Minnesota Driver’s Manual Vocabulary Review

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering Minnesota traffic laws, licensing requirements, and safety procedures based on the 2026 Driver’s Manual.

Motorcycle lane sharing

A legal maneuver where motorcycles ride or pass between cars in adjacent lanes, often occurring at stoplights or in slow-moving traffic.

School bus flashing red lights

Indicates a bus is loading or unloading students; drivers must stop at least $20\,feet$ from the bus regardless of whether the stop arm is extended.

Zipper merge

A driving strategy where motorists use both lanes of traffic until reaching the merge point, then take turns merging into the single open lane.

DVS Pre-application

An online feature that allows drivers to complete a large portion of their application at $drive.mn.gov$ no more than $30\,days$ before visiting an office.

Instruction permit validation period

For students under $18$, the permit must be held for at least $6\,months$; for those $19$ or older, it must be held for at least $3\,months$ before taking a road test.

Minimum Vision Standards

Required normal or corrected vision of at least $20/40$ and a peripheral vision of at least $105\,degrees$.

Written Test Passing Score

A score of at least $80\%\,$ is required to pass the multiple-choice and true-or-false examination.

Road Test Vehicle Requirements

The vehicle provided for the test must have working seat belts, headlights, taillights, brake lights, and doors that open from both inside and outside.

Reintegration license

A valid temporary driver’s license issued to individuals released from prison in Minnesota, which expires $15\,months$ after issuance.

Vanessa’s Law

Legislation stating that unlicensed teens with a crash-related moving violation or an alcohol/controlled substance violation cannot get a license or permit until age $18$.

Class D License

The most common license type, allowing the operation of single-unit vehicles under $26,001\,pounds$, farm trucks, and emergency vehicles.

Basic speed law

Requires that you never drive faster than is reasonable under existing conditions, such as weather, traffic, and road surfaces.

Urban or town road speed limit

A limit of $30\,mph\,$ unless otherwise posted.

Alley speed limit

A limit of $10\,mph\,$ unless otherwise posted.

Signaling distance

The requirement to activate a turn signal at least $100\,feet\,$ before making a turn or lane change.

Blind spots

Areas around the vehicle that cannot be seen in the mirrors, requiring the driver to turn their head to check before turning or changing lanes.

U-turn restrictions

Illegal on interstate freeways, near hilltops, or on curves where the vehicle cannot be seen from $1,000\,feet\,$ away.

Parallel parking curb distance

A vehicle’s wheels must be no more than $12\,inches\,$ from the curb when parked.

Fire hydrant parking clearance

Parking is prohibited within $10\,feet\,$ of a fire hydrant.

Stop sign parking clearance

Parking is prohibited within $30\,feet\,$ of any flashing light, stop sign, or traffic control signal.

Child safety seat (Under 2 years old)

Children must ride in a rear-facing car seat until they reach the height or weight limit of the seat.

Booster seat requirement

Children between the ages of $4$ and $9\,$ must use a booster seat if they are too tall or heavy for a standard car seat.

Move Over Law

Requires drivers to move to the lane farthest away from a stopped emergency vehicle with flashing lights if it is safe to do so.

Three-Second Rule

A method used to maintain a safe following distance by counting three seconds from the time the vehicle ahead passes a fixed reference point.

Headlight usage (Sunset to Sunrise)

Headlights must be turned on at sunset and used until sunrise, or whenever visibility is less than $500\,feet$.

Low-beam requirement

Headlights must be switched to low beam when within $1,000\,feet\,$ of an oncoming vehicle or following a vehicle at $200\,feet\,$ or less.

Hydroplaning

A condition where water collects under tires at speeds of $35\,mph\,$ or higher, causing them to lose contact with the road.

SIPDE System

A five-step process for making driving judgments: Scan, Identify, Predict, Decide, and Execute.

Implied Consent Law

A law stating that by driving in Minnesota, you consent to a blood, breath, or urine test if an officer suspects you are impaired.

DWI Alcohol Concentration (AC) limit

The legal limit for driving is an AC of $0.08\%\,$ ($0.04\%\,$ for commercial vehicles).

Ignition Interlock Device

A device connected to a vehicle's starter that prevents it from starting if it detects an alcohol concentration of $0.02\%\,$ or higher.

Underage Drinking No Tolerance Rule

Drivers under age $21\,$ are prohibited from operating a vehicle with any detectable amount of alcohol in their system.

Blue traffic signs

Informational signs that describe services for motorists, such as gas, food, or hospitals.

Brown traffic signs

Informational signs indicating historic, cultural, or recreational sites.

Yellow-green traffic signs

Used to warn and control in pedestrian and bicycle crossings and school areas.

Crossbuck sign

An X-shaped sign indicating a railroad crossing.

Solid white line (pavement)

Indicates that lane changes are discouraged or marks the edge of the roadway.

Solid yellow line (pavement)

Indicates that passing is prohibited in that lane.

ENS sign

A blue sign at railroad crossings providing a $24/7\,$ telephone number to report emergencies or obstructions.