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California DMV Permit practice questions and answers
20 free questions from our 300-question California DMV Permit bank, each with the correct answer and a cited explanation. The real exam: 46 questions (36 for adults 18+) · 83% to pass · 3 attempts.
Speed
1. What is the maximum speed on most California highways unless posted otherwise?
Answer: C. The maximum speed on most California highways is 65 mph unless a sign posts a different limit (some freeways allow 70 mph only where posted). 55 mph is the default for two-lane undivided highways, not standard highways, which is why it is a common wrong choice. Always obey a posted sign when it differs from this default.
Source: CA Driver Handbook — Speed Limits
Speed
2. What is the maximum speed on a two-lane undivided highway in California?
Answer: C. On a two-lane undivided highway the default maximum is 55 mph, lower than the 65 mph allowed on most divided highways because oncoming traffic is only a lane away. Choosing 65 mph confuses this road type with a standard highway. Unless a sign posts otherwise, treat undivided two-lane roads as 55 mph.
Source: CA Driver Handbook — Speed Limits
Alcohol
3. What BAC can get a driver age 21+ arrested for DUI in California?
Answer: B. A driver 21 or older can be arrested for driving under the influence at a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or higher. This is the 'per se' limit, meaning no other proof of impairment is needed. 0.05% is below the adult limit, while 0.10% and 0.15% also count but are not the legal threshold.
Source: CA Driver Handbook — Alcohol and Drugs
Alcohol
4. A 19-year-old driver can be arrested for DUI at what BAC?
Answer: A. California has a zero-tolerance law for drivers under 21: a BAC of just 0.01% can lead to arrest and license suspension. The adult 0.08% limit does not apply to them, which is the trap in the other options. For an under-21 driver, any measurable alcohol is enough to be penalized.
Source: CA Driver Handbook — Alcohol and Drugs
Following
5. What minimum following distance should you keep in good conditions?
Answer: C. Keep at least a 3-second following distance in good conditions. Pick a fixed point on the road; you should reach it no sooner than 3 seconds after the car ahead passes it. One or two seconds leaves too little time to react and brake at normal speeds, and you should add more seconds in rain, fog, or heavy traffic.
Source: CA Driver Handbook — Space to Merge / Following
Parking
6. When parallel parking, how close must your wheels be to the curb?
Answer: C. When you finish parallel parking, your wheels must be within 18 inches of the curb. Parking farther out leaves your car sticking into traffic, while the 6-inch and 12-inch options are stricter than the law actually requires. Eighteen inches is the maximum allowed gap from the curb.
Source: CA Driver Handbook — Parking
Parking
7. Parking downhill next to a curb, which way do you turn your front wheels?
Answer: A. Parking downhill, turn your front wheels toward the curb. If your brakes fail, the front tire rolls into the curb and stops the car from drifting into traffic. Turning the wheels away from the curb is correct only when facing uphill; downhill it would let the car roll into the road.
Source: CA Driver Handbook — Parking
Rightofway
8. Who has the right-of-way at an unmarked crosswalk?
Answer: B. Pedestrians have the right-of-way in any crosswalk, marked or unmarked, and an unmarked crosswalk still exists at most intersections even without painted lines. 'The driver always' and 'whoever arrives first' are wrong because the law puts pedestrian safety first. Slow down, yield, and let the pedestrian finish crossing.
Source: CA Driver Handbook — Right-of-Way
Signals
9. How far before turning must you signal in California?
Answer: C. Signal at least 100 feet before you turn so drivers behind and around you have time to react. 50 or 75 feet gives too little warning at normal speeds, and 200 feet is more than the law requires. On faster roads it is smart to start signaling even earlier than 100 feet.
Source: CA Driver Handbook — Signals
Headlights
10. When must you use headlights in California?
Answer: B. You must use headlights from 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise, and any time you cannot see at least 1,000 feet ahead. 'Only at night' is too narrow, because headlights are also required in rain, fog, or smoke, not just one of these. Using them also makes your car easier for others to see.
Source: CA Driver Handbook — Visibility
Seatbelt
11. California requires children under age 8 to ride where?
Answer: B. Children under 8 must ride in the back seat in a car seat or booster that fits their size and age. A regular seat belt alone, or a spot in the front seat, does not meet the law for a young child. Narrow exceptions exist (for example, a vehicle with no back seat), but the back seat in a proper restraint is the rule.
Source: CA Driver Handbook — Occupant Protection
Cellphone
12. A 17-year-old driver in California may use a phone how?
Answer: C. Drivers under 18 may not use any phone or electronic device while driving, not even hands-free. That is stricter than the adult rule, which does allow hands-free use, so 'hands-free only' and 'only for GPS' are both wrong for a 17-year-old. For a driver under 18 the only legal choice is no device use at all.
Source: CA Driver Handbook — Distractions
Schoolbus
13. A school bus flashes red lights on an undivided road. You must?
Answer: B. When a school bus flashes red lights on an undivided road, drivers in both directions must stop until the lights stop flashing or the bus moves. You are only excused when a raised divider or median separates you from the bus. Passing it, or stopping only behind it, risks hitting a child crossing the road.
Source: CA Driver Handbook — Sharing the Road
Collision
14. After a collision with injuries in California, you must report to DMV within?
Answer: C. You must file form SR-1 with the DMV within 10 days of a crash that causes injury, death, or more than $1,000 in property damage. The 24-hour and 48-hour options are stricter than the law, and 30 days is too late. This DMV report is separate from any police report made at the scene.
Source: CA Driver Handbook — Collisions
Insurance
15. California minimum liability insurance is?
Answer: B. Since January 1, 2025 (SB 1107), California's minimum liability coverage is 30/60/15: $30,000 for one person's injuries, $60,000 for all injuries in one crash, and $15,000 for property damage. 15/30/5 was the old minimum and is no longer legal; 25/50/25 and 50/100/25 are above the requirement, not the minimum.
Source: CA Driver Handbook — Insurance
U-turn
16. U-turns are illegal in a residential district when?
Answer: B. In a residential district you may make a U-turn only when no vehicle is approaching within 200 feet. 'Always illegal' is wrong, because U-turns are allowed when the road is clear, and the limit is about approaching traffic, not the time of day or the day of the week. Wait for a clear 200-foot gap before turning.
Source: CA Driver Handbook — Turns
Bicycles
17. How much space must you leave passing a bicyclist in California?
Answer: C. California's Three Feet for Safety law requires at least 3 feet of space when you pass a bicyclist. If 3 feet is not possible, you must slow down and pass only when it is safe. One or two feet is too close and illegal; six feet is more than required but always welcome.
Source: CA Driver Handbook — Sharing the Road
Railroad
18. When stopping at a railroad crossing, stop no closer than?
Answer: C. When you must stop at a railroad crossing, stop no closer than 15 feet, and no farther than 50 feet, from the nearest rail. Stopping at 5 or 10 feet puts you dangerously close to a passing train, which can overhang the rail. Wait until the gates rise and the crossing is clear before you drive across.
Source: CA Driver Handbook — Railroad Crossings
Smog
19. How often is a smog check typically required in California?
Answer: B. Most vehicles need a smog check every 2 years (biennially) to renew registration, and often when the vehicle changes ownership. Once a year is more often than required, while every 5 years or only once is too infrequent. Some newer and electric vehicles are exempt for a set number of years.
Source: CA Driver Handbook — Vehicle Registration
Hitrun
20. Leaving the scene of an injury collision is?
Answer: C. Leaving the scene of a crash that injures or kills someone is a felony hit-and-run in California. Reporting it later does not undo the crime, and it is far more serious than an infraction or a plain misdemeanor. At any injury collision you must stop, help the injured, and exchange information.
Source: CA Driver Handbook — Collisions
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