Texas Defensive Driving Practice Test

Short answer

The Texas defensive driving test is not hard. You need 70%, and the questions cover what the course just taught you. In our course there is no final exam: a short quiz follows each chapter and you can retake it as many times as you need. The 20 questions below are free practice on the same kind of material. Each one shows the answer and the Texas law behind it.

We wrote these questions for this page. None of them is a question from our course, so taking this test will not spoil anything. Five cover how ticket dismissal works. Fifteen cover Texas rules of the road that a lot of drivers get wrong: the Move Over law, dark traffic signals, left on red, high beams.

Pick an answer for each question, then press Check my answers. You need 14 of 20 to hit the 70% mark.

Question 1 of 20 · The course

How long is every TDLR-approved Texas defensive driving course, online or in a classroom?

A. 4 hoursB. 6 hoursC. 8 hoursD. However long the provider decides

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Answer: B. 6 hours. Six hours, with at least five hours of instruction not counting breaks. Online courses enforce it with page timers, so no approved course is shorter. Source: TDLR Course of Organized Instruction, Six-Hour Driving Safety.

Question 2 of 20 · The course

Once the court grants your request to take defensive driving, how long does state law give you to finish and turn in your paperwork?

A. 30 daysB. 60 daysC. 90 daysD. 180 days

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Answer: C. 90 days. The court defers judgment and gives you 90 days to hand in the certificate, your driving record and the affidavit. The court can allow more time for good cause. Source: Tex. Code Crim. Proc. arts. 45A.355, 45A.356(a).

Question 3 of 20 · The course

Which of these speeding tickets cannot be dismissed with defensive driving?

A. 9 mph over the limitB. 15 mph over the limitC. 24 mph over the limitD. 25 mph over the limit

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Answer: D. 25 mph over the limit. Speeding 25 mph or more over the posted limit, or 95 mph or faster, is excluded. 24 over is still eligible if everything else checks out. Source: Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 45A.352(a)(5).

Question 4 of 20 · The course

You took defensive driving for a ticket and finished the course 8 months before your new ticket. Can you use it again for the new one?

A. Yes, there is no limitB. No, not if you finished a course in the 12 months before the new offense dateC. Yes, as long as the new ticket is in a different countyD. Only if you pay a second course fee to the court

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Answer: B. No, not if you finished a course in the 12 months before the new offense date. The 12 months are counted back from the date of the new offense. A course finished 8 months earlier blocks dismissal of the new ticket. Source: Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 45A.352(a)(3).

Question 5 of 20 · The course

You hold a commercial driver license (CDL) and got a speeding ticket in your personal car. Can defensive driving dismiss it?

A. Yes, because you were not in a commercial vehicleB. Yes, if the ticket is under 10 mph overC. No, the program does not apply to anyone who holds a CDLD. Only with the employer’s written permission

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Answer: C. No, the program does not apply to anyone who holds a CDL. Ticket dismissal by driving safety course does not apply to a person who holds a CDL, or who held one when the offense happened, in any vehicle. Source: Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 45A.351(c).

Question 6 of 20 · Rules of the road

On a highway with two lanes going your way, you come up on a stopped tow truck with its lights flashing. What does Texas law require?

A. Nothing, as long as you stay in your laneB. Leave the lane closest to it, or slow to 20 mph below the posted limitC. Stop behind it until it leavesD. Tap your horn so the driver knows you are there

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Answer: B. Leave the lane closest to it, or slow to 20 mph below the posted limit. The Move Over or Slow Down law covers police, fire and ambulance, tow trucks, TxDOT and utility vehicles and several others. A first offense carries a $500 to $1,250 fine. Source: Tex. Transp. Code §545.157.

Question 7 of 20 · Rules of the road

Same situation, but the posted limit is 20 mph and you cannot change lanes. How slow must you go while passing?

A. 5 mphB. 10 mphC. 15 mphD. You do not have to slow down

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Answer: A. 5 mph. When the limit is under 25 mph, the law says 5 mph. At 25 mph and up, it is 20 mph below the limit. Source: Tex. Transp. Code §545.157(b)(2)(B).

Question 8 of 20 · Rules of the road

How far before a turn must you start signaling in Texas?

A. At least 50 feetB. At least 100 feetC. At least 200 feetD. Only as you begin to turn

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Answer: B. At least 100 feet. You must signal continuously for at least the last 100 feet before the turn. Source: Tex. Transp. Code §545.104(b).

Question 9 of 20 · Rules of the road

How close to a fire hydrant can you legally park?

A. 5 feetB. 10 feetC. 15 feetD. 30 feet

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Answer: C. 15 feet. No closer than 15 feet, except for a moment to pick up or drop off a passenger. Source: Tex. Transp. Code §545.302(b)(2).

Question 10 of 20 · Rules of the road

The lights are flashing at a railroad crossing. Where must you stop?

A. Between 15 and 50 feet from the nearest railB. Right at the nearest railC. At least 100 feet backD. Anywhere, as long as you can see the tracks

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Answer: A. Between 15 and 50 feet from the nearest rail. Stop no closer than 15 feet and no farther than 50 feet from the nearest rail. The same applies when a gate is down or a flagger warns of a train. Source: Tex. Transp. Code §545.251(a).

Question 11 of 20 · Rules of the road

An ambulance with siren and lights is coming up behind you. What must you do?

A. Speed up to get out of its wayB. Stop right where you are, even in an intersectionC. Move into the left lane and keep goingD. Pull as close as you can to the right edge, clear of the intersection, and stop until it passes

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Answer: D. Pull as close as you can to the right edge, clear of the intersection, and stop until it passes. Yield, move to the right-hand edge or curb clear of any intersection, and stay stopped until the emergency vehicle has passed. Source: Tex. Transp. Code §545.156.

Question 12 of 20 · Rules of the road

You are on a city street in a built-up area and see no speed limit sign. What is the lawful speed?

A. 25 mphB. 30 mphC. 35 mphD. 40 mph

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Answer: B. 30 mph. Unless posted otherwise, the limit is 30 mph in an urban district and 15 mph in an alley. Source: Tex. Transp. Code §545.352(b)(1).

Question 13 of 20 · Rules of the road

Under the statewide Texas law, when may you read or send a text on a handheld phone behind the wheel?

A. Any time you are on a road with no other carsB. Only when your vehicle is stoppedC. Only on highways, not city streetsD. Any time, as long as you hold the phone at eye level

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Answer: B. Only when your vehicle is stopped. State law bans reading, writing or sending messages while driving unless the vehicle is stopped. Many Texas cities go further and ban all handheld phone use, and handheld use is banned in active school crossing zones statewide. Source: Tex. Transp. Code §§545.4251, 545.425.

Question 14 of 20 · Rules of the road

A storm knocked out power and the traffic signal ahead shows no lights at all. How do you treat the intersection?

A. Drive through if the cross street looks clearB. Whoever is on the bigger road goes firstC. Wait until the signal comes back onD. As if it had a stop sign: stop, yield, then go when it is safe

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Answer: D. As if it had a stop sign: stop, yield, then go when it is safe. When a signal is present but dark, the law treats it like a stop: stop, yield, and proceed only when you can enter safely. Source: Tex. Transp. Code §545.151(a)(1)(B).

Question 15 of 20 · Rules of the road

Two cars reach an intersection with no signs or signals at about the same time. Who yields?

A. The car on the left yields to the car on the rightB. The car on the right yields to the car on the leftC. The larger vehicle goes firstD. Whoever honks first

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Answer: A. The car on the left yields to the car on the right. At an uncontrolled intersection you yield to a vehicle that has entered, or is approaching, from your right. Source: Tex. Transp. Code §545.151(d).

Question 16 of 20 · Rules of the road

When is a left turn on a steady red light legal in Texas, after a full stop?

A. NeverB. Any time no cars are comingC. When turning from a one-way street onto another one-way street, unless a sign forbids itD. Only between midnight and 6 a.m.

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Answer: C. When turning from a one-way street onto another one-way street, unless a sign forbids it. After stopping and yielding, you may turn right on red, and turn left on red only from a one-way street onto a one-way street. A posted sign can prohibit either turn. Source: Tex. Transp. Code §544.007(d), (f).

Question 17 of 20 · Rules of the road

You have a solid green light (no arrow) and want to turn left. What must you do?

A. Go first, because green means you have the right-of-wayB. Yield to oncoming traffic close enough to be a hazard, and to pedestrians in the crosswalkC. Wait for the light to turn yellow before you turnD. Flash your lights so oncoming cars stop

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Answer: B. Yield to oncoming traffic close enough to be a hazard, and to pedestrians in the crosswalk. A left turn on a circular green is permitted, but you must yield to oncoming vehicles and to pedestrians lawfully crossing. Source: Tex. Transp. Code §§544.007(b), 545.152.

Question 18 of 20 · Rules of the road

When does Texas require your headlights to be on?

A. From half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise, and any time you cannot see 1,000 feet aheadB. Only after full darkC. Only when it is rainingD. Only on highways

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Answer: A. From half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise, and any time you cannot see 1,000 feet ahead. Lights are required at nighttime, which Texas defines as half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise, and whenever people or vehicles are not clearly visible at 1,000 feet. Source: Tex. Transp. Code §§547.302(a), 541.401.

Question 19 of 20 · Rules of the road

You are using high beams on a dark road and a car comes toward you. When must you switch to low beams?

A. Within 100 feetB. Within 250 feetC. Within 500 feetD. Only if the other driver flashes you

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Answer: C. Within 500 feet. Dim within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle, and within 300 feet when you are following one. Source: Tex. Transp. Code §547.333(c).

Question 20 of 20 · Rules of the road

Who must wear a seat belt in a moving passenger vehicle in Texas?

A. Only the driverB. Only people in the front seatC. Everyone in a seat that has a belt, front and backD. Only passengers under 17

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Answer: C. Everyone in a seat that has a belt, front and back. Everyone 15 and older in a belted seat is responsible for buckling up, in any row. The driver can also be ticketed for any passenger under 17 who is not secured. Source: Tex. Transp. Code §545.413.

How the real test works

The passing score is 70%, set by TDLR. Every approved provider has to use it, on chapter exams or on one comprehensive exam.
Our course uses chapter quizzes, not a final. Each quiz covers the chapter you just read, so the material is fresh.
Unlimited retakes. A wrong answer costs you a retry, not the course. Nobody fails out.
The six hours are the hard part, not the questions. Page timers keep you on each page for a minimum time. See how the timer works and how to finish in one day.
You get the certificate the moment you finish, as a download, at no extra cost.

Want to see the chapters before you pay? Here is what is in each of the 17 modules.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Texas defensive driving test hard?

No. TDLR requires 70% mastery, either on chapter exams or on one comprehensive exam, and the questions cover what the course just taught. In our course there is no final exam: you take a short quiz after each chapter, with unlimited attempts, so you cannot fail out.

Can you fail Texas defensive driving?

Not in our course. Each chapter quiz can be retaken as many times as you need until you reach 70%. Some courses use a single final exam instead; if you are in one of those, ask the provider how many attempts you get.

Is this practice test from the real course?

No. We wrote these 20 questions for this page and checked them against our course question bank to make sure none of them is a real quiz question. They cover the same kind of Texas traffic law and ticket-dismissal rules the course teaches, and each answer cites the statute it comes from.

What score do I need to pass Texas defensive driving?

70%. That is the mastery standard in TDLR's Course of Organized Instruction for the six-hour driving safety course, whether a provider tests by chapter or with one comprehensive exam.

Is the Texas defensive driving final exam open book?

The rules do not ask you to memorize anything ahead of time. In our course each quiz follows the chapter it covers, you can go back over the material, and you can retake a quiz until you pass. There is no separate final exam.

Where can I find Texas defensive driving final exam answers?

You will not need them. With chapter quizzes and unlimited retakes, the course is built so anyone who reads the material passes. Answer lists posted online are for other providers' exams, are often out of date, and do not match the questions you will see.

Take the $28 Course, Unlimited Quiz Retakes

Last updated September 24, 2026. Questions written by Road Ready Safety for this page; none is drawn from our course question bank. Statutes checked against the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure ch. 45A and Texas Transportation Code chs. 541, 544, 545 and 547 on statutes.capitol.texas.gov. Course length and 70% mastery standard per TDLR's Course of Organized Instruction for Six-Hour Driving Safety and 16 TAC §84.500. City phone ordinances vary; check local rules.