Checked against the handbook: not stated edition. Values below come from the New York State Driver's Manual published by the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, which we host as a free PDF on this site, except 1 row marked as current law, where the printed handbook is out of date and we cite the statute or agency page instead. Nothing comes from a driving school, a forum or another prep site.
The New York written test is full of numbers: how far, how fast, how old, how long, how much. This page puts 62 of them in one place, grouped into 14 sections. The biggest sections are points per violation (new york dmv point system) (13), vehicle, lights and towing (11), and distances (9).
A few you will meet early:
- Zero Tolerance BAC range for drivers under 21: .02% to .07% (any measurable BAC)
- Minimum age of the licensed driver supervising a learner permit holder: 21 years old
- Maximum passengers under age 21 (not immediate family) with a Junior License (Class DJ): 1 passenger under age 21
We started from our own New York question bank, not from a generic list, so every row is a number our questions actually test. We then took the bank's answer out of the picture and read the figure in the handbook itself. If the handbook does not state a number, it is not on this sheet, even when a question tests it. In 2 places our question bank and the handbook differed. Those rows are flagged and show the handbook value.
New York · Numbers reference
Every number the New York written test can ask you for, in one place, taken from the official driver handbook and built to print.
Showing all 62 numbers
License
3 numbers| Value | Rule |
|---|---|
| 21 years old | Minimum age of the licensed driver supervising a learner permit holderMust hold a license valid for the vehicle and sit in the front seat |
| 30 days | Time limit to get a New York license after becoming a permanent residentApplies to drivers who move to New York and hold an out-of-state license |
| 16 years or older | Minimum age to enroll in the Donate Life organ donor registry online |
Junior license (graduated licensing)
2 numbers| Value | Rule |
|---|---|
| 1 passenger under age 21 | Maximum passengers under age 21 (not immediate family) with a Junior License (Class DJ)Junior License holders; passengers who are immediate family do not count |
| 9 PM to 5 AM | Hours when a Junior License (Class DJ) holder is generally restricted from drivingNew York City does not allow unaccompanied driving at any hour. Long Island and upstate allow only limited driving alone at night: work-study, college or school courses and farm work, plus employment upstate |
Speed
1 number| Value | Rule |
|---|---|
| About 17 seconds | Time to reach a work zone sign reading 'Road Work 1,500 feet' at 60 mphHandbook example at 60 mph |
Distances
9 numbers| Value | Rule |
|---|---|
| At least 3 to 4 seconds | Following distance in bad weather or behind large trucksNormal driving uses the two-second rule |
| 200 feet | Do not pass on the left unless you can return to the right lane before an oncoming vehicle comes within |
| 100 feet | No passing within this distance of a bridge, tunnel or viaduct on a two-way road when your view is obstructedTwo-way road with an obstructed view |
| 100 feet | No passing on a two-way road within this distance of a railroad crossingTwo-way roadway; the handbook lists railroad crossings, not intersectionsOur question bank and the state handbook disagree here. The handbook value is published. |
| At least 15 feet | Minimum stopping distance from the tracks when railroad signals are activeFlashing red lights, lowered gates or a bell |
| At least 20 feet | Minimum distance to stop from a school bus with flashing red lightsTraffic from either direction must stop |
| 20 feet | Length of the front blind spot of a tractor with a long hoodTractors with long hoods |
| About 350 feet | Distance your headlights cover at nightDrive at a speed that lets you stop within this distance |
| Every 100 miles or two hours | Recommended interval for regular rest stops on long trips |
Parking distances
8 numbers| Value | Rule |
|---|---|
| 15 feet | No parking, stopping or standing within this distance of a fire hydrantUnless a licensed driver stays in the vehicle to move it in an emergency |
| 20 feet | No parking or standing within this distance of a crosswalk at an intersectionCrosswalk at an intersection |
| 20 feet | No parking or standing within this distance of a fire station driveway (same side of the road)Same side of the road as the driveway |
| 75 feet | No parking or standing within this distance of a fire station entrance on the opposite side of the roadOpposite side of the road |
| 50 feet | No parking within this distance of a railroad crossing |
| 30 feet | No parking, stopping or standing within this distance of a pedestrian safety areaUnless another distance is marked |
| 30 feet | No parking or standing within this distance of a traffic light, STOP sign or YIELD signThe handbook lists traffic lights, STOP signs and YIELD signs |
| 1 foot (30 cm) | Maximum distance of your wheels from the curb after parallel parking |
Signals and turns
2 numbers| Value | Rule |
|---|---|
| At least 100 feet | Minimum distance before a turn or lane change to signalTurn signal or hand signal |
| 500 feet | No U-turn where other drivers cannot see your vehicle from this distance in either directionNear the top of a hill, on a curve or similar spots |
Seat belts, child seats and air bags
2 numbers| Value | Rule |
|---|---|
| Booster seat for ages 4 to 7 (until age 8) | Booster seat age range (children ride in a booster until age 8)Appropriate federally approved child restraint with lap and shoulder belt |
| At least 10 inches | Minimum distance between your chest and the air bag coverMeasured from the center of your chest |
Vehicle, lights and towing
11 numbers| Value | Rule |
|---|---|
| 10,000 pounds or less | Maximum GVWR of a towed vehicle with a Class D license (no other condition)Class D license |
| 26,000 pounds or less (combined) | Maximum combined weight rating when towing a vehicle over 10,000 pounds with a Class D licenseOnly when the towed vehicle is over 10,000 pounds and the two vehicles together do not exceed this |
| 3,000 pounds or less | Maximum GVWR of a towed vehicle with a Junior Operator license (Class DJ)Class DJ license |
| Over 26,000 pounds GVWR and/or 40 feet long | Size at which a personal-use rental or recreational vehicle needs the R endorsementVehicles used to carry personal household goods; endorsement is available to Class D and E drivers |
| 3 and 9 o'clock | Hand positions on the steering wheelHandbook gives this in the air bag guidance |
| 500 feet | Switch to low beams when within this distance of an oncoming vehicle |
| 200 feet | Switch to low beams when within this distance of a vehicle ahead (even in another lane)Applies even if the vehicle ahead is in a different lane |
| 1,000 feet | Headlights are required when visibility is less thanAlso required from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise and when wipers are in use |
| 500 feet ahead | Required visibility distance of a bicycle headlight at nightBicycles used at night |
| 2/32 inch | Minimum legal tire tread depthPenny test: if you can see all of Lincoln's head, the tires are too worn |
| October 16 through April 30 | Dates when tires with metal studs may be used |
Alcohol (BAC)
4 numbers| Value | Rule |
|---|---|
| .02% to .07% (any measurable BAC) | Zero Tolerance BAC range for drivers under 21Drivers under age 21 |
| More than 0.05% up to 0.07% | BAC range for Driving While Ability Impaired (DWAI) |
| 0.18% or higher | BAC for Aggravated DWI |
| About 1 hour | Time for the body to remove the alcohol in one standard drinkOne drink raises BAC about .02 for a 150-pound male |
Points per violation (New York DMV point system)
13 numbers| Value | Rule |
|---|---|
| 3 points | Points for speeding 1 to 10 mph over the limit |
| 4 points | Points for speeding 11 to 20 mph over the limit |
| 11 points | Points for speeding more than 40 mph over the limit |
| 8 points | Points for speeding in a construction zoneRegardless of how fast |
| 8 points | Points for failing to stop for a school bus |
| 5 points | Points for reckless driving |
| 5 points | Points for improper cell phone use |
| 5 points | Points for leaving the scene of a personal injury accident |
| 5 points | Points for failure to exercise due care |
| 2 points | Points for failure to signal |
| 2 points | Points for an improper turn |
| 3 points | Points for disobeying a STOP sign, YIELD sign or traffic control signal |
| 0 points | Points for faulty equipment (such as a broken taillight) |
Point thresholds
1 number| Value | Rule |
|---|---|
| 11 or more points within 24 months | Points within 24 months that lead to a notice of license suspensionPoints count from the violation date, not the conviction date |
Suspensions and revocations
3 numbers| Value | Rule |
|---|---|
| 6 months minimum | Minimum revocation for a first DWI conviction (.08 BAC)Revocation, not suspension |
| 6 months | License suspension for a first Zero Tolerance violationDrivers under 21 with a BAC from .02 to .07 |
| 120 days | Suspension for a first hand-held phone or texting conviction (junior and probationary licenses)Probationary and junior license holders |
Fines and civil penalties
2 numbers| Value | Rule |
|---|---|
| $100 each year for 3 years | Driver Responsibility Assessment after 6 points in 18 monthsPlus $25 per year for each additional point |
| $500 civil penalty | Civil penalty for refusing a chemical test (first refusal)$550 if driving a commercial vehicle; $750 for a repeat refusal within 5 years |
Reporting
1 number| Value | Rule |
|---|---|
| More than $1,000 (any one person's property); file MV-104 within 10 days | Time limit to file a crash report with the DMV (MV-104)statute says 'in excess of'Our question bank and the state handbook disagree here. The handbook value is published. |
Other states
Numbers cheat sheets for other states.
- California: every number on one page
- Florida: every number on one page
- Georgia: every number on one page
- Illinois: every number on one page
- North Carolina: every number on one page
- New Jersey: every number on one page
- Ohio: every number on one page
- Pennsylvania: every number on one page
- Texas: every number on one page
How to use this sheet
Print it (the button above gives a clean one or two page version) or filter it on screen. Do not try to memorize the whole list in one go. Pick one section, say it out loud, then answer practice questions on that topic until the numbers stick.
What this sheet leaves out
The handbook is a summary of the law, not the law itself. Fines, court costs and fees change, and some are set by statute rather than printed in the handbook. We only list what the handbook (or, where marked, the statute) states, so check the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles for anything that decides a real case. The handbook edition used here is not stated; the numbers were last checked against it on November 7, 2026.
Practice the numbers
Start a free New York practice test, or read the New York DMV test cheat sheet for the exam format, documents and retake rules. You can also read the New York State Driver's Manual the numbers were taken from.
