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Texas permit test: alcohol and DWI questions

Texas requires 70% right to pass the permit test and does not publish a fixed number of questions. Our practice test has 30 questions and asks for 21 right. Test format source

These 10 questions come from FirstTry's Texas bank, written from the Texas Driver Handbook. Pick your answer, then open "Show the answer". Each answer links to the handbook section it comes from.

10 alcohol and DWI questions

For a driver 21 or older, at what blood alcohol concentration (BAC) does legal intoxication begin in Texas?

  1. 0.05
  2. 0.08
  3. 0.10
  4. 0.15
Show the answer

0.08. Adults are legally intoxicated at a BAC of 0.08 or more. A lower BAC can still count if alcohol has taken away the normal use of your mind or body.

From the handbook: Chapter 10: Alcohol and Drug Impact on the Driving Ability > The Number One Killer is Alcohol (PDF page 61)

How much alcohol may a driver under 21 have in their system in Texas?

  1. Up to 0.05
  2. Up to 0.08, the same as adults
  3. Up to 0.02
  4. None; any amount that can be detected is an offense
Show the answer

None; any amount that can be detected is an offense. Under zero tolerance, a minor who drives with any detectable alcohol commits an offense even without being legally intoxicated.

From the handbook: Chapter 10: Alcohol and Drug Impact on the Driving Ability > The Number One Killer is Alcohol (PDF page 61)

Under the Texas Alcohol Beverage Code, who counts as a minor?

  1. Anyone younger than 18
  2. Anyone younger than 21
  3. Anyone without a driver license
  4. Anyone younger than 16
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Anyone younger than 21. For alcohol laws, a minor is anyone under 21, and a minor may not buy, try to buy, drink, or have alcohol.

From the handbook: Chapter 10: Alcohol and Drug Impact on the Driving Ability > Zero Tolerance for Minors (PDF page 62)

What is the maximum fine for having an open container of alcohol in a vehicle's passenger area on a public highway?

  1. $100
  2. $500
  3. $1,000
  4. $2,000
Show the answer

$500. An open container in the passenger area is illegal whether the vehicle is moving, stopped, or parked, and the fine can reach $500.

From the handbook: Chapter 10: Alcohol and Drug Impact on the Driving Ability > Open Container (PDF page 62)

Roughly how long does your body need to clear the alcohol from one drink?

  1. About 15 minutes
  2. About an hour
  3. About 30 minutes
  4. About three hours
Show the answer

About an hour. Your body works through roughly one drink per hour, and nothing speeds that up.

From the handbook: Chapter 10: Alcohol and Drug Impact on the Driving Ability > Myths about Drinking Alcohol (PDF page 62)

A friend has been drinking and wants to sober up fast before driving. What does the handbook say?

  1. Cold showers, black coffee, and exercise do not sober a person up
  2. Exercising for 30 minutes will sober a person up
  3. Two cups of black coffee will sober a person up
  4. A cold shower will sober a person up
Show the answer

Cold showers, black coffee, and exercise do not sober a person up. Only time reduces the effects of alcohol. If someone has been drinking, a sober person should drive.

From the handbook: Chapter 10: Alcohol and Drug Impact on the Driving Ability > Myths about Drinking Alcohol (PDF page 62)

An adult driver arrested for DWI refuses, for the first time, to give a breath or blood specimen. How long is the license suspended?

  1. 2 years
  2. 30 days
  3. 90 days
  4. 180 days
Show the answer

180 days. By driving in Texas you give implied consent to testing. A first refusal costs 180 days of driving privilege, and later refusals up to 730 days.

From the handbook: Chapter 10: Alcohol and Drug Impact on the Driving Ability > Implied Consent Laws for Adults (PDF page 64)

An adult driver's breath or blood test shows a BAC of 0.08 or higher. For a first offense, how long may the license be suspended?

  1. 5 years
  2. 30 days
  3. 90 days
  4. 180 days
Show the answer

90 days. Failing the test can bring a 90-day suspension the first time, and as long as 365 days for later offenses.

From the handbook: Chapter 10: Alcohol and Drug Impact on the Driving Ability > Implied Consent Laws for Adults (PDF page 64)

A 19-year-old driver's breath test shows some alcohol, but less than 0.08. For a first offense, what happens to the license?

  1. It is suspended for 5 years
  2. It is suspended for 60 days
  3. Nothing, because the BAC is under 0.08
  4. It is suspended for 7 days
Show the answer

It is suspended for 60 days. For drivers under 21, any detectable alcohol leads to a suspension: 60 days the first time, 120 days the second, and 180 days after that.

From the handbook: Chapter 10: Alcohol and Drug Impact on the Driving Ability > Table 28: Minor Provided Specimen Confirming Detectable Amount of Alcohol (PDF page 63)

In Texas, what charge can a minor face for driving with any detectable alcohol in their system?

  1. None, unless the BAC is 0.08 or more
  2. Only a warning
  3. DUI by a minor, a Class C misdemeanor
  4. A felony on the first offense
Show the answer

DUI by a minor, a Class C misdemeanor. Zero tolerance means a minor can be charged with DUI, a Class C misdemeanor, even if the BAC is below the adult limit.

From the handbook: Appendix A: Glossary of Terms > driving under the influence (DUI) (PDF page 78)

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