The Alabama Driver Manual is a free PDF study guide from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) that covers every topic tested on the state knowledge exam, from road signs and speed laws to the graduated licensing stages for new drivers.1Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Alabama Driver Manual If you are preparing for a learner’s permit, a Stage II restricted license, or transferring credentials from another state, this is the document you should be working from.
Where to Download the Manual
ALEA hosts the current manual on its Driver License Manuals page at no cost.2Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Driver License Manuals Open it on a phone, tablet, or computer. The same page links to separate manuals for motorcycle and commercial driver’s license endorsements.
Some local Driver License offices keep printed booklets on hand, but stock varies. Call before making the trip. The digital version is always the most current, which makes it the better study tool.
What the Knowledge Test Covers
After a vision screening, you sit for a 30-question computerized knowledge exam drawn straight from the manual. You need 24 correct answers, an 80 percent score, to pass. Questions cover road signs, right-of-way rules, speed laws, and safe-driving practices. People who read the manual cover to cover tend to pass on the first attempt. Skimmers tend not to.
Once you pass the knowledge test, you move to the road skills test. An examiner rides along while you demonstrate vehicle control, lane positioning, mirror and signal use, and safe handling of intersections and turns. You must bring a properly registered and insured vehicle.3Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Road Test Study Guide Know where your headlight switch, wipers, parking brake, and hazard lights are before you arrive. If you fail, you can generally retake the road test up to three times within a 90-day window, and each attempt may carry an additional fee.
The Graduated Driver License Stages
Alabama phases teenagers into full driving privileges through a three-stage graduated driver license (GDL) system.4Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Graduated Driver License Each stage adds independence only after the driver puts in enough time at the prior level.
- Stage I, the learner’s permit, is available at age 15. You can drive only when a parent, legal guardian, or licensed driver age 21 or older is in the front passenger seat. A licensed driving instructor also qualifies.
- Stage II, the restricted license, is available at age 16 after holding the Stage I permit for at least six months. A parent, grandparent, or legal guardian must grant permission for unsupervised driving.
- Stage III, the unrestricted license, is available at age 17 after at least six months in Stage II. Applicants 18 and older can go straight to Stage III after passing the road skills test.
Traffic violations during Stage II bite hard. A first conviction extends the restricted period by six months from the conviction date. A second conviction triggers a 60-day license suspension.
Documents and Fees You’ll Need
Before any test, you have to show up at a Driver License office with the right paperwork. Missing a single document means a wasted trip. ALEA requires at least two forms of identification, including at least one primary identity document plus your Social Security card.5Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. License and ID Cards
- A certified U.S. birth certificate from a state vital statistics office, or a valid U.S. passport, as your primary identity document.
- Your Social Security card.
- If you are under 19 and applying for the first time, an acceptable school enrollment form such as DL-1/93, a certificate of graduation, or a GED certificate.
- Proof of Alabama residency, such as utility bills or insurance documents showing your current address.
The name on every document must match. If your name changed by marriage or court order, bring the certified marriage certificate or court document bridging the old and current names.
A learner’s permit costs $5 for the testing fee plus $36.25 for the license. A standard driver license also costs $36.25.6Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Document Requirements and Fees ALEA does not accept personal checks. Bring cash, a debit card, or a money order. You leave with a temporary paper license usable immediately, and your permanent card arrives by mail within two to three weeks.
If You Also Want a STAR ID
Since May 2025, you need a REAL ID-compliant credential or another federally accepted ID to board a domestic flight or enter certain federal buildings. Alabama’s version is the STAR ID, marked by a gold star in the upper corner. If you are already at the office for a license, applying for the STAR ID at the same time saves a return trip. It requires four documents instead of the standard set: one identity and date-of-birth document, one document showing your full Social Security number, and two documents proving your principal residence address.7Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. STAR ID Document List Photocopies are not accepted.
The Traffic Laws the Test Leans On
The manual covers dozens of rules, but several show up on the knowledge exam repeatedly and carry penalties that catch new drivers off guard.
Speed and Following Distance
Alabama’s basic speed law requires you to drive at a speed reasonable for current conditions no matter what the sign says.8Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 32-5A-170 – Reasonable and Prudent Speed Heavy rain, fog, or a crowded school zone can make the posted limit too fast, and you can be cited for driving at the posted speed if conditions make it unsafe.
Following distance has a specific minimum: at least 20 feet for every 10 mph you are traveling.9Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 32-5A-89 – Following Too Closely At 60 mph, that is 120 feet. Trucks and vehicles towing trailers of 25 feet or longer must leave at least 300 feet outside business or residential areas.
Move Over Law
When you approach a stopped emergency vehicle, wrecker, utility truck, or garbage collection vehicle with flashing lights on a highway with two or more lanes in your direction, you must vacate the lane closest to that vehicle.10Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Alabama Move Over Act If changing lanes is unsafe, slow to at least 15 mph below the posted limit. On a two-lane road, move as far away in your lane as possible and reduce speed by 15 mph, or to 10 mph if the posted limit is 20 or less.
School Bus Stops
Stop completely when a school bus activates its flashing signals to load or unload children, no matter which direction you are traveling.11Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 32-5A-154 – Overtaking and Passing School Bus or Church Bus, Penalties and Fines Stay stopped until the bus moves, the driver waves you on, or the signals shut off. The lone exception is a divided highway with four or more lanes where opposing traffic is separated; drivers on the far side of the divider do not stop. Fines start at $150 to $300 for a first offense and climb steeply from there, with a fourth or subsequent offense becoming a Class C felony.
Texting
Writing, sending, or reading a text message while driving is a primary offense in Alabama, meaning an officer can pull you over for texting alone.12Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 32-5A-350 Fines are $25 for a first offense, $50 for a second, and $75 for a third or later offense. Voice-operated devices that require no manual input are exempt.
Seat Belts and Child Restraints
Every occupant of a passenger vehicle equipped with seat belts must wear one whenever the vehicle is in motion.13Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 32-5B-4 For front-seat passengers this is a primary offense; for rear-seat passengers it is secondary, so an officer needs another reason for the stop.
Child restraints follow age and weight thresholds.14Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 32-5-222 Infants ride rear-facing until at least age one or 20 pounds. Then forward-facing until age five or 40 pounds. Then a booster seat until age six. Seat belts through age 15.
Blood Alcohol Limits
The legal blood alcohol concentration limit is 0.08 percent for drivers 21 and older, 0.02 percent for drivers under 21, and 0.04 percent for commercial vehicle operators.15Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 32-5A-191 – Driving While Under Influence of Alcohol, Controlled Substances, Etc. The under-21 limit means essentially any detectable alcohol will trigger a DUI.
Road Signs and Pavement Markings
Sign shape and color carry meaning before you can read the words. Octagons always mean stop. Pennants warn of no-passing zones. Yellow diamonds signal general hazards or changing conditions ahead. Red and white regulatory signs convey prohibitions or mandatory instructions.
Pavement markings do the same continuously. A solid yellow center line means no passing. A broken yellow line means passing is allowed when safe. Solid white lines between same-direction lanes tell you to stay put. Orange signs and cones mark active construction zones, where fines are typically doubled and workers are present.
The knowledge test regularly asks about less common shapes, like the round yellow railroad advance warning sign or the five-sided pentagon marking a school zone. The manual illustrates every standard sign, and going through those pages carefully is one of the highest-value uses of your study time.
What Happens After You’re Licensed
Two rules matter enough to know from the start. Alabama tracks traffic convictions on a point system with a rolling two-year window, and crossing certain thresholds triggers automatic suspension.16Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Driver License Point System Speeding 1 to 25 mph over is 2 points; 26 or more is 5. Failure to yield is 5. Reckless driving is 6. Accumulating 12 to 14 points in two years brings a 60-day suspension, and the ladder climbs to a full 365-day suspension at 24 or more points. Alabama does not offer a defensive driving course for point reduction, so the only way to clear the clock is two years of clean driving.
Every vehicle on Alabama roads must carry liability insurance of at least $25,000 for bodily injury to one person, $50,000 for all injuries in a single accident, and $25,000 for property damage.17Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 32-7-6 – Security Required, Suspensions A first violation for driving uninsured can bring a fine of up to $500, and your registration stays suspended until you pay a $200 reinstatement fee and show proof of coverage. A second or later violation raises the fine to up to $1,000, may include a six-month license suspension, and requires a $400 reinstatement fee.18Alabama Department of Revenue. Be Sure to Insure The vehicle you bring to your road test must already be insured, so this requirement applies well before you hold a full license.