Oregon Permit Test Cheat Sheet (2026)
The Oregon rules and numbers to know for the DMV knowledge test, on one page. Every line was checked against the official Oregon driver's handbook. It is a study sheet: you cannot use notes during the real test.
The Oregon test at a glance
- Questions on the test
- 35
- To pass
- 28 of 35 correct (80%)
- Time limit
- We found no published time limit for the Oregon knowledge test.
- Minimum permit age
- 15 years old
- Hold the permit for
- 6 months (under 18, before provisional driver license)
- Alcohol limit under 21
- Zero tolerance (any measurable amount)
Oregon rules and numbers
From the official Oregon handbook (2026-2027); PDF page numbers in brackets.
Rules of the road
- Provisional license, first 6 months: no passengers under 20 except immediate family. [source]
- Provisional license: no driving from midnight to 5 a.m., with listed exceptions. [source]
- Alleys and narrow residential areas: 15 mph unless posted otherwise. [p.27]
- Business district: 20 mph unless a different speed is posted. [p.27]
- Residential districts, public parks and ocean shores: 25 mph. [p.27]
- School-hours sign: 20 mph from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on school days. [p.57]
- Hand signals only in daylight with 1,000 feet of clear visibility. [p.46]
- No U-turn in a city unless traffic can see you from 500 feet each way. [p.49]
- Turning at a signal: pedestrian must be 6+ feet from the lane you turn into. [p.55]
- No stop required if the pedestrian is on the far side of a safety island. [p.55]
- White cane or guide dog: stay stopped until the person crosses the entire road. [p.56]
- Painted median or turn lane: all lanes stop for a school bus with red lights. [p.63]
- Unpaved median or barrier: only traffic on the bus's side must stop. [p.63]
- Worker or church bus lights flashing: respond as you would for a school bus. [p.64]
- Stay at least 500 feet behind an emergency vehicle after it passes. [p.66]
- Work zones: traffic fines are doubled in all of them. [p.67]
- Railroad crossing with no stop line: stop at least 15 feet from the nearest rail. [p.72]
- No parking within 10 feet of a fire hydrant in Oregon. [p.78]
- Fire station driveway: no parking within 15 feet same side, 75 feet opposite side. [p.79]
- Parallel parking: no more than 12 inches from the curb. [p.76]
- Bike box: stop behind it; no right turn on red. [p.59]
- Dark ramp meter: it is off, so do not stop at it. [p.43]
- Left on red is allowed only onto a one-way road, after a full stop. [p.23]
- File a DMV collision report within 72 hours if damage is over $2,500. [p.102]
- Roundabout: illegal to pass or drive beside a truck inside it. [p.52]
Safe driving & emergencies
- Oregon drivers under 18 may not use a cell phone or mobile device at all while driving. [p.88]
- Oregon drivers 18 and older may use a phone only with a hands-free accessory. [p.88]
- Above 30 mph: keep a following distance of 4 seconds or more. [p.34]
- Stuck on tracks: get out, move away at a 45-degree angle toward the train. [p.72]
- Breakdown not visible from 200 feet: place warnings 200+ feet away both ways. [p.79]
- Dim high beams: 350 feet when following, 500 feet for oncoming traffic. [p.84]
- Studded tires: generally allowed November 1 through March 31. [p.87]
- Child seat until age 8 or 4 feet 9 inches; rear-facing until age 2. [p.82]
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.
- 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.