Passing — Maryland Permit Test
Passing on the Maryland permit test — 5 rules, each with the reason behind it and a question on it while it is fresh.
The rules
Pass on the left and return to the right lane only when you can see both headlights of the vehicle you passed in your rearview mirror.
Both headlights in the mirror is the first moment you know you have the length to pull in without cutting them off.
Passing is prohibited on hills and curves where you cannot see far enough ahead to know it is safe.
On a hill or a curve the oncoming lane is hidden, so a pass is a bet on a road you cannot see.
Passing is prohibited when approaching within 100 feet of an intersection or railroad crossing.
Within 100 feet of an intersection or crossing, a vehicle can emerge into the lane you are borrowing.
Passing on the right is permitted only when the vehicle ahead is turning left or on a roadway with two or more lanes in your direction — and never by driving off the paved roadway.
Drivers do not expect to be passed on the right and do not check there, which is why it is allowed only where the road is built for it.
When being passed, do not increase your speed; keep right and let the other vehicle complete the pass.
Speeding up while being passed strands the other driver in the oncoming lane with nowhere to go.
On the test
Passing is prohibited when you are within what distance of an intersection or railroad crossing?
100 feet. Within 100 feet of an intersection or crossing, a vehicle can emerge into the lane you are borrowing.
How this works
Most practice tests hand you a bank of questions and leave the manual somewhere else. This one puts them together.
You read one law and the reason behind it, then answer a question on that law while it is still fresh. Get it right and you move on; get it wrong and you have found the gap while it is cheap to fix, not on the morning of the exam.
Learning one rule at a time, and proving it immediately, is what turns a manual you skimmed into something you actually know — and it makes studying feel like getting somewhere rather than like waiting to find out.
Where these come from
Every rule here is checked against Maryland Driver's Manual, published by the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration, and against the state code itself. Last checked 2026-08-29.
- https://mva.maryland.gov/licenses-ids/prepare-drivers-license-test/knowledge-tests
- https://mva.maryland.gov/your-mva-guide/teens-new-drivers/learners-permit
- https://mva.maryland.gov/drivers/Pages/rookie-driver-general-learners.aspx
- https://mva.maryland.gov/licenses-ids/driver-education-safety/maryland-drivers-manuals
- https://mva.maryland.gov/media/148/download?inline=
- https://mva.maryland.gov/your-mva-guide/drivers-revoked-or-suspended-licenses/driving-under-influence-dui
- https://law.justia.com/codes/maryland/transportation/title-21/subtitle-8/section-21-801-1/
- https://law.justia.com/codes/maryland/transportation/title-22/subtitle-4/section-22-412-3/
- https://law.justia.com/codes/maryland/2013/article-gtr/section-21-706
- https://news.maryland.gov/msp/2023/08/24/stop-for-school-buses-what-are-the-laws-in-maryland/
- https://zerodeathsmd.gov/news/maryland-school-bus-laws-and-safety-tips/
- https://legalclarity.org/maryland-inspection-requirements-for-vehicles-what-to-know/
- https://law.justia.com/codes/maryland/transportation/title-22/subtitle-2/
- https://law.justia.com/codes/maryland/transportation/title-22/subtitle-2/section-22-206