Arkansas Driver License Study Guide – Key Vocabulary

Arkansas Littering Laws and Penalties

• Statutes: § 8-6-404, § 8-6-406, § 8-6-407, § 8-6-408, § 8-6-409
• First offense (unclassified misdemeanor)
  • Fine: 100\le{}\text{fine}\le{}1\,000
  • Up to 8 h community service
• Second/subsequent within 3 yrs
  • Fine: 200\le{}\text{fine}\le{}2\,000
  • Up to 24 h community service
• Court may order roadside litter removal instead of fines/jail
• Failure to pay = 6-month DL suspension (DFA)
• Commercial littering = Class A misdemeanor
• Unlawful to haul refuse in uncovered vehicles (§ 8-6-407)
• Prohibited discarding of junk vehicles/tires/appliances (§ 8-6-408)
• Prima-facie driver liability if litter is tossed from moving vehicle (§ 8-6-409)

Law-Enforcement Traffic Stops

• Pull right, signal, find safe/well-lit spot; avoid bridges/overpasses
• If uncertain of true officer: signal, drive to lit area, dial 9$-$1$-$1
• Remain in vehicle unless told; hands visible at top of wheel
• Night: turn on interior lights
• Turn off radio, put phone down, give full attention
• Officer identifies name, agency, reason (A.C.A. § 12-12-1403)
• Must present license, registration, insurance (A.C.A. §§ 27-22-104, 27-16-601, 27-14-714)
• Inform officer of weapon/permit; await instructions
• Signing a citation ≠ guilt; refusal can lead to arrest, bond, impoundment
• Move-Over Law (§ 27-51-310): change lanes or slow when passing stopped emergency/utility/tow vehicles
• Observers: never approach ongoing stop

Driver-Testing Appointment Types

1. DL/Motorcycle Knowledge (instruction permits, “M” endorsement)
2. Immigration-document extended oral test
3. Learning-Differences oral test
4. DL & Motorcycle Skills (must already hold permit)
5. Motorcycle Skills (Fort Smith/Warren dedicated)
6. Commercial Skills
7. CDL Knowledge

• Schedule at https://telegov.egov.com/aspdlskills

Arkansas Driver-License Structure & Graduated Program

• Mandatory DL within 30 days of residency OR 6 mo physical presence (§ 27-16-606)
• Exceptions: active-duty military & spouses (Act 235/2005), non-resident students
• Eligibility basics: \ge{}14 yr (restricted), \ge{}18 non-restricted, legal presence, no suspensions, mental competence, no pending moving-violation judgment

Graduated Levels

• Instruction Permit
  • Age \ge{}14; knowledge + vision; 2-yr validity; supervised by \ge{}21 licensed adult; all occupants belted
• Learner’s License
  • Age 14–16; must first hold permit & pass skills; supervised \ge{}21 adult; six-month crash/violation-free period; no phone use
• Intermediate License
  • Age 16–18; six-month restriction or until 16 th birthday; one unrelated minor passenger limit; curfew 11 pm–4 am; phone ban except emergency
• Class D (non-restricted)
  • Age \ge{}18; hands-free only (<21 yr)
• Class M (motorcycle) \ge{}16; requires Class D knowledge + motorcycle knowledge, vision, skills OR MSF waiver (within 90 days)
• Class MD (≤250 cc) ages 14–16; two knowledge exams + skills/MSF waiver
• Motorized Bicycle Certificate (≤50 cc) ages 14–16 (pre-July 27 2011)

Vision Standards (A.C.A. § 27-16-704)

• Unrestricted: 20/40 uncorrected
• Restricted: 20/70 corrected (must wear lenses)
• Field-of-vision: 140^{\circ} (two eyes) or 105^{\circ} (one eye)
• Countries exempt from testing: Manitoba, Germany, France, Taiwan, South Korea

Identification Requirements

Age \ge{}18

• Provide either
  • 2 primary docs, or
  • 1 primary + 1 secondary
• Primary examples: U.S. birth-certificate, U.S. passport, INS docs, foreign passport + I-94
• Secondary: AR ID, school ID, vehicle title, marriage license, DD-214, etc.

Under 18

• 1. Original/certified U.S. birth-certificate (no hospital/laminated)
• 2. Parent/guardian signature (ASP-33) + ID; foster guardians need resource letter
• 3. Additional secondary ID (ASP-33 counts)

Chapter 1 – Core Arkansas Laws

• Seat-Belt Law: primary enforcement; fine \le{}25 + court costs; all <15 belted
• Child Passenger: <6 yr & <60 lb in child seat; loaner programs exist
• Secondhand-Smoke Act (§ 20-27-1903): no smoking in vehicle with child <14
• Unattended Kids/Pets: vehicle heats up quick; table shows 70^{\circ}\to104^{\circ}F interior after 10 min
• Move-Over: multilane highway must shift lane or slow; penalties \le{}1\,000, jail, 6-mo suspension
• School-Bus Law: full stop for flashing red lights in ALL lanes unless median \ge{}20 ft; fines 250\le{}\text{fine}\le{}1\,000 &/or \le{}90 days jail; Isaac’s Law – negligent homicide if death
• Accessible Parking: misuse of placard = Class A misdemeanor; 100\le{}\text{fine}\le{}500 1st, 250–1\,000 2nd + 6-mo suspension

Chapter 2 – Traffic Control, Work Zones

• Work-zone signs: orange diamond; fines double when workers present + advance warning
• Traffic signal colors: green = go if clear; yellow = prepare to stop; red = stop
• Arrows: solid red arrow = no turn; flashing yellow arrow = permissive turn with yield
• Right-on-Red: complete stop, yield to all
• Sign shapes/colors: stop (octagon red), yield (triangle), speed-limit (rectangle), slow-moving vehicle triangle
• Railroad signs: round yellow advance, crossbuck equal to yield, ENS blue placard, obey gates/lights

Chapter 3 – General Driving Rules

• Pavement markings: dashed white = same-direction lane change; solid white fog line; yellow divides opposite; double-yellow = no passing
• Shared center two-way left-turn lanes permitted but not acceleration lanes
• Right-of-way basics: yield to pedestrians, oncoming before left turn, 4-way-stop first-arrived, vehicle on right
• Roundabouts: yield to circulating traffic, signal exit, keep low speed
• Parking: ≤18 in from curb; no-park zones list (hydrant 15 ft, stop sign 30 ft, RR 50 ft, etc.)

Chapter 4 – Safe Driving Foundations

• Seat-belt fit: lap on thighs, shoulder across chest; adjust seat \ge{}10 in from airbag
• Hand position ~ 9/3 or 10/2; hand-over-hand for tight turns
• Two-second following rule, four-second sight-distance at night
• Distracted Driving
  • Killed 3\,308 (2022); texting eyes-off-road 5 s ≈ 100 yd at 55 mph
  • AR statutes: § 27-51-1501 (no texting), § 27-51-1601 (hands-free rules)
  • Under 18: no phone; 18–20 hands-free only; \ge{}21 handheld for calls only emergencies; texting banned all ages

Chapter 5 – See & Be Seen

• Headlights on: rain/snow/fog, wipers, 30 min after sunset to 30 min before sunrise
• High beams: off within 500 ft approaching, 200 ft following
• Hydroplaning onset around 50 mph; ease off gas, steer straight
• Space management: four-second gap for merges, extra in poor conditions; never linger in blind spots

Chapter 6 – Tractor-Trailer Awareness

• Stopping distance 55 mph: car ≈ 225 ft, loaded rig ≈ 335 ft
• No-Zones: 20 ft front, along cab, 200 ft rear; rule – if you can’t see driver in mirror, they can’t see you
• Pass quickly on left; wide right turns – give room

Chapter 7 – Bicycles & Motorcycles

• Bicycles same rights; ride right-hand lane but may take full lane to avoid hazards/turn left
• Motorists passing bike: full lane, never squeeze; expect swerves around debris/doors
• Motorcycle crash factors: left-turn across path (>40 %); treat turn signals cautiously (non-cancel)
• Follow motorcycles 4–6 s; strong winds, hazardous surfaces shift their path

Chapter 8 – Driver Fitness

• Vision minimum 20/70 corrected; check yearly
• Fatigue countermeasures: sleep, breaks q 2 h, light meals
• Health issues: epilepsy (seizure-free 1 yr), insulin shock, heart conditions, emotional distress
• Alcohol: legal limit 0.08 BAC (0.04 commercial or crash), underage 0.02 DUI; 1st DWI 150–1\,000 + 120-day suspension + up to 1 yr jail
• Metabolism ≈ 1 drink/hr; no rapid sobering; combine w/ meds = amplified impairment
• Organ Donation: “Organ Donor” printed on DL & state registry (ARORA)

Chapter 9 – Emergencies & Vehicle Failures

• Brake failure: pump pedal, use parking brake gradually, downshift
• Tire blowout: grip wheel, ease off gas, steer straight, pull off
• Headlight fail: switch, hazards, pull over
• Skid recovery: steer into intended path, no brakes, counter-steer
• Collision avoidance options: Stop (ABS brake-hold), Turn (with/without ABS), Speed Up
• Crash duties: stop, move off road, render aid, exchange info, >\$3\,000 damage or injury → report within 30 days

Chapter 10 – Skills Test Preparation

• Bring: instruction permit (original), licensed driver \ge{}21, registration, insurance (paper/e-card)
• Vehicle pre-check: seats \ge{}10 in from airbag, mirrors adjusted, brakes functional, lights/wipers, horn, tires ≥1/16-in tread (penny test), no illegal tint (>25\% front, >10\% rear)
• Control-ID quiz: allowed 3 misses
• On-road grading: 2 infractions in same category = fail; law violation = automatic fail (30-day wait)
• Permit valid 2 yrs; must obtain license before expiry; no weather extensions

Miscellaneous Fees & Apps

• ACT 1289 (2015): 5 per written exam added to DL cost
• AR Driver Testing mobile app available (Google/Apple) for practice