Alaska Permit Test Cheat Sheet (2026)
The Alaska rules and numbers to know for the DMV knowledge test, on one page. Every line was checked against the official Alaska driver's handbook. It is a study sheet: you cannot use notes during the real test.
The Alaska test at a glance
- Questions on the test
- 20
- To pass
- 16 of 20 correct (80%)
- Time limit
- We found no published time limit for the Alaska knowledge test.
- Minimum permit age
- 14 years old
- Hold the permit for
- 6 months (ages 16-17) before provisional license
- Alcohol limit under 21
- Zero tolerance (any measurable amount)
Alaska rules and numbers
From the official Alaska handbook (REV.10/2025); PDF page numbers in brackets.
Rules of the road
- Alaska provisional drivers: no passengers under 21 except siblings. [p.10]
- Alaska provisional: no driving 1-5 a.m. unless with a parent, guardian, or driver 21+. [p.10]
- Alaska provisional: the 1-5 a.m. ban does not apply when driving to or from work. [p.10]
- Alaska residential district: 25 mph unless another limit is posted. [p.34]
- Alaska alley: 15 mph unless another limit is posted. [p.34]
- Alaska unposted roads (other than city zones): 55 mph; some highways posted 65. [p.34]
- Alaska two-lane rural road: pull over when 5 or more vehicles are behind you. [p.32]
- No passing within 100 feet of an intersection, railroad crossing or narrow bridge. [p.42]
- Separated roads, 2+ lanes each way: no stop for a school bus going the other way. [p.53]
- Behind a stopped school bus: wait until the arm retracts, lights stop and the bus moves. [p.53]
- Railroad crossing: be ready to stop if a train is within 1,500 feet. [p.63]
- Alaska: no parking within 50 feet of a railroad crossing. [p.74]
- Alaska: no parking within 30 feet of a stop sign. [p.74]
- Alaska: no parking within 20 feet of a fire station entrance. [p.74]
- Alaska parallel parking: wheels within 12 inches of the curb. [p.74]
- Rural roadside parking at night: lights on unless 8 feet from the pavement edge. [p.74]
- Do not follow an emergency vehicle on a call closer than 500 feet. [p.76]
- Alaska roundabout: yield to cars in the circle; arriving together, yield to the right. [p.39]
- Hit big game such as a moose: notify a State Trooper or Fish & Wildlife officer ASAP. [p.72]
- No turning around near a curve or hill unless you can see 500 feet each way. [p.79]
- Dark traffic signal: treat as uncontrolled - stop, yield to traffic on your right. [p.57]
- Stopped by police with a concealed deadly weapon: tell the officer immediately. [p.77]
Safe driving & emergencies
- Alaska: texting while driving is against the law. [p.29]
- Alaska manual: keep a four-second following distance in normal conditions. [p.32]
- Towing, or a wet or slippery road: increase following time to 6+ seconds. [p.32]
- Stuck on tracks with lights flashing: you may have only 20 seconds - get out. [p.64]
- Stuck on tracks: get out and run away from the tracks, toward the oncoming train. [p.64]
- Alaska headlights: on from 1/2 hour after sunset to 1/2 hour before sunrise. [p.67]
- Daytime: headlights on when visibility drops to 1,000 feet or less. [p.67]
- Dim high beams 300+ feet behind a car you follow; 500+ feet from oncoming cars. [p.67]
- Animal runs in front of you: brake firmly, do not swerve. [p.72]
- Cold weather: keep the fuel tank full to prevent moisture condensation. [p.71]
- Jammed accelerator: slap the pedal hard, brake, shift to neutral, steer. [p.78]
Rules learners miss most
The rules behind the most-missed questions on our practice tests. Some details, such as parking distances, can differ by state - your handbook has the final word.
- At 60 mph a car travels about 88 feet per second.
- Measure following distance in seconds, counted from a fixed roadside object.
- Most states: no parking within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection.
- A yellow curb signals a stopping or parking limit - check signs and local rules.
- Uncontrolled T-intersection: the terminating road yields to the through road.
- Uphill with a curb: turn wheels away from the curb; downhill: toward it.
- Most states: no parking within 15 feet of a fire hydrant (a few use 10 feet).
- KEEP RIGHT: pass to the right of the island, median or obstruction.
- Point of no return: past it you cannot stop safely on yellow, so proceed.
- Zipper merge: use both lanes up to the merge point, then alternate.
- In heavy rain use low beams, slow down and increase following distance.
- Parallel park close to and parallel with the curb, within your state's limit.
- Yellow pennant on the left side of the road: a no-passing zone begins.
- Car with skid marks: the road is slippery when wet.
- Diamond-shaped signs are warning signs.
- 4-way stop tie: the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right.
- ABS keeps wheels from locking in hard braking so you can still steer.
- A round yellow sign warns of a railroad crossing ahead.
- Merging onto a highway: yield to traffic already on the highway.
- An upward-pointing pentagon marks a school zone or school crossing.
- Steady yellow: the light is about to turn red - stop if you can do so safely.
- Basic speed law: never drive faster than is safe for conditions, even under the limit.
- Use high beams on open roads; dim them for oncoming or followed vehicles.
- Arrows pointing up and down warn of two-way traffic ahead.
- Orange diamond signs warn of construction and work zones.
- Adult (21+) BAC limit is 0.08% in most states.
- Implied consent: by driving you agree to chemical tests if arrested for DUI.
Now test yourself
Reading rules is a start; answering questions is what makes them stick.