Turning and signaling — Maryland Permit Test

Turning and signaling on the Maryland permit test — 5 rules, each with the reason behind it and a question on it while it is fresh.

The rules

Signal continuously for at least 100 feet before making a turn.

Signaling over a set distance rather than at the last moment means the driver behind learns what you are doing before you start slowing for it.

You must signal before every lane change as well as before every turn.

A lane change surprises the driver already in that lane just as much as a turn does.

Make a right turn from the lane closest to the right curb into the rightmost lane of the road you enter.

Turning from and into the nearest lane keeps your path predictable and clear of anyone turning beside you.

Make a left turn from the lane closest to the center line, entering the road to the right of its center line.

Starting from the center line and finishing right of it keeps you out of the path of oncoming traffic mid-turn.

A U-turn is allowed only when it can be made safely, with clear visibility, and where no sign prohibits it.

A U-turn crosses every lane on the road at once, which needs both space and sight distance.

On the test

You must signal continuously for at least how far before making a turn?

100 feet. Signaling over a set distance rather than at the last moment means the driver behind learns what you are doing before you start slowing for it.

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.

All Maryland permit topics

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.