Regulatory signs — Maryland Permit Test
Regulatory signs on the Maryland permit test — 8 rules, each with the reason behind it and a question on it while it is fresh.
The rules
A Do Not Enter sign marks a roadway you must not drive into, such as a one-way street the wrong way or a freeway exit ramp.
A one-way street or an exit ramp carries traffic straight at you, so the sign is placed where entering would be head-on.
A Wrong Way sign means you are already traveling against traffic. Slow down, pull over where it is safe, and turn around.
Wrong Way appears after you have already missed a Do Not Enter, so it means stop now rather than carry on and look.
Traffic on the roadway ahead moves only in the direction of the arrow.
Knowing the direction of travel is what tells you where to look for traffic before you pull out.
U-turns are prohibited at this location.
A U-turn crosses every lane at once, so where the road cannot give you the sight distance for it, it is signed out.
Keep to the right of the median, island, or obstruction ahead.
The sign marks a divider you would otherwise meet head-on, which is why it is placed before it and not on it.
A right turn on red is prohibited at this intersection; wait for a green signal.
Right on red is allowed generally, so where it is unsafe the exception has to be signed.
Right turns are prohibited at this intersection.
A banned turn is banned for a reason you cannot see from the driver's seat, which is why the sign is the whole instruction.
Do not pass other vehicles from this point until a sign or marking permits passing again.
The sign marks a stretch where sight distance is too short to complete a pass, whatever the lines say.
On the test
What does this sign mean?
Do not drive into this roadway. A one-way street or an exit ramp carries traffic straight at you, so the sign is placed where entering would be head-on.
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