Pavement markings — Illinois Permit Test

Solid lines along the side of the road show where the edge of the pavement is, with white on the right of the roadway edge and yellow on the left edge of a divided street or roadway.

Edge lines are what a driver steers by at night and in fog. The color says which side of the road you are on.

Edge Lines Solid lines along the side of the road tell you where the edge of the pavement is located. Solid white lines are used on the right of the roadway edge. Solid yellow lines are used on the left edge of divided streets or roadways.

White lane lines separate lanes of traffic moving in the same direction.

White and yellow are the whole language of pavement markings: white for traffic going your way, yellow for traffic coming at you.

White lane lines separate lanes of traffic moving in the same direction.

Broken white lines separate lanes going the same direction and may only be crossed to change lanes or turn, while crossing a solid white line takes special care and is discouraged, and crossing a double solid white line is prohibited.

The three kinds of white line are a scale from allowed to forbidden. The double solid is the only one that is an offense.

Solid double white lines separate lanes of traffic moving in the same direction. Crossing a double solid white line is prohibited.

Yellow center lines separate lanes of traffic moving in opposite directions, and passing is allowed where the yellow line is broken.

Yellow always means traffic is coming the other way. Broken means the sight distance is long enough to borrow that lane.

Broken yellow lines separate single lanes of traffic moving in opposite directions. Passing is allowed.

Solid double yellow lines mark the center of a roadway where traffic moves in opposite directions, and they may be crossed to make a left turn into or out of an alley, private road, driveway or street.

The double yellow forbids passing, not turning. Crossing it to reach a driveway has always been legal.

Solid double yellow lines are used where traffic is moving in opposite directions. Two solid lines mark the center of the roadway and may be crossed to make a left turn to or from an alley, private road, driveway, or street.

Where the solid yellow line is on the driver’s side of the center line, it may be crossed to finish passing a vehicle the driver had already started to pass before the no passing zone began.

The zone can start while you are alongside somebody. Finishing the pass is safer than dropping back into a gap that has closed.

When the solid yellow line is on your side of the center line, you may cross it to finish passing a vehicle you already started to pass before the beginning of the no passing zone.

Where a solid and a broken yellow line separate two lanes of traffic moving in opposite directions, a driver may pass only when the broken yellow line is nearest their lane.

The line nearest you is the one that speaks to you. Broken on your side means the sight distance was measured for your direction.

When there is a solid and a broken yellow line separating two lanes of traffic moving in opposite directions, you may pass only when the broken yellow line is nearest your lane.

A white stop line is painted across a lane at an intersection, usually 4 feet before the crosswalk in an urban area, and a driver must stop before any part of the vehicle crosses it.

Four feet is the room a pedestrian needs to walk in front of you. Creeping over the line takes it away.

White Stop Line A white stop line is painted across a lane at an intersection. The line is usually 4 feet before the crosswalk in an urban area. It shows where you must stop your vehicle for a stop sign or red light. You must stop your vehicle before any part of it crosses the line.

White crosswalk lines are painted across the whole width of the pavement, sometimes with white diagonal lines inside for visibility, and pedestrians in crosswalks have the right of way over vehicles.

A crosswalk can also sit in the middle of a block with a sign beside it. The right of way does not depend on being at a corner.

White Crosswalk Lines White crosswalk lines are painted across the entire width of the pavement. Sometimes, the inside area is marked with white diagonal lines for added visibility. Pedestrians in crosswalks have the right of way over vehicles.

A two-way left turn lane is marked with yellow lines and white arrows, no left turn may be made from any other lane where one is provided, and a vehicle may only use it to prepare for or make a left turn or a lawful U-turn.

It is not a passing lane or a merging lane, and driving along it is an offense. The arrows painted in it say which way it works.

Two-Way Left Turn Lanes Two-way left turn lanes are marked with yellow lines and white arrows. A left turn may not be made from any other lane when a turn lane is provided. A vehicle may not be driven in the lane except when preparing for or making a left turn from or into the roadway or when preparing for or making a U-turn when permitted by law.

Yellow or white diagonal stripes mark fixed obstructions, and solid white or yellow lines are sometimes used to channel traffic around a hazard.

Diagonal stripes are painted on the road in front of something solid. They are the last warning before a bridge pier or a divider.

Yellow or white diagonal stripes are used to mark fixed obstructions.

Which color marks the right-hand edge of an Illinois roadway?

White. Edge lines are what a driver steers by at night and in fog. The color says which side of the road you are on. Illinois Rules of the Road 2026, p.79: “Edge Lines Solid lines along the side of the road tell you where the edge of the pavement is located. Solid white lines are used on the right of the roadway edge. Solid yellow lines are used on the left edge of divided streets or roadways.”