Traffic rules, parking and seat belts: North Carolina NCDMV written test practice
19 free practice questions on traffic rules, parking and seat belts for the North Carolina NCDMV written knowledge test, each with the correct answer and a short explanation. Study them here, then check yourself in the interactive quiz or the exam simulator.
1. Children under 2 years of age should generally be:
In a child booster seat
In the front seat with a lap belt
✓ In a rear-facing car seat in the back seat
Facing any direction—at the driver's discretion
Why: Children under 2 years of age must ride in a rear-facing car seat, unless they already weigh 40+ pounds or are taller than 40 inches.
2. What does North Carolina's child passenger safety law generally require?
✓ Children under age 8 and under 80 pounds must be secured in an age- and size-appropriate car seat or booster seat
Car seats are only required for children under age 2
Any child over age 4 can sit in the front seat with just a seat belt
Car seats are recommended but not legally required
Why: North Carolina law requires children who are younger than 8 and weigh less than 80 pounds to ride in an appropriate child restraint or booster seat, positioned according to the seat's specifications.
3. Who is required to wear a seat belt in North Carolina, and how is the law enforced?
Only the driver, and only as a secondary offense
✓ The driver, front-seat passengers, and all passengers under age 16 anywhere in the vehicle, enforced as a primary offense
Only passengers riding in the back seat
Seat belt use is optional for adults in any seating position
Why: North Carolina requires the driver and front-seat occupants to buckle up, and passengers under 16 must wear a seat belt no matter where they sit; it is a primary enforcement law, meaning an officer can stop a vehicle for this violation alone.
4. The recommended following distance from the vehicle ahead under good conditions is:
1 second
✓ 3 seconds
10 seconds
One car length, regardless of speed
Why: The 3-second rule scales with speed, unlike a fixed distance in "car lengths," and allows time to react.
5. Drivers 18 years of age or older may hold a phone in their hand while driving only to:
Talk freely while holding the phone in your hand
✓ With a single tap or swipe, turn on speakerphone or navigation when the phone is mounted in the holder
Texting at a traffic light
Using the Internet while stuck in traffic
Why: The phone must be secured in the holder; you may tap it once to activate speakerphone, but you may not hold or use it in your hand.
6. What is the rule on cell phone use for North Carolina drivers under age 18?
They may use a phone hands-free only
✓ They are prohibited from using a mobile phone at all while driving, even hands-free, with limited exceptions
They may text but not make calls
There is no special restriction for drivers under 18
Why: North Carolina bans all cell phone use, including hands-free calls, for drivers holding a limited learner's or provisional license, with narrow exceptions such as emergencies.
7. When must a driver in North Carolina turn on their headlights?
Only when it is completely dark outside
✓ From 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise, and anytime windshield wipers are in continuous use due to rain, sleet, or snow
Only on highways, never on local streets
Only if another driver flashes their lights first
Why: North Carolina law requires headlights from 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise, and also whenever visibility is reduced enough that a driver needs to run the windshield wipers continuously.
8. At a railroad crossing with flashing signals, you must stop no closer than:
5 feet from the nearest rail
✓ 15 feet from the nearest rail
50 feet from the nearest rail
All you have to do is slow down
Why: Stop at least 15 feet away from the nearest rail and wait until the signals stop flashing and the crossing is safe.
9. When is making a U-turn generally prohibited in North Carolina?
U-turns are always legal anywhere in the state
✓ In business districts or wherever a sign specifically prohibits it, or when it cannot be made safely
Only on Sundays
Only when driving a commercial vehicle
Why: A U-turn is not allowed in a business district, wherever posted signs prohibit it, or any time it cannot be completed safely and without interfering with other traffic.
10. How many penalty points does a typical traffic violation—such as speeding—add to a driver's record?
0 points
✓ 1 point
3 points
5 points
Why: Most violations are worth 1 point; more serious ones (reckless driving, DUI, fleeing the scene of an accident) are worth 2 points.
11. After accumulating how many points over a 12-month period can a driver be deemed a “negligent driver” and have their license suspended?
2 points
✓ 4 points
8 points
12 points
Why: The thresholds are as follows: 4 points for 12 months, 6 points for 24 months, or 8 points for 36 months.
12. When another driver honks to signal that they want to pass you, you should:
Speed up so you don't miss it
✓ Maintain your speed (or slow down slightly) and stay in your lane
Pull over to the side of the road
Flash your high beams at him
Why: Allow the driver who is passing you to complete the maneuver safely—do not accelerate or get in their way.
13. North Carolina's 'Move Over' law requires drivers to slow down and change lanes for which vehicles stopped on the roadside with flashing lights?
Only police cars
Only ambulances and fire trucks
✓ Police, fire, and EMS vehicles, plus NCDOT and highway maintenance vehicles, incident management/safety patrol vehicles, utility trucks, highway contractor vehicles, and tow trucks
The law only applies to vehicles with sirens actively sounding
Why: North Carolina's Move Over law covers a broad range of vehicles beyond just emergency responders, including NCDOT and safety patrol vehicles, utility crews, contractors, and tow trucks; violations start at a minimum $250 fine and can become a misdemeanor or felony if injury or property damage results.
14. A red curb means:
Short-term parking is permitted
✓ Stopping, standing, and parking are prohibited at all times
This is the loading zone for trucks
Parking for people with disabilities only
Why: Red always indicates a complete ban on stopping, standing, and parking—with no exceptions.
15. A blue curb is intended for:
Commercial loading
✓ Vehicles with a valid disability placard or license plate
For taxis only
For buses only
Why: Blue curbs are for vehicles with a disability placard or license plates; parking there without one is a serious violation.
16. When parking uphill on a street with a curb, you should turn the front wheels:
✓ Away from the curb
Toward the curb
Straight
It doesn't matter
Why: Turn the wheels away from the curb so that if the car rolls backward, it will come to rest against the curb.
17. When parking downhill, you should turn the front wheels:
Away from the curb
✓ Toward the curb
Straight
It doesn't matter
Why: Turn the wheels toward the curb so that the car, as it rolls backward, comes to a stop against the curb rather than rolling out onto the roadway.
18. A school bus ahead has stopped with its red lights flashing and stop-arm extended, on a two-lane road with no physical median. You should:
Pass carefully at reduced speed
✓ Stop, regardless of which direction you're traveling, until the lights stop flashing
Stop only if you're behind the bus, not if you're approaching it
Proceed if no children are visible
Why: On undivided roads, traffic in both directions must stop for a school bus with flashing red lights and an extended stop arm, and may only proceed once the lights stop flashing.
19. An emergency vehicle with sirens and flashing lights is approaching from behind. You should:
Speed up to clear the intersection first
✓ Pull over to the right edge of the road and stop until it passes
Stop immediately, wherever you are, even mid-intersection
Ignore it unless it's directly behind you
Why: Move as far right as safely possible and come to a stop (unless a police officer directs otherwise), clearing the way for the emergency vehicle.