Georgia Drivers' Manual: study guide

Key rules by chapter

A few of the rules from each chapter that come up in our practice questions:

1. Section 1: General Licensing Information

• Georgia law requires new residents to obtain a Georgia license or permit within 30 days.
• The minimum is 20/60 in one eye, with or without corrective lenses, and a horizontal field of vision of at least 140 degrees.
• Customers 64 and over must complete a vision screening every eight years.

2. Section 2: Obtaining a License, Permit or Identification Card

• The supervisor must be at least 21, licensed for Class C, fit and capable of controlling the vehicle, and sitting beside the driver.
• You must be at least 16 and have held a valid instructional permit for one year and one day.
• The $10 test/permit fee is paid before testing, is not refunded on failure, and must be paid before every attempt.

3. Section 3: Testing Information

• You must correctly answer 15 of the 20 road sign questions to pass.
• Customers must begin the written test at least 30 minutes before closing.
• After a first failure you must wait until the next day to retake the part you failed.

5. Section 5: Traffic Laws

• Super Speeder applies to speeding 75+ mph on a two-lane road or 85+ mph on any road and adds a $200 state fee.
• Super Speeders are assessed a $200 state fee in addition to local fines; failure to pay brings suspension and a $50 reinstatement fee.
• A left turn on red is allowed from a one-way street onto a one-way street whose traffic moves to the left, after a complete stop and yielding.

6. Section 6: Teen Driving Laws

• Class D holders may not drive between 12:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m., with no exceptions.
• During the first six months, only immediate family members may ride in the vehicle.
• In the second six months, only one passenger under 21 who is not immediate family may ride.

7. Section 7: Signs, Signals & Markings

• Georgia uses seven basic sign shapes so drivers can recognize signs from a distance.
• If there is no stop line or crosswalk, stop at a point from which you can best see oncoming traffic.
• They are erected not less than 150 feet nor more than 700 feet in advance of the school grounds or crossing.

8. Section 8: Safety Guidelines

• Drivers entering a controlled access highway are prohibited from crossing the solid white line and must stay in the acceleration lane until it ends.
• A first HOV violation is a fine up to $75; a fourth or later offense adds one point.
• Do not drive with parking or hazard lights on in fog; reduce speed and dim your headlights.

9. Section 9: Sharing the Road

• Stop and remain stopped when the pedestrian is on your half of the roadway or approaching and within one lane of it.
• The minimum legal space for a motorist to pass a bicyclist is 3 feet.
• With a median separation, only traffic following the bus must stop; opposite traffic should stay alert for children.

10. Section 10: Losing Your Driving Privileges

• A license is suspended for any person who accumulates 15 or more points within 24 months.
• A person under 18 with 4 points within twelve months will be suspended.
• Speeding 15-18 mph over the posted limit is a 2-point violation.

11. Section 11: Crashes

• Deer are most active in October, November and December during the breeding season.
• Never swerve to avoid a deer; you may hit another vehicle or leave the road.
• Notify law enforcement immediately if anyone is injured or killed, or if property damage exceeds $500.

How to study the handbook

Read one chapter, then take a practice test. Every answer explanation names the handbook section it comes from, so when you get one wrong, go back to that section. Pay most attention to exact numbers and to the rules specific to Georgia, which are where most people lose points.

The 40/30 totals in questions/passCorrect are the sum of the two 20/15 parts.