Turn signals — Virginia Permit Test
Turn signals on the Virginia permit test — 6 rules, each with the reason behind it and a question on it while it is fresh.
The rules
You should signal at least three or four seconds, or 100 feet, before your turn.
The signal is only useful if it comes early enough for others to act on it.
You should signal at least three or four seconds, 100 feet, ahead of the turn.
Using your turn signal is required by law, and you should use it even when no other traffic is on the road.
You cannot always see who is there, and a habit only works if it is never skipped.
Develop a good habit and use turn signals or hand signals even if no other traffic is on the road.
The hand signal for a left turn is the left hand and arm held straight out.
Hand signals still work when a bulb has burned out or a trailer hides your lights.
Left Turn Left hand and arm pointing straight out
The hand signal for a right turn is the left hand and arm pointing upward.
It is given with the left arm because that is the side other drivers can see.
Right Turn Left hand and arm pointing upward
The hand signal for slowing or stopping is the left hand and arm pointing downward.
The arm pointing down is the one signal the driver behind reads as brake.
Slow or Stop Left hand and arm pointing downward
After you finish a turn or lane change, make sure the turn signal has stopped flashing.
A signal left blinking tells everyone you are about to do something you are not.
After you complete the turn or lane change, be sure the turn signal stops flashing.
On the test
How far ahead of a turn should you signal?
About 100 feet. The signal is only useful if it comes early enough for others to act on it. Virginia Driver's Manual, p.18: “You should signal at least three or four seconds, 100 feet, ahead of the turn.”
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 Virginia Driver's Manual, published by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, and against the state code itself. Last checked 2026-09-06.