Statutory speed limits — Maryland Permit Test
Statutory speed limits on the Maryland permit test — 6 rules, each with the reason behind it and a question on it while it is fresh.
The rules
Unless otherwise posted, the speed limit on all highways in a business district is 30 mph.
Business districts mix parked cars, pedestrians stepping out and vehicles pulling in; 30 is what leaves room to stop for something that appears suddenly.
Unless otherwise posted, the speed limit on undivided highways in a residential district is 30 mph.
A residential street has children, driveways and parked cars on both sides, so the limit assumes something will step out.
Unless otherwise posted, the speed limit on divided highways in a residential district is 35 mph.
A median keeps the two directions apart, which takes most of the head-on risk out of a residential road — so a divided one allows a little more speed.
Unless otherwise posted, the speed limit on undivided highways outside business and residential districts is 50 mph.
With no median, the only thing between you and oncoming traffic is a painted line, so the limit is lower than on a divided road.
Unless otherwise posted, the speed limit on divided highways outside business and residential districts is 55 mph, and 55 mph is the maximum that may be posted on any highway that is not an interstate or expressway.
A median keeps opposing traffic apart, so the limit can rise — but only to 55 unless the road is built as an interstate or expressway.
Interstate highways and expressways in Maryland are commonly posted at 65 mph; the statute permits limits up to 70 mph where posted.
Higher limits are allowed only where the road is engineered for them: controlled access, no crossings, no pedestrians.
On the test
Unless otherwise posted, what is the speed limit on highways in a business district?
30 mph. Business districts mix parked cars, pedestrians stepping out and vehicles pulling in; 30 is what leaves room to stop for something that appears suddenly.
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