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Alabama Road Test Checklist: What the ALEA Examiner Checks

An Alabama State Route 30 eastbound route sign at a junction in Clayton, Alabama.

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The Alabama road test (ALEA calls it the road skills test) is the last step to a Stage II or regular license. An ALEA examiner inspects your car, checks your paperwork, then scores you on up to 18 driving skills from ALEA’s Road Test Study Guide. Use this checklist the week before and the morning of your test.

Key facts

  • Under 18: you must be at least 16 and have held your learner license for 6 months.
  • A 16-year-old must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
  • Bring proof of current insurance and the vehicle registration.
  • The examiner checks brake lights, left and right turn signals and the horn before the test.
  • Rental car: allowed only if your name is on the rental agreement as an additional driver.
  • You surrender your learner license at the road test.

Paperwork checklist

  • Your learner license
  • Proof of current insurance for the test vehicle
  • Vehicle registration
  • Under 18: form DL-31 signed by a parent or legal guardian, giving permission to drive without supervision and certifying 50 hours of practice. Or a certificate of completion from a driver education course approved by the Alabama Department of Education. See the 50 hour verification guide.
  • Parent or guardian with you if you are 16
  • Glasses or contacts if your license requires them. You must wear them for the test.
  • Cash or money order for the license fee (ALEA does not accept checks). The GDL page lists $36.25 for a Stage II license as of November 2026.
  • Age 18 or older: a licensed driver to bring you, proof of insurance, and a vehicle that will pass inspection

Vehicle checklist: what the examiner inspects

Item Check before you leave home
Brake lights Have someone stand behind the car while you press the brake
Left and right turn signals Front and rear, both sides
Horn Works
Headlights Alabama law requires them on when wipers are in use because of rain
Tires Penny test: if you can see all of Lincoln’s head, the tread is too worn. Less than 1/16 inch is illegal.
Mirrors, wipers, seat belts, parking brake Required equipment under the manual’s Chapter 9

Before you move off, adjust your seat and mirrors. Your heel should stay on the floor as your foot pivots from brake to gas, and the top of the wheel should be no higher than your shoulders.

What the examiner scores on the Alabama road test

ALEA’s Road Test Study Guide says you will be asked to do all or some of these:

  1. Location of controls: brake, parking brake, lights, dimmer, wipers, ignition, gear selector.
  2. Clutch (manual cars): pedal fully down when starting, shifting and below 10 mph when stopping.
  3. Posture: both hands on the wheel, sit up straight, no elbow in the window.
  4. Smooth stop: stop quickly and safely from low speed, checking your mirror.
  5. Backing: about 50 feet, slowly and straight, head turned to look through the rear window.
  6. Stop sign: signal, correct lane, stop before the crosswalk (or behind the stop line).
  7. Traffic lights: approach at a speed that lets you stop. On red, stop before the crosswalk.
  8. Turn about (three-point turn): turn around in a narrow street backing only once, without bumping the curb or using a driveway.
  9. Approach to corner: correct lane, slow down, look both ways.
  10. Right of way: let pedestrians cross, do not block intersections, pull over for sirens and red or blue lights.
  11. Stop on upgrade: park within 18 inches of the curb, wheels turned sharply left (right if no curb), roll back until the right front wheel rests on the curb, ignition off, parking brake on, in Park.
  12. Start on upgrade: look over your left shoulder, pull out without racing the engine or rolling back.
  13. Turns: signal at least 100 feet before the intersection, slow before the crosswalk, finish in the proper lane.
  14. Passing and merging: check the blind spot, pass on the left.
  15. Keeping in lane: stay right except to pass or turn left, signal and check blind spots for lane changes.
  16. Horn: only to warn. Never to hurry other drivers.
  17. Following: two-second rule.
  18. Speed: at or below the posted limit and reasonable for conditions.

Automatic fails on the Alabama road test

The study guide says you may fail for any of these:

  • Being involved in an accident
  • Breaking the law
  • Driving recklessly or dangerously
  • Failing to cooperate with the examiner
  • Making several errors in safe driving practice because of habit or lack of practice

More on common mistakes: why people fail the driving test.

Practice drills for the three-point turn and parallel parking

Three-point turn

  1. Pick a quiet, narrow street with a long view. The manual bans these turns on interstates, on curves and near hilltops where other drivers cannot see you within 500 feet.
  2. Signal right, stop near the right curb, check mirrors and blind spots.
  3. Turn the wheel fully left and creep across to the far curb without touching it.
  4. Check both ways, turn the wheel fully right and back up once.
  5. Check again and drive off in the new direction.

Parallel parking (manual Chapter 3)

  1. Pull even with the car in front of the space.
  2. Back gently toward the space.
  3. Turn the wheels sharply.
  4. Begin straightening the wheels.
  5. Finish with the wheels parallel to the curb.

The Road Test Study Guide’s list does not name parallel parking as a scored item, but the manual covers it. Practice it anyway. Compare other states: US road tests by state.

Common questions

Can I book the Alabama road test online?

Yes, at select locations. ALEA lets you schedule Stage II road skills appointments online up to 2 weeks ahead. Walk-ins are welcome at all testing sites.

Can my driving instructor’s car be used?

Any vehicle that passes the examiner’s inspection and has insurance and registration you can prove. Some school systems also run ALEA’s Third-Party Testing program, where approved private high school driver education teachers give the driving test.

Does my parent have to come to the road test?

Yes, if you are 16. The manual says a 16-year-old applicant must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

What happens when I pass?

Under 18, you get a Stage II restricted license and must follow the Alabama GDL rules. From 18, you can go straight to an unrestricted license.

Can I use a rental car?

Only if your name is on the rental agreement as an additional driver.

Back to the full guide: learning to drive in Alabama.

Sources

  • Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, “Alabama Driver Manual” (November 2024) (alea.gov)
  • Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, “Road Test Study Guide” (alea.gov)
  • Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, “Graduated Driver License” (alea.gov)
  • Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, “Document Requirements and Fees” (alea.gov)
  • Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, “Graduated Driver License Form DL-31” (alea.gov)
  • Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, “Private High School Driver & Traffic Safety Education Program” (alea.gov)

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