Hand signals for the permit test: left, right, stop, and when the law requires them
Reviewed by Chad HenryAfter 25 years of teaching driver education
There are only three hand signals to learn, and every state handbook we checked describes them the same way. You give all three with your left arm out the driver's window:
- Left turn: arm straight out, level with the road.
- Right turn: arm out and bent upward at the elbow.
- Slow down or stop: arm out and bent downward, palm facing the cars behind you.
The test usually asks two things: what each signal means, and when a driver may or must use one instead of the signal lights. The answers below come from the official handbooks of 14 states. Drawings of the signals are on our road signs page and on each state page.
The three signals, in the handbooks' words
| Signal | Arm position | Handbooks that spell it out this way |
|---|---|---|
| Left turn | Left hand and arm extended straight out | Virginia, Alabama, New Jersey, Mississippi, Minnesota |
| Right turn | Left hand and arm extended upward (bent at the elbow) | Virginia, Alabama, New Jersey, Mississippi, Minnesota |
| Slow or stop | Left hand and arm extended downward, palm to the rear | Virginia, Alabama, New Jersey, Mississippi, Minnesota |
New Jersey's manual adds that these signals are standard in all states, and that drivers are required to know them. Texas, California, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Florida and Ohio show the same three positions as pictures labelled left turn, right turn and stop/slow.
Why the left arm, and why the window has to be open
Florida's handbook states that hand signals must be given from the left side of the vehicle. Hawaii's manual lists why the arm is a weak substitute for lights: it is hard to see in darkness and bad weather, drivers to your right cannot see it, the window must be open, and one hand leaves the wheel. Texas adds a tip for stops: pump the brakes a few times so the brake lights draw attention.
When the law requires a hand signal
No state we checked requires hand signals as your normal way of signalling. They are the legal backup when the lights cannot do the job. The trigger and the signalling distance vary by state, so check your own handbook before test day.
| State | When hand signals must or may be used | Signal this far before turning |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | Either lights or hand signals are allowed; hand signals are hard to see at night | At least 100 feet |
| California | Use hand signals if the signal lights do not work, or bright sun makes them hard to see | At least 100 feet |
| Florida | Lights or hand signals; hand signals must be given from the left side | At least 100 feet |
| Pennsylvania | Use hand signals if the turn signals do not work | 100 feet under 35 mph; 300 feet at 35 mph or more |
| Ohio | Mechanical signal or hand/arm signal; the stop signal is for when brake lights fail | At least 100 feet |
| Virginia | Use turn or hand signals even with no traffic around | 3 to 4 seconds, about 100 feet |
| New Jersey | Use hand signals until broken turn signals are repaired | Last 100 feet (N.J.S.A. 39:4-126) |
| Colorado | Hand signals are required if the vehicle's signals do not work | 100 feet in urban areas; 200 feet on four-lane roads posted above 40 mph |
| Hawaii | Hand signals must be used when the turn signals are not operating | At least 100 feet, about five car lengths |
| Indiana | Allowed if a lighted signal is malfunctioning; not allowed on the driving skills exam | Not stated in the signalling section |
| Alabama | May be used in daytime in addition to lights, because sunlight can hide the flasher | Not stated in the signalling section |
| Minnesota | Daylight only; never at night or from a vehicle that hides your arm | At least 100 feet |
| Mississippi | Used by drivers whose lights are broken, antique vehicles and farm equipment | At least 100 feet |
| Michigan | Today used mainly by motorcyclists, scooter and moped riders, and bicyclists | Not stated in the signalling section |
Details from this table that make good test material:
- Pennsylvania has a speed-based rule: 100 feet below 35 mph, 300 feet at 35 mph and above. Its practice question 31 asks what to use if your turn signals fail; the answer is hand signals.
- Colorado and Texas both say to end the hand signal before the turn itself so both hands are on the wheel.
- Hawaii notes there is no hand signal that stands in for hazard flashers.
- Florida can refuse a vehicle for the driving test if it does not let the driver give hand signals when required. Indiana is the opposite: on its driving skills exam you may not use hand signals at all.
Bicyclists' hand signals
Several handbooks cover bicycle signals in the sharing-the-road chapter. Bicyclists use the same three signals as drivers; the difference is the right turn:
- California: a bicyclist may signal a turn with the arm held straight out, pointing in the direction of the turn.
- Florida: bicyclists must use directional hand signals before turning, and may extend the right hand and arm horizontally from the right side for a right turn.
- New Jersey: bicyclists, skateboarders and inline skaters may extend the right hand and arm straight out for a right turn instead of raising the left arm.
- Minnesota and Colorado: a right turn can be shown with the left arm bent upward or the right arm straight out; stop is the left arm dropped down at the elbow.
- Alabama: bicyclists signal turns, lane changes and stops with the same hand and arm signals as motor-vehicle drivers.
Ohio and Colorado remind drivers that a bicyclist may not be able to signal when both hands are needed on the handlebars, so watch for a head turn or a look over the shoulder before a lane change.
How the question is usually worded
Virginia's sample test asks for the correct hand signal for stopping and gives four arm positions; the answer key marks left hand and arm pointing downward as correct. Florida's study questions ask you to name the arm signal for a left turn, a right turn, and slow or stop. Expect one of these forms:
- A picture or description of an arm position, asking what it means.
- "If your turn signals fail, you should use..." with hand signals as the answer.
- A distance question (usually 100 feet) that applies whether you use lights or your arm.
Picture the three positions and remember that the arm is the backup for broken or sun-washed lights, and you have what the test wants. Try your state's practice test, for example Texas, California, Florida or Pennsylvania, and review the drawings on the road signs page.
Sources
- Texas Driver Handbook (DL-7)
- California Driver's Handbook
- Official Florida Driver License Handbook
- Pennsylvania Driver's Manual (PUB 95)
- Ohio Digest of Motor Vehicle Laws, Section 5: Learning to Drive
- Ohio Digest of Motor Vehicle Laws, Section 9: Sharing the Road
- Michigan: What Every Driver Must Know
- Virginia Driver's Manual (DMV 39)
- New Jersey Driver Manual
- Alabama Driver Manual
- Minnesota Driver's Manual
- Indiana Driver's Manual
- Colorado Driver Handbook (DR 2337)
- Mississippi Driver's Manual
- Hawaii Driver's Manual