Lane lines — New York Permit Test
Lane lines on the New York permit test — 6 rules, each with the reason behind it and a question on it while it is fresh.
The rules
Lines that separate lanes of traffic moving in the same direction are white, and lines that separate traffic moving in opposite directions are yellow.
The color says whether a car can come the other way. That is the whole difference.
Lines that separate lanes of traffic that move in the same direction are white. Lines that separate traffic that moves in opposite directions are yellow.
One broken line means a driver can pass other vehicles or change lanes if it can be done safely without interfering with traffic.
The gaps in the paint are the permission. Whether it is safe is still the driver's to judge.
One broken line: You can pass other vehicles or change lanes if you can do so safely without interfering with traffic.
Where a solid line runs beside a broken line, a driver on the solid-line side cannot pass, and a driver on the broken-line side can pass when it is safe.
The line nearest the car is the one that counts. Solid on your side means stay put.
If you are on the side with the solid line, you cannot pass other vehicles or go across the line except to make a left turn into a driveway.
Double solid lines mean a driver cannot pass or change lanes, and cannot go across the lines except to turn left to enter or leave the highway.
Two solid lines mean the view is short on both sides. A left turn off the road is the exception.
Double solid lines: You cannot pass or change lanes.
One solid line means a driver can pass or change lanes, but can do so only when obstructions in the road or traffic conditions make it necessary.
The paint is a discouragement rather than a wall. A parked truck is a good enough reason.
One solid line: You can pass other vehicles or change lanes, but you can only do so when obstructions in the road or traffic conditions make it necessary.
Arrows painted on the road show which lanes a driver must use, and a driver must be in the correct lane before reaching the solid line that separates the lanes.
The arrow is the rule for that lane. Picking it late means crossing a solid line.
It’s important that you stop before you reach this stop line (See “Pedestrians” in Chapter 11). Arrows: Arrows show which lanes you must use.
On the test
What color separates lanes that move in the same direction?
White lines. The color says whether a car can come the other way. That is the whole difference. New York State Driver's Manual, p.32: “Lines that separate lanes of traffic that move in the same direction are white. Lines that separate traffic that moves in opposite directions are yellow.”
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.
What it costs
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Where these come from
Every rule here is checked against New York State Driver's Manual, published by the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, and against the state code itself. Last checked 2026-09-15.