How this practice test works
These questions cover the topics in the California Driver's Handbook: speed limits, following distance, signals, curb colors and parking, lights and signs, right of way, school buses, alcohol and phone laws, provisional license rules and driving in bad weather. We wrote every question in our own words; they are not copied from the DMV test.
Each round picks 10 at random. Tap an answer to see the correct one and a short explanation, then go on to the next. At the end you get your score and a list of what you missed, so you can retry just those.
Based on the California Driver Handbook. Always check the current official handbook at dmv.ca.gov.
Study all the questions
Show all 46 questions with answers
- Unless a sign says otherwise, what is the speed limit in a California residential or business district?
Answer: 25 mph. California's default limit in residence and business districts is 25 mph. A posted sign can set a different limit. - You are within 100 feet of an intersection and cannot see 100 feet down the cross street in either direction. What is the speed limit?
Answer: 15 mph. A "blind" intersection has a 15 mph limit, because you can't see cross traffic in time to react at a higher speed. - Children are outside near a school, within 500 to 1,000 feet of it. Unless posted otherwise, what is the speed limit?
Answer: 25 mph. Near a school while children are outside or crossing, the limit is 25 mph unless a sign shows a different one. Some school zones are posted at 15 mph. - What is the maximum speed limit on most California highways?
Answer: 65 mph, or 70 mph where posted. Most California highways top out at 65 mph. Some are posted at 70 mph. Driving faster than conditions allow is illegal even under the limit (the "basic speed law"). - On a two-lane undivided highway, what is the speed limit unless signs say otherwise?
Answer: 55 mph. On two-lane undivided highways the limit is 55 mph unless it is posted higher. - You are towing a trailer. What is your top speed limit?
Answer: 55 mph. Vehicles towing trailers are limited to 55 mph and should use the right lane, or one of the two right lanes on a road with four or more lanes in your direction. - In normal conditions, how far behind the car ahead should you stay?
Answer: At least 3 seconds. Pick a fixed point. When the car ahead passes it, count. If you reach it before "one-thousand-three", you're too close. Add more time in rain, fog or at night. - How far before a turn should you start signaling?
Answer: At least 100 feet. Signal at least 100 feet before you turn, so drivers behind you have time to slow down. Signal even when you don't see anyone. - When you parallel park, how close to the curb must your wheels be?
Answer: Within 18 inches. Parallel parked cars must be within 18 inches of the curb. - What does a red painted curb mean?
Answer: No stopping, standing or parking. Red means no stopping, standing or parking at all. (Buses may stop in a red zone marked for buses.) - What does a white painted curb mean?
Answer: Stop only long enough to pick up or drop off passengers or mail. White curbs are for quick passenger or mail stops only. - What does a green painted curb mean?
Answer: Parking for a limited time. Green means you may park for a limited time. The limit is posted on a sign or painted on the curb. - What does a yellow painted curb mean?
Answer: Stop only as long as allowed to load or unload passengers or freight. Yellow is a loading zone. Stop no longer than the posted time. Drivers of non-commercial vehicles usually must stay with the vehicle. - Who may park at a blue painted curb?
Answer: Only people with a disabled person placard or plates. Blue curbs are reserved for people with a disabled person placard or special plates, or someone driving them. - You park facing uphill next to a curb. Which way should your front wheels point?
Answer: Away from the curb, letting the car roll back gently against it. Turn the wheels away from the curb and let the car roll back a few inches until the back of the front tire rests against the curb. If the brakes fail, the curb stops the car. - You park facing downhill next to a curb. Which way should your front wheels point?
Answer: Toward the curb. Turn the wheels toward the curb, so the car rolls into the curb instead of into traffic if it moves. - You park on a hill with no curb. Which way should your front wheels point?
Answer: Toward the side of the road (the shoulder). With no curb, uphill or downhill, turn the wheels toward the shoulder. If the car rolls, it rolls off the road, not into traffic. - For a driver 21 or older, what blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is illegal while driving?
Answer: 0.08% or higher. At 21 and over it is illegal to drive with a BAC of 0.08% or more. You can still be arrested at a lower level if alcohol or drugs affect your driving. - For a driver under 21, what BAC is illegal while driving?
Answer: 0.01% or higher. Under 21 it is illegal to drive with a BAC of 0.01% or more. This is often called the zero tolerance law. - During the first 12 months with a provisional license, when may you NOT drive without an adult 25 or older (with some exceptions)?
Answer: Between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.. In the first year, provisional drivers may not drive from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. or carry passengers under 20, unless a licensed parent, guardian, driver 25 or older, or licensed instructor is with them. There are limited exceptions, such as for work or medical need. - You are 17 and have your license. Can you use a hands-free phone while driving?
Answer: No, drivers under 18 may not use a phone at all, except in an emergency. Drivers under 18 may not use a cell phone while driving, even hands-free. Calling for help in an emergency is allowed. - For drivers 18 and older, which phone use is allowed while driving?
Answer: Hands-free use, with a mounted phone and at most a single tap or swipe. Adults may not hold a phone while driving. A phone mounted on the dash or windshield may be used hands-free, activated with a single tap or swipe. - What should you do at a flashing red traffic light?
Answer: Stop, then go when it is safe. Treat a flashing red light like a stop sign: come to a full stop, then go when it is safe. - What does a red arrow mean?
Answer: You may not turn in the direction of the arrow until it turns green. You may not turn on a red arrow, even after stopping. Wait for a green arrow or green light. - May you turn right on a solid red light?
Answer: Yes, after a full stop, unless a sign says "No Turn on Red". After a full stop, you may turn right on a red light when it is safe, unless a sign prohibits it. Yield to pedestrians and traffic first. - What does a flashing yellow light mean?
Answer: Slow down and proceed with caution. A flashing yellow light is a warning: slow down and be alert. You do not have to stop. - A school bus ahead is stopped with red lights flashing. What must you do?
Answer: Stop and stay stopped as long as the red lights flash. You must stop from either direction until the lights stop flashing. The exception is when the bus is on the other side of a divided or multilane highway (two or more lanes each way). - When must you dim your high beams for an oncoming vehicle?
Answer: Within 500 feet of it. Dim high beams within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle and within 300 feet of a vehicle you are following. - When must your headlights be on?
Answer: From 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise, and when you use your wipers continuously. Headlights are required from 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise, whenever weather makes you use your wipers continuously, and when you can't see 1,000 feet ahead. - How far may you drive in a center left-turn lane before turning?
Answer: No more than 200 feet. A center left-turn lane is for starting or finishing a left turn or U-turn. Do not drive in it for more than 200 feet. - You want to turn right and there is a bike lane. When may you enter the bike lane?
Answer: No more than 200 feet before the turn, after checking for bicyclists. You may enter a bike lane no more than 200 feet before your turn. Look for bicyclists first and yield to them. - You are in a collision where someone is hurt, or property damage is over $1,000. Within how many days must you report it to the DMV?
Answer: 10 days. File an SR 1 report with the DMV within 10 days, whether or not you caused the collision. Police reports do not replace it. - You hear a siren and see an emergency vehicle coming. What should you do?
Answer: Drive to the right edge of the road and stop until it passes. Pull to the right edge of the road and stop until it passes, but never stop in an intersection. Keep going through the intersection first. - You are approaching a stopped tow truck or emergency vehicle with flashing lights on the freeway. What should you do?
Answer: Move over a lane if it is safe; if you can't, slow down. California's Move Over law: change lanes away from the stopped vehicle if it is safe. If you can't, slow down. - Your car starts to skid on a slippery road. What should you do?
Answer: Ease off the gas, avoid hard braking and steer where you want to go. Take your foot off the gas, don't brake hard, and steer smoothly in the direction you want the car to go. - When are roads usually most slippery?
Answer: During the first rain after a dry spell. Oil and dust on the road mix with the first rain and make a slick film. Slow down at the start of a rain. - In heavy rain, at about what speed can your tires lose contact with the road (hydroplane)?
Answer: About 50 mph. In heavy rain your tires can lose all contact with the road at around 50 mph. Slowing down is the best protection. - Who must ride in a car seat or booster seat in the back seat?
Answer: Children under 8, unless they are at least 4 feet 9 inches tall. Children under 8 must be in a car seat or booster in the back seat (with a few exceptions). Children 8 and older, or 4'9" and taller, may use a properly fitting seat belt. - Is it legal to leave a child 6 or younger alone in a car?
Answer: No, unless someone 12 or older is watching them. A child 6 or younger may not be left in a car without someone at least 12 years old supervising, if conditions are risky or the engine is running or keys are in the car. Heat can kill a child in minutes. - When may you cross a double solid yellow line?
Answer: To turn left into a driveway or private road. Do not pass over double solid yellow lines. You may cross them to turn left into a driveway or private road, or to make a legal U-turn. - What is the best way to check your blind spot before changing lanes?
Answer: Look over your shoulder. Mirrors don't show everything. Turn your head and look over your shoulder before changing lanes or pulling away from the curb. - A pedestrian with a white cane or guide dog is crossing. What should you do?
Answer: Stop and let them cross; don't honk. Always give the right of way to blind pedestrians. Honking can confuse them. - In a residential district, when may you make a U-turn?
Answer: When no vehicles are approaching within 200 feet. In a residence district, a U-turn is legal when no vehicles are coming toward you within 200 feet, or at an intersection with a traffic signal or sign that controls approaching traffic. - How should you enter a freeway?
Answer: At or near the speed of freeway traffic. Use the on-ramp to build up to the speed of traffic, then merge into a safe gap. Stopping on the ramp is dangerous unless there is a meter or it is necessary. - At a roundabout, who has the right of way?
Answer: Vehicles already in the roundabout. Slow down, yield to traffic already circling and to pedestrians, then enter. Traffic goes counterclockwise. - Driving in fog, which lights should you use?
Answer: Low beams. High beams reflect off fog and blind you. Use low beams (and fog lights if you have them), slow down, and increase following distance.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are on the California permit test?
For drivers under 18, the DMV knowledge test has 46 questions and you need 38 right to pass. Adults take a shorter test. The DMV can change the format, so check dmv.ca.gov for the current numbers.
How old do I have to be to get a California learner's permit?
You can apply at 15½. You'll need to finish driver education, pass the knowledge test and have a parent or guardian sign. You must hold the permit for at least 6 months and log 50 hours of supervised driving, 10 of them at night, before a provisional license test.
Is this the official DMV test?
No. CalcSunny is independent and not affiliated with the California DMV. These are practice questions we wrote from the topics in the California Driver's Handbook.
What are the most commonly missed topics?
Curb colors, parking on hills, speed limits in special zones (blind intersections, school zones, railroad crossings) and the provisional license rules trip up many people. Our questions cover all of them.
Can I take the test in Spanish?
Yes. The California DMV offers the knowledge test in many languages, including Spanish.
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