discourages or prohibits lane changes.
A center lane is marked on each side by a solid yellow line and a broken yellow line, with left-turn arrows pointing in both directions. This lane is used for: A. Passing slower vehicles / B. Emergency vehicles only / C. Parking during off-peak hours / D. Left turns by drivers traveling in either direction. Answer: D. Left turns by drivers traveling in either direction. This is a two-way left-turn lane. Enter it only to prepare for a left turn (or, where allowed, after turning left from a side road), never to pass. Some states limit how far you may drive in it.
A green arrow pointing left means: A. Left turns are allowed only after yielding to oncoming traffic / B. You may make a protected left turn; oncoming traffic is stopped / C. Left turns are prohibited / D. The left lane is closed ahead. Answer: B. You may make a protected left turn; oncoming traffic is stopped. A green arrow gives a protected turn in the direction shown. You must still yield to vehicles and pedestrians already in the intersection.
You must stop for a red light at an intersection that has a crosswalk but no painted stop line. Where should you stop? A. In the middle of the crosswalk / B. Past the crosswalk, at the edge of the intersection / C. Before the crosswalk / D. Anywhere, as long as you stop. Answer: C. Before the crosswalk. Stop at the stop line if there is one. If not, stop before the crosswalk; if there is no crosswalk, stop before entering the intersection.
A row of white triangles painted across your lane, pointing toward you, means: A. Yield here to traffic and pedestrians / B. Speed bumps ahead / C. The lane ends; merge left / D. Parking is allowed. Answer: A. Yield here to traffic and pedestrians. These triangles, often called shark's teeth, form a yield line. They show where to yield or stop, and are common at roundabouts and mid-block crosswalks.
A white diamond symbol painted in a lane means the lane is: A. A two-way left-turn lane / B. Reserved for high-occupancy vehicles (HOV), buses or other special uses / C. Closed to traffic / D. A school zone. Answer: B. Reserved for high-occupancy vehicles (HOV), buses or other special uses. The diamond marks a preferential lane, most often an HOV (carpool) lane. Signs tell you who may use it and when.
On a divided highway or a one-way road, a solid yellow line marks the: A. Left edge of the roadway / B. Right edge of the roadway / C. Center between two lanes going the same way / D. Beginning of an exit lane. Answer: A. Left edge of the roadway. Yellow edge lines are on your left on divided highways and one-way roads; white edge lines are on your right. If yellow is on your right, you may be driving the wrong way.
An overhead lane-use signal shows a steady red X above your lane. This means: A. The lane is open to all traffic / B. Move into this lane to turn left / C. Slow down; the lane narrows / D. Do not drive in this lane. Answer: D. Do not drive in this lane. A steady red X means the lane is closed to you. A steady yellow X means move out of the lane safely, and a green downward arrow means the lane is open.

What signal and marking questions cover on the DMV test

This part of the permit test is about the devices that control traffic without words: traffic lights, turn arrows, flashing beacons, lane-use signals and the lines, arrows and symbols painted on the road. Their colors and patterns are set nationally by the federal MUTCD, so the meaning of a flashing red light or a double yellow line is the same in every state.

Questions usually describe a scenario — the light turns yellow as you approach, a line is solid on your side — and ask what you must do. The traps are in the details: flashing vs. steady, arrow vs. circle, yellow vs. white, solid vs. broken. Some details, such as where you may cross a double yellow line or how far you may drive in a center turn lane, vary by state, and your handbook is the final word.

The rules behind the most-missed questions

Learn the signal meanings as a set, because test questions often swap one for another:

Yellow lines separate opposite directions; white lines separate lanes going the same way and mark the right edge.
Solid means do not cross (or discouraged); broken means you may cross when it is safe.
With one solid and one broken yellow line, the line on your side decides whether you may pass.
Painted arrows in a lane are mandatory: a left-arrow lane is a turn lane, not a through lane.

Traffic signals and what you must do
Signal	What you must do
Steady red	Stop; right turn after a full stop is allowed unless a sign prohibits it
Flashing red	Stop completely, then go when safe (like a STOP sign)
Steady yellow	Signal is about to turn red; stop if you safely can
Flashing yellow	Slow down and proceed with caution
Green circle	Go, yielding to pedestrians; left turns yield to oncoming traffic
Green arrow	Protected turn in the direction shown
Flashing yellow arrow	Turn allowed after yielding to oncoming traffic and pedestrians
Dark signal	All-way stop in most states

Running a red light is a leading cause of serious intersection crashes. When in doubt on the test, the answer that has you stop safely is usually right.

How to study signals and markings

Draw a simple two-lane road and an intersection on paper, then add each line type and signal and say out loud what you would do. This turns abstract rules into pictures, which is how you will meet them on the road. Our traffic lights and pavement markings guide walks through each one with examples.

Then drill with topic practice tests and check your timing with a full mock exam. Signal questions overlap with right-of-way questions, so review both before test day.

Traffic signals and markings FAQ

What is the difference between a flashing red and a flashing yellow light?

A flashing red light means stop completely, then go when safe, just like a STOP sign. A flashing yellow light means slow down and proceed with caution without necessarily stopping.

Can I cross a double yellow line to turn left?

In most states, yes: you may cross double solid yellow lines to turn left into or out of a driveway, alley or side road, but never to pass. A few local rules differ, so check your state handbook.

Is it legal to enter an intersection on a yellow light?

In most states, yes, if you could not stop safely, but you are expected to stop when you can. Some states also require you to be out of the intersection before the light turns red.

What do white lines on the road mean?

White lines separate lanes moving in the same direction and mark the right edge of the road. Broken white lines may be crossed when safe; solid white lines should not be crossed except to avoid a hazard or where allowed.

Can I turn right on a red arrow?

It depends on the state. Some states allow a right turn on a red arrow after a full stop, others prohibit it. A NO TURN ON RED sign always prohibits it. Check your state's handbook.