PermitoMassachusetts permit test
The Massachusetts knowledge test has 25 questions and you need 18 correct to pass (72%). Source: mass.gov, checked October 17, 2026.
Test facts
| What | Number | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Questions on the test | 25 | mass.gov | |
| Pass mark | 72% (18 of 25 correct) | mass.gov |
Massachusetts laws and handbook points
Points from Massachusetts law and the Massachusetts driver handbook, each taken from one of our Massachusetts practice questions with its source. Practice material, not the state test.
Permits and graduated licensing
A teen applying for a junior operator license completes how many hours of in-car lessons with an instructor?
Answer: 12 hours. The approved program has 30 classroom hours, 12 hours of in-car lessons, and six hours of watching other student drivers.
Other choices: 40 hours. Forty hours is the supervised practice a parent certifies. 6 hours. Six hours is the time spent observing other student drivers.
Sources: Driver handbook, Chapter 1: The Junior Operator License Law.
Alcohol and drugs
You have two OUI offenses and now get a hardship license. What is required?
Answer: An ignition interlock device on your vehicle. A driver with two or more OUI offenses must have an ignition interlock device on a hardship license. It must stay for two years after reinstatement.
Other choices: A letter from your insurer. An insurance letter does not meet the rule, which calls for an interlock device. Driving only during daylight. The rule uses a device, not a daylight limit.
Sources: M.G.L. c.90, s.24; Driver handbook, Chapter 3: Alcohol, Drugs, and Driving.
Insurance
You back into a parked car and the owner is not around. What must you do?
Answer: Look for the owner or call police. A driver who damages a parked vehicle or other property must try to locate the owner or notify the local police. Leaving without doing so is a crime.
Other choices: Leave a note and drive away. Leaving the scene is a crime, even with a note. Call only your insurance company. You must also try to find the owner or tell the police.
Sources: M.G.L. c.90, s.24; Driver handbook, Chapter 5: Traffic Crashes.
Speed and following distance
What happens to a speeding fine in a marked work zone?
Answer: The fine is doubled. The fine for speeding in a marked construction zone is doubled. Slow down on approach, since workers share the road.
Other choices: It is cut in half. Fines go up in work zones, not down. It stays the same. The law doubles the fine in a work zone.
Sources: M.G.L. c.90, s.17; Driver handbook, Chapter 3: Keeping Your License.
Parking
How close to the curb must your car be when parallel parked in a business district?
Answer: Within 12 inches. A parked car in a business or residential district must be within 12 inches of the curb unless angled parking is allowed.
Other choices: Within 6 inches. Six inches is closer than the rule requires. Within 3 feet. Three feet is much too far out into the lane.
Sources: Driver handbook, Chapter 4: Parking.
Right of way
Which rule applies to a rotary?
Answer: Yield to cars already inside. Rotary traffic moves counterclockwise. Yield to vehicles already inside, and if you miss your exit, go around the circle again instead of stopping.
Other choices: Stop in the circle at a missed exit. Stopping inside blocks the traffic around you, so you go around again instead. Enter first if you signal. A turn signal tells others your plan but does not give you the right of way over cars already circling.
Sources: M.G.L. c.89, s.8; Driver handbook, Chapter 4: Right-of-Way Rules.
Sharing the road
A narrow lane makes it hard to pass a bicyclist with four feet of space. What should you do?
Answer: Wait, or use the next lane when safe. If you cannot pass at least four feet away in your lane, use part of the adjacent lane when safe or wait until it is.
Other choices: Follow closely to pressure the rider. Tailgating pressures the rider and leaves no room to react if the bicyclist swerves or falls. Squeeze past with two feet of room. Squeezing past a rider is unsafe and illegal.
Sources: M.G.L. c.90, s.14; M.G.L. c.89, s.2; Driver handbook, Chapter 2: Safety First.
Emergencies
If your car goes into water, which action is wrong?
Answer: Opening a door. If a car goes into water, undo the belt and leave through a window, opening power windows fast. Opening a door would flood the car.
Other choices: Unfastening your belt. Unbuckling is the first step in getting out, so it is not wrong. Opening a power window fast. Power windows must be opened quickly before water shorts them out, so this helps.
Sources: Driver handbook, Chapter 5: Special Driving Situations.
Turns and lanes
On which road may a driver pass on the right?
Answer: A wide one-way street. Pass on the right only when the car ahead is turning left, on a one-way street, or on a road with traffic in one direction, and the road is wide enough.
Other choices: The shoulder of a highway. Passing on a shoulder or breakdown lane is never allowed. A sidewalk next to a slow car. Never use a sidewalk for passing.
Sources: M.G.L. c.89, s.2; Driver handbook, Chapter 4: Right-of-Way Rules.
Pavement markings
What do two solid yellow lines mean?
Answer: No passing, except to turn left. Two solid yellow lines forbid crossing to pass another vehicle. You may cross them only to turn left when it is safe.
Other choices: Passing is allowed when safe. Passing is allowed with a broken line on your side. The road is closed. Closed roads use barriers and signs.
- Questions in this list were last updated .
What the Massachusetts question bank covers
Questions in Permito’s Massachusetts bank, by topic. The counts describe the bank, not the state test.
| Topic | Questions in the bank |
|---|---|
| Road signs | 359 |
| Safe driving | 65 |
| Right of way | 54 |
| Alcohol and drugs | 50 |
| Sharing the road | 46 |
| Speed and following distance | 45 |
| Turns and lanes | 36 |
| Pavement markings | 34 |
| Emergencies | 33 |
| Permits and graduated licensing | 32 |
| Traffic signals | 27 |
| Parking | 22 |
| Insurance | 18 |
Where these numbers come from
Each number was read on the agency page linked beside it. The count of correct answers is the agency’s percentage, rounded up.
Practice
- Try the Massachusetts practice questions. Questions with the answer, the explanation and the source.
- Compare all states
Road signs
Sign questions are part of the Massachusetts bank too. The road sign reference shows every sign Permito teaches, with its name and what it means. See all road signs.
Common questions
How many questions are on the Massachusetts permit test?
The test has 25 questions. Source: mass.gov, checked October 17, 2026.
What score do I need to pass the Massachusetts permit test?
You need 18 correct answers out of 25, which is 72%. Source: mass.gov, checked October 17, 2026.
Where do these numbers come from?
From the agency page at mass.gov, which we checked on October 17, 2026. Permito is not part of any government agency.
Are the practice questions on Permito from the Massachusetts test?
No. They are our own practice questions, written from the Massachusetts driver handbook and vehicle code. Permito is not affiliated with any DMV or government agency.
How long does a new Massachusetts resident have to get a Massachusetts license?
No grace period applies. A person who becomes a Massachusetts resident must obtain a Massachusetts license to keep driving. The state offers no grace period. Sources: Driver handbook, Chapter 1: Obtaining Your License.
You are 30, have one prior OUI conviction, and refuse a breath test. How long will your license be suspended?
Three years. Refusal penalties for adults rise with each prior OUI: 180 days with none, three years with one, five years with two, and a lifetime term with three or more. Sources: M.G.L. c.90, s.24; Driver handbook, Chapter 3: License Suspension or Revocation.
A driver hits a pedestrian, kills them, and flees the scene. What is the maximum penalty named in the manual?
Up to $5,000 and ten years in prison. Leaving the scene after a crash that causes a death can bring a fine of up to $5,000 and up to ten years in state prison. Sources: M.G.L. c.90, s.24; Driver handbook, Chapter 5: Traffic Crashes.
Which statement about headlights is correct?
They are required whenever the wipers are on. Use headlights from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise, in poor visibility, in tunnels, and whenever the wipers run. Sources: M.G.L. c.90, s.7; Driver handbook, Chapter 2: Safety First.
How close to a fire hydrant may you park in Massachusetts?
No closer than 10 feet. Parking within ten feet of a fire hydrant is prohibited, so firefighters can connect a hose. Fire lanes are also off limits. Sources: Driver handbook, Chapter 4: Parking.
Practice the rest in the app
Many more Massachusetts questions, mock exams and an explanation for every answer. Free to start, no account.
The app is not in the App Store or Google Play yet. These buttons will link to it when it is.