Alabama permit test practice & ALEA rules

What ALEA actually tests

The Stage I exam is a written knowledge test drawn from the Alabama Driver Manual. ALEA does not publish how many questions it asks or what score you need, and we won't invent one. What the manual makes clear is the material: traffic laws, signs, Alabama's statutory speed limits, drinking-and-driving penalties, and the graduated license rules you are about to live under. Plan to know the numbers cold — fines, distances, ages and hours are easy points to lose.

You don't need to book ahead. Walk-ins are welcome at every testing site, though you can pre-apply at AlabamaDL.alea.gov to save time at the counter. The exam is offered in English plus Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Thai and Vietnamese, and an oral version is available.

Before you go: the paperwork

Alabama splits identity documents into primary and secondary lists, and at least one must come from the primary list. Bring:

• Primary and secondary identity documents from the manual's Chapter 1 lists
• Proof of your full nine-digit Social Security number
• Form DL-1-93 (school enrollment or exclusion), if you are a student
• A parent or guardian, plus $5 for the exam and $36.25 for the license in cash or money order

If you want a STAR ID (Alabama's REAL ID), ask for it at the same visit — the document rules are stricter, so check the manual's list first.

Three stages, one ladder

1. Stage I — learner license (15+). Pass the written exam. Drive only with a parent, guardian, licensed driver 21+ or a certified instructor up front. After 16, any licensed driver may sit beside you. The license is valid for four years.
2. Stage II — restricted license (16+). Hold Stage I for six months if you're under 18, get parental permission and pass the road skills test. You also need either ALEA's form certifying 50 hours behind the wheel (signed by a parent, grandparent, guardian or instructor) or proof you finished a State Department of Education–approved driver ed course.
3. Stage III — unrestricted (17+ or 18+). Available at 17 after six months in Stage II, or at 18.

Stage II restrictions to memorize

Alabama's default speed limits

When no sign is posted, the manual (Chapter 6) sets the limit by type of road. This is a favorite test topic because the numbers aren't intuitive:

The Hands-Free Law ladder

Since June 2024, physically holding a wireless device while driving is illegal for everyone. Penalties climb with each conviction within 24 months: $50 + 1 point, then $100 + 2 points, then $150 + 3 points. The separate texting ban adds fines of $25, $50 and $75 with two points each. Stage II drivers face the stricter rule of no handheld device use at all.

Numbers worth a flashcard

• .02% — the BAC limit under 21 (and for school bus or daycare drivers). Adults: .08%. Commercial drivers: .04%.
• 90 days — the suspension for a first DUI, alongside a $600–$2,100 fine and up to a year in jail.
• 20 feet — how far back you stop for a school bus with flashing red lights, from either direction. Buses show amber lights 300 feet ahead of a stop in rural areas and 100 feet in towns.
• A mile or more — the stopping distance of a freight train at 55 mph.
• 35 / 55 mph — hydroplaning can start around 35 mph; by 55 your tires may lose contact with the road entirely.
• 30 days — the deadline to report an address change.
• $500 / $1,000 — maximum fines for driving uninsured (first and later offenses), with a possible six-month suspension.

Nearby states

Moving across a state line? Compare Mississippi, which makes you hold a permit a full year; Tennessee, which has a 10 p.m. permit curfew; Georgia, with its two-part 40-question test; and Florida, which requires a TLSAE course first.