Connecticut DMV Practice Test – CT DMV Knowledge Exam

Connecticut enacted its handheld phone ban (CGS § 14-296aa) effective July 1, 2001 — in response to research linking handheld phone use to crash risks comparable to drunk driving. At the time, only a handful of localities had similar restrictions. Connecticut's 2001 law originally banned handheld calls. A 2013 amendment added texting. The 2021 expansion made Connecticut's law one of the broadest in the nation: all physical contact with a held wireless device while driving is now prohibited — any touching of a held phone, for any reason. Fines: $150 (first), $300 (second), $500 (third+). Connecticut has nearly 25 years of enforcement history under this law.

Route 15 (Merritt Parkway in Fairfield County; Wilbur Cross Parkway in New Haven County) prohibits: all commercial vehicles of any type, all trucks regardless of size, all buses (with very limited exceptions for specific transit routes), all RVs and motorhomes, all vehicles towing trailers, and any vehicle with commercial plates or exceeding 1 ton. Passenger cars, minivans, SUVs without commercial use, and motorcycles are permitted. The restriction exists because bridge clearances can be as low as 9 feet — well below the 16-foot federal standard. GPS devices frequently route trucks onto Route 15, causing bridge strikes that close the Parkway.

After any first OUI conviction in Connecticut, the driver must install an ignition interlock device (IID) for a minimum of 45 days before the license can be reinstated. The IID requires a clean breath sample to start the vehicle and demands random retests while driving. Second OUI: 1-year IID. Third OUI: 3-year IID. Attempting to circumvent the IID extends the requirement and creates additional criminal exposure. Connecticut's first-offense IID mandate was enacted earlier than most states and remains one of the more comprehensive immediate-IID requirements nationally.

Connecticut's implied consent law (CGS § 14-227b) imposes two simultaneous penalties for a first test refusal: (1) a 45-day administrative license suspension, and (2) a 1-year ignition interlock device requirement upon reinstatement. Both consequences flow from the refusal alone — separate from any criminal OUI case. Second refusal within 10 years: same 45-day suspension plus a 3-year IID. The combination of suspension AND IID from a single refusal makes Connecticut's implied consent system one of the more consequential in the country — refusing may result in worse outcomes than cooperating.

Connecticut GDL: (1) Learner's permit at 16 — 120-day minimum hold if completing a full driver-ed program (commercial/secondary school), or 180 days otherwise; 40 hours of behind-the-wheel training with an instructor or qualifying family member at least 20 years old with 4+ years licensed; while holding the permit, a 16-/17-year-old may not have any passengers except the instructor or a qualifying trainer. (2) After licensing — an 11PM–5AM curfew (exceptions for employment, school, religious activities, medical necessity, Safe Ride Program) and a two-tier passenger restriction: first 6 months limited to an instructor, parent/guardian, or one qualifying person 20+; months 7-12 additionally allow immediate family. (3) Restrictions lift at age 18.

Connecticut law (CGS § 14-245) gives right of way at an uncontrolled intersection (no signs, no signals, no officer) to the vehicle approaching from the RIGHT when two vehicles arrive at approximately the same time. The driver on the left must yield. At T-intersections, the vehicle on the through road has right of way over vehicles entering from a side road. These rules apply in Connecticut's many older urban areas where intersections may lack signage.

Connecticut requires minimum liability coverage of 25/50/25: $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 per accident, $25,000 property damage. Connecticut also requires uninsured motorist coverage of at least 25/50 ($25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident). Proof of insurance must be in the vehicle at all times. Connecticut's electronic insurance verification system allows DMV and law enforcement to check coverage status in real time. SR-22 certificates are required for OUI-related reinstatements.

A Connecticut learner's permit must be held for at least 120 days if the applicant completes a full driver-ed program through a licensed commercial driving school or secondary school program (30 hours classroom + 8 hours behind-the-wheel minimum); all other 16-/17-year-old applicants must hold the permit at least 180 days. Either way, the applicant must complete at least 40 hours of behind-the-wheel, on-the-road training. The instructor — whether a commercial driving school professional or a qualifying home-training family member — must be a licensed driver at least 20 years old with 4 or more consecutive years of licensure and no suspensions in that period, seated in the front passenger seat while the permit holder drives.

Connecticut's maximum speed limit is 65 mph, which applies on rural limited-access highways — interstates and divided expressways outside of urban/congested areas. However, much of Connecticut's highway network passes through or near densely populated areas and is posted at 55 mph, including the Merritt Parkway (55 mph throughout) and many sections of I-95 and I-91 near cities. The 65 mph maximum applies on less-congested sections of I-84, I-91, and I-395 in less-populated areas.

Connecticut's 2021 expansion of CGS § 14-296aa prohibits any physical contact with a held electronic device while driving. GPS navigation on a mounted device (dashboard or windshield mount where the driver does not need to touch or hold the device) is permitted. Voice-activated navigation commands are permitted. The prohibition is on physical contact with a held device — not on GPS use itself. Programming a GPS before driving or at a red light with the vehicle in park is permitted. The key test: is the driver physically holding the device? If yes, it's prohibited.