Signal arrows — New York Permit Test
Signal arrows on the New York permit test — 3 rules, each with the reason behind it and a question on it while it is fresh.
The rules
At a red arrow a driver may not go in the direction of the arrow until the red arrow light is off and a green light or arrow light goes on.
The arrow is a red light for that one movement. A driver waits for it to go out.
Do not go in the direction of the arrow until the red arrow light is off and a green light or arrow light goes on.
A yellow arrow means the protection of a green arrow is about to end, and a driver who intends to turn that way should be prepared to stop.
The gap that was held open is closing. Oncoming traffic is about to get the light.
YELLOW ARROW: The protection of a green arrow will end.
A green arrow means a driver can go in the direction of the arrow, but must yield the right-of-way to other traffic at the intersection as required by law.
The arrow holds the other traffic back. A driver still looks before taking it.
Chapter 5). GREEN ARROW: You can go in the direction of the arrow, but you must yield the right-of-way to other traffic at the intersection as required by law (see Chapter 5).
On the test
When may a driver go in the direction of a red arrow?
After a green light or arrow shows. The arrow is a red light for that one movement. A driver waits for it to go out. New York State Driver's Manual, p.31: “Do not go in the direction of the arrow until the red arrow light is off and a green light or arrow light goes 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.
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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.