Get ready for the Rhode Island DMV knowledge exam with 40 free questions on road signs, rotaries, speed limits, the hands-free phone law and teen license rules. Pick an answer and get the explanation on the spot.
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Four rounds of 10 questions on Rhode Island signs, right-of-way, speed limits, parking, alcohol and phone laws, and teen rules. Each answer comes with a short explanation.
On a school-day morning in Cranston, you pass a five-sided, fluorescent yellow-green sign showing two children walking. Unless another limit is posted, what is the speed limit near the school’s entrances under Rhode Island law?
Correct answer: 20 mph
Why
Rhode Island sets 20 mph within 300 feet of a school’s entrances and exits during daytime hours on school days, wherever warning signs are posted. That five-sided yellow-green shape marks a school area, so let it cue a slowdown before you reach the building. Kids often step out from between parked cars.
In a Providence neighborhood, you and another car reach an intersection with no signs or signals at nearly the same moment. The other car is on your right. Who goes first?
Correct answer: The other car: the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right
Why
When two drivers arrive at about the same time, Rhode Island law has the one on the left give way to the one on the right, and any car already in the intersection goes ahead of both. The RI Driver’s Manual suggests treating every unmarked intersection as if it had a YIELD sign: slow down and be ready to stop.
You’re driving through a Pawtucket neighborhood of houses and small shops and haven’t passed a speed limit sign. What limit applies under Rhode Island law?
Correct answer: 25 mph
Why
Where nothing else is posted, Rhode Island sets 25 mph in business and residence districts. On roads beyond those districts, the default climbs to 50 mph by day and 45 mph at night. A posted sign overrides any of these defaults.
How close to a fire hydrant may you legally park in Rhode Island?
Correct answer: 8 feet
Why
Rhode Island law keeps parked vehicles at least 8 feet from a fire hydrant, so fire crews can reach it fast and connect their hoses. Two more distances worth memorizing: 20 feet from an intersection crosswalk and 30 feet from a stop sign or traffic signal.
You’re 30 and stopped at a red light in Providence when a text comes in. Can you pick up your phone and answer it?
Correct answer: No: since July 2, 2025, hand-held use is banned for all drivers, and waiting at a light still counts as driving
Why
Rhode Island’s hand-held ban, in force since July 2, 2025, covers texting and any other use while driving, including stops at lights and in traffic. Hands-free calls, a mounted GPS or a single tap or swipe are allowed. Fines are $100, then $150, then $250.
It’s raining steadily on Route 4. Using the RI Driver’s Manual’s following-distance rule, how much space should you leave behind the car ahead?
Correct answer: At least 4 seconds: the 3-second base plus 1 for the rain
Why
The RI Driver’s Manual starts from a gap of at least three seconds and adds one second for each poor condition, such as rain or a wet road. To check it, note when the car ahead passes a fixed point like a sign, then count until you reach it. Behind a motorcycle, leave at least four seconds.
You’re 16 and just got your Rhode Island Limited Instruction Permit. Who may ride in the front passenger seat as your supervising driver?
Correct answer: Your 40-year-old aunt, licensed for 20 years
Why
Your supervisor must be 21 or older, with at least five years as a licensed driver, and must ride beside you up front. No one else may sit in the front seat, and everyone in the car must be buckled up. Age and experience both have to qualify, so a 23-year-old with four years behind the wheel falls short.
The center line on your side of a two-lane road is broken yellow, so you pull out to pass a slow truck. By what point must you be back in your own lane under Rhode Island law?
Correct answer: Before you come within 100 feet of an oncoming vehicle
Why
A broken yellow line on your side means you may pass with care, but Rhode Island law wants you back on the right before you get within 100 feet of oncoming traffic. The same 100-foot buffer rules out passing on the left as you near an intersection, a railroad crossing, or a bridge or tunnel with a blocked view.
Orange diamond signs and a row of barrels mark a work zone on I-95, but it’s a Sunday and no crew is in sight. What happens to traffic fines in a signed Rhode Island highway work zone?
Correct answer: They are doubled for as long as the work-zone signs are up
Why
Rhode Island doubles the total fine for a traffic violation in a signed work zone, and the zone counts for as long as its signs stay up, crew or no crew. The RI Driver’s Manual adds that doubled speeding fines apply 24 hours a day. Orange marks temporary construction, so expect narrowed lanes, rough pavement and equipment parked close to traffic.
After a crash in Rhode Island, no one is hurt, but the other driver’s car has $1,500 in damage. Besides calling the police, what must each driver do?
Correct answer: Send a written crash report to the DMV within 21 days
Why
Rhode Island requires each driver to file a written report with the DMV within 21 days when a crash injures or kills someone, or causes more than $1,000 in damage to any one person’s property. Report every collision to state or local police right away, and in a minor crash, move the cars to the side of the road first if you can.
On a divided highway, a police car sits on the right shoulder with its lights flashing, and there’s a safe gap in the lane to your left. What does Rhode Island’s move-over law expect?
Correct answer: Move into the lane farther from it if that’s safe; if not, slow down
Why
Rhode Island’s rule covers stopped emergency vehicles with flashing lights, tow trucks, and highway maintenance or roadside assistance vehicles at work with lights flashing: change to a lane away from them if you safely can, or else slow down. Since June 2023 the rule also covers any vehicle stopped on the shoulder, such as a car with a flat tire.
You come to a red eight-sided STOP sign, but the street has no painted stop line and no crosswalk. Where does Rhode Island law have you stop?
Correct answer: At the spot nearest the cross street that lets you see approaching traffic, before you enter it
Why
With no stop line and no crosswalk, Rhode Island law has you stop at the point nearest the cross street where you can see approaching traffic, still short of the intersection. Where a line or crosswalk is marked, stop behind it instead. The RI Driver’s Manual also asks you to hold the stop for at least three seconds while you check left, right, straight ahead and left once more.
You’re first in line at a red light in Warwick with your right signal on. No sign forbids the turn, the way looks clear, and the driver behind you honks. What’s true under Rhode Island law?
Correct answer: You may turn right after a full stop and yielding, but you’re never required to
Why
Rhode Island permits a right turn on a steady red after a complete stop, yielding as you would at a STOP sign, unless a sign or a red arrow prohibits it. The RI Driver’s Manual is clear that the turn is allowed, not required, so a horn behind you is no reason to accept a gap you don’t trust.
On a rural Rhode Island road outside any business or residence district, with no limit posted, what is the default speed limit at night?
Correct answer: 45 mph
Why
Rhode Island’s default outside business and residence districts is 50 mph in daytime and 45 mph at night. Daytime runs from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset, so the lower limit takes over half an hour after sunset.
You spot an open curb space just before a STOP sign in Bristol. What’s the closest you may park to the sign on that approach?
Correct answer: 30 feet
Why
Rhode Island bans parking within 30 feet of a stop sign, flashing beacon or traffic signal on your approach, so drivers coming up behind you can see it in time. The same statute keeps parked cars 50 feet or more away from the closest rail at a train crossing.
A 19-year-old drives home from a party and tests at 0.03% BAC. What is that in Rhode Island?
Correct answer: Driving while impaired, since the under-21 threshold is 0.02%
Why
In Rhode Island a driver under 21 with a BAC of 0.02% up to 0.08% is charged with driving while impaired; at 0.08% or above it’s DUI at any age. For ages 18 to 20, a first offense can bring a fine of up to $250, 30 hours of community service, a 1- to 3-month suspension and a DWI course.
You plan to turn right into a driveway on a Rhode Island street. At least how far before the turn must your signal be on?
Correct answer: 100 feet
Why
Rhode Island law wants your blinker running, without a break, through the final 100 feet ahead of any turn, and the RI Driver’s Manual uses the same distance for lane changes. If your lights fail, use your left arm: straight out for left, bent up for right, pointing down to slow or stop.
With a Rhode Island Limited Provisional License, during which hours are you barred from driving without a supervising driver, unless an exception applies?
Correct answer: 1 a.m. to 5 a.m.
Why
Provisional drivers may drive on their own from 5 a.m. until 1 a.m.; between 1 and 5 a.m. they need a supervising driver. Exceptions cover trips to or from work, volunteer fire, rescue or EMS duty for members, and 4 to 5 a.m. trips between home and a school sports event with no school transport.
You don’t pass the Rhode Island DMV knowledge exam on your first try. How soon can you take it again?
Correct answer: After waiting at least 8 days
Why
The RI DMV requires at least 8 days between a failed knowledge exam and the next attempt, and it publishes no cap on tries. If you failed it through CCRI at the end of driver ed, the retake is at DMV headquarters in Cranston by appointment. Use the wait to review the manual topics you missed.
Heading toward train tracks in rural Rhode Island, you’ve just passed a circular yellow warning sign, and now the crossing lights begin to flash red. How far from the nearest rail should you stop?
Correct answer: No closer than 15 feet and no farther than 50 feet
Why
Rhode Island’s stopping zone runs from 50 feet down to 15 feet before the closest rail, and it applies whenever crossing signals flash, a gate is down, a flagman signals or a train is close. A train can need about a mile and a half to stop, so never race one or slip around a lowered gate.
A yellow diamond sign with three curved arrows forming a circle warns of a rotary ahead. When you get there, a car is already going around inside. What does Rhode Island law say?
Correct answer: You yield to the car that is already circulating
Why
Rhode Island requires drivers entering a rotary or roundabout to yield to every vehicle already circulating in it. Traffic flows counterclockwise around the center island: look left for a gap, merge in, and signal before you exit to the right.
At a corner in Newport, a pedestrian carrying a white cane steps off the curb to cross in front of you. What does Rhode Island law require?
Correct answer: Stop fully short of the crossing and wait for them
Why
When someone crossing uses a white cane or is led by a guide dog, Rhode Island requires you to stop fully short of the crossing point; slowing down is not enough. The RI Driver’s Manual notes a fine of up to $1,000 for failing to yield. Wait until the person is all the way across.
Fog has cut visibility to a few car lengths on a road posted at 50 mph. What does Rhode Island’s basic speed law require?
Correct answer: Whatever speed is reasonable and prudent given the fog, even far below 50
Why
Under Rhode Island’s basic speed law, the posted number is a ceiling, not a target: your speed must stay reasonable and prudent in light of the conditions. The state also requires headlights any time you can’t clearly make out people and vehicles 500 feet ahead.
Parking on one of Rhode Island’s steep streets, in which of these situations does the RI Driver’s Manual have you turn your front wheels to the left?
Correct answer: Facing uphill next to a curb
Why
Uphill against a curb is the one case for turning left, away from the curb: if the car starts rolling back, the curb blocks the front tire. In every other case, downhill with or without a curb and uphill with none, the manual says to turn the wheels right. Set the parking brake every time.
Police suspect you of impaired driving and ask you to take a breath test. What does a first refusal cost you in Rhode Island?
Correct answer: A license suspension of 6 months to 1 year, plus a fine, community service and a DWI course
Why
Driving in Rhode Island means you’ve already agreed to a chemical test of your breath, blood, saliva or urine if police suspect impairment. A first refusal brings a suspension of 6 months to a year, a $200 to $500 fine, 10 to 60 hours of community service and a DWI course or treatment.
Driving at night with your high beams on, you close in on a car traveling the same way. Within what distance of it must you switch to low beams in Rhode Island?
Correct answer: 200 feet
Why
Rhode Island’s 500/200 rule: dim your high beams within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle and within 200 feet of a vehicle you’re following. Bright lights in the mirrors can dazzle the driver ahead as badly as head-on glare.
During the first 12 months of a Rhode Island provisional license, how many passengers under 21 may you carry, not counting immediate family or household members?
Correct answer: One
Why
For the first year of the Limited Provisional License, you may have no more than one passenger under 21 in the car; family and household members don’t count toward the limit. Breaking a provisional restriction like this one brings fines of $100, then $110, then $140.
A street has a center lane edged on both sides with yellow lines, solid on the outside and dashed on the inside, plus turn arrows pointing opposite ways. According to the RI Driver’s Manual, when should you move into it?
Correct answer: Only to turn left, and no more than 100 feet before your turn
Why
This is a shared center left-turn lane, used by drivers heading both ways. The RI Driver’s Manual says to enter it only when you’ll turn within 100 feet, which limits how long you share it with oncoming turners. Signal, slide in near your turn and wait there for a gap in oncoming traffic.
Your passenger is holding an opened bottle of wine, though no one drinks while you drive. Is that legal in Rhode Island?
Correct answer: No: open or unsealed alcohol can’t ride in the passenger area while you drive
Why
Rhode Island bars any open or unsealed alcohol container from the passenger area while you drive, no matter who holds it or how old they are. A first violation can bring a fine of up to $200, a license suspension of up to six months, or both. Carry opened bottles in the trunk instead.
You’re about to pass a bicyclist on a narrow Rhode Island road. What does the state’s safe passing law for cyclists, known as Frank’s Law, require?
Correct answer: Enough distance that you wouldn’t hit the rider if they fell over into your lane
Why
Frank’s Law sets the passing gap by a simple test: if the rider toppled into your lane, your car still shouldn’t touch them. The RI Driver’s Manual says to give as much room as you can, 3 to 5 feet. After you park, open your door with your far hand (the Dutch Reach) so you turn and spot riders coming.
Your car stalls on the tracks at a crossing marked by a white X-shaped RAILROAD CROSSING sign, and you hear a train horn. What does the RI Driver’s Manual tell you to do?
Correct answer: Get everyone out and away from the tracks, moving toward the direction the train is coming from
Why
Get everyone out at once. Move quickly and well away from the rails, toward the side the train is coming from, because a train that hits a car throws the wreckage forward in the direction it’s traveling.
A fire truck with lights and siren goes by after you’ve pulled over, and you start driving again in the same direction. How far behind it does the RI Driver’s Manual tell you to stay?
Correct answer: At least 500 feet
Why
The RI Driver’s Manual says to keep 500 feet behind emergency vehicles, which leaves crews room to stop or turn without warning. When one approaches with lights and siren, the law first has you pull over to the right-hand edge, out of any intersection, and stop until it goes by.
Nervous on a clear day, you creep along at 25 mph on a road posted at 50 while a long line of cars builds up behind you. How does Rhode Island law treat that?
Correct answer: Driving so slowly that you block normal traffic is against the law, unless safety calls for it
Why
Rhode Island law forbids driving so slowly that you hold up the normal flow of traffic, unless the slower speed is needed for safety. If you’re not yet comfortable at the posted speed, build confidence on quieter roads first, and let faster traffic by where it’s safe.
An 18-year-old drives to a family cookout alone, with a sealed six-pack in the trunk. What does Rhode Island law say?
Correct answer: It’s illegal: drivers under 21 may not carry alcohol, even unopened, without a parent, guardian or certain adult relatives along
Why
Rhode Island bars drivers under 21 from transporting alcohol, opened or sealed, unless a parent, guardian or certain adult relatives over 21 are in the car or it’s part of their job. A first offense can bring a fine of up to $250 and a suspension of up to 30 days.
You’re waiting to turn left, and the signal above your lane shows a single blinking yellow arrow pointing left. What may you do?
Correct answer: Turn left, but only after yielding to oncoming vehicles and pedestrians
Why
A flashing yellow arrow allows the turn but doesn’t protect it: the RI Driver’s Manual notes that oncoming drivers are facing a solid green at the same time. Wait for a gap long enough to finish the turn, and check the crosswalk you’ll cross before you go.
Is it legal in Rhode Island to drive with earbuds in both ears to listen to music?
Correct answer: No: earphones and headsets are banned while driving, except a one-ear phone headset or hearing aids
Why
Rhode Island prohibits driving while wearing earphones or a headset, because you need to hear horns, sirens and trains. A headset over one ear for phone calls and hearing aids are the exceptions. Fines are $100, then $110, then $140.
What must a Rhode Island teen with a Limited Instruction Permit do before taking the road test?
Correct answer: Hold it at least 6 months and log 50 supervised hours, 10 of them at night
Why
Drivers under 18 keep the permit at least six months, and a parent or guardian signs a statement that they drove at least 50 supervised hours, 10 of them at night. To move up, the teen also needs six months with no moving or seat-belt violations, then must pass the road test.
On a two-lane road in Woonsocket, a school bus ahead of you stops and turns on its flashing red lights. Which drivers have to stop?
Correct answer: Drivers from either direction, until the bus moves or the red lights go off
Why
Rhode Island’s school bus law applies to traffic approaching from any direction, and it covers streets, private roads and parking lots alike. Stay stopped until the bus pulls away or its red lights stop flashing. When you follow a school bus, keep at least 50 feet back.
You’re driving your 6-year-old nephew, who is 46 inches tall and weighs 48 pounds. How must he ride under Rhode Island law?
Correct answer: In a federally approved child restraint in a rear seat
Why
Rhode Island requires a child under 8 who is under 57 inches tall and under 80 pounds to ride in a federally approved child restraint in a rear seat. Once a child under 8 reaches 57 inches or 80 pounds, a regular seat belt is enough, still in the back. Skipping the required child restraint carries a $100 fine.
A 17-year-old with a provisional license wants to take a call on the car’s speakerphone while driving. What does Rhode Island law allow?
Correct answer: No phone use at all, hands-free included, except in an emergency
Why
Rhode Island bars drivers under 18 from using a cell phone while driving, and the RI Driver’s Manual makes clear that hands-free devices and speakerphones count too. Only emergencies are excepted. Fines start at $100, and a third offense can mean losing the license until age 18.
The numbers that matter before you book your exam.
Rhode Island · DMV knowledge exam
70% to pass.
40 questions · Multiple choiceAt least 70% of your answers right
18 or older? No driver ed needed: pass the knowledge exam in Cranston for an $8.50 learner’s permit, then take the road test once you’ve held it 30 days.
Study the Rhode Island Driver’s Manual (April 2024 edition). The exam draws on Rhode Island motor vehicle law and the rules of the road, so start with these six areas.
Six figures from Rhode Island law and the Driver’s Manual to have down before exam day.
These 40 questions are just the warm-up. The app gives you 450 Rhode Island practice questions, 36 short lessons and the why behind every answer.
The RI DMV knowledge exam is 40 multiple-choice questions on a computer, drawn from Rhode Island motor vehicle law and the rules of the road. You need 70% to pass, and you get up to 90 minutes. At DMV headquarters, the vision test is part of the same visit.
Wait at least 8 days, then book a new reservation and try again; the DMV lists no limit on retakes. If you failed the test at CCRI at the end of driver ed, your retake happens at DMV headquarters in Cranston.
No. The exam is in person only: at DMV headquarters, 600 New London Avenue in Cranston, by reservation Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., or through CCRI as the final exam of its driver education course. Online driver ed courses aren’t accepted either.
Yes. The computerized exam comes in English, Spanish and Portuguese, and other languages are available as a printed exam by advance request in Cranston. The road test is given in English, but the DMV offers a Spanish list of the words examiners use. You can study in Spanish here and in the app, too.
16. First finish a 33-hour driver education course, which you can start at 15 years 10 months, then pass the knowledge exam with a parent or guardian signing for you. Hold the Limited Instruction Permit at least six months and log 50 supervised hours, 10 at night, before the road test for a Limited Provisional License at 16½. A full license can follow after 12 months on the provisional license, at 17½ at the earliest.
$13.50 for the Limited Instruction Permit if you’re under 18, and $8.50 for a learner’s permit at 18 or older. The DMV’s fee table lists no separate charge for the knowledge exam. Later on, the road test costs $28.50 and the Limited Provisional License $29.50.
One proof of identity, such as a certified birth certificate or an unexpired passport, your Social Security number, two proofs of Rhode Island residency and the LI-1 application. Under 18, also bring your original driver education certificate and a parent or guardian, or their notarized signature.
Read the Rhode Island Driver’s Manual, then practice until you clear 70% with room to spare. Start with the 40 questions above, then keep going in the app: 450 Rhode Island questions and 36 bite-size lessons, with the reason behind every answer.