California practice tests
The California DMV knowledge test is a multiple-choice test on the rules, signs and safe-driving practices in the California Driver's Handbook, and you need 80% to pass. You take it when you apply for a Class C instruction permit, alongside a vision test. Teens can apply from 15½ with driver education; adults from 18. Our free California practice sets have 30 questions each, written from the current handbook (DL 600, revised June 2025), so you can check what you know before the real test.
- 30 questions
- 80 to pass
The test in California
Every figure links to the page it was read from, with the date it was checked. Formats change; the source wins over this table.
| What | Figure | Source · checked |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | Not published by the DMVNeither the DMV website nor the handbook states how many questions the real test has. Our practice sets use 30. | California DMV: Learner's permitschecked 2026-11-01 |
| To pass | 80%Multiple choice, based on the California Driver's Handbook. | California DMV: Learner's permitschecked 2026-11-01 |
| Time limit | Not statedNo time limit is published, but in-office knowledge tests must start before 4:30 p.m. | California DMV: Learner's permitschecked 2026-11-01 |
| Minimum age | 15½ with driver education, or 18Under 18, you also need a parent or guardian to sign your application. A minor's driver's license is available from 16. | California Driver's Handbook (DL 600, revised June 2025), PDFchecked 2026-11-01 |
| Learner's permit rules | Hold the permit 6 months; 50 hours of practice, 10 at nightMinors practice with a California-licensed driver aged 25 or older (18 or older for adults) and hold the permit for at least 6 months, or until 18, before the drive test. The provisional license that follows bars driving from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. during the first 12 months, and bars carrying passengers under 20 unless a parent, guardian or California-licensed driver aged 25 or older rides along. Signed notes allow exceptions for medical, school, work and family needs. | California Driver's Handbook (DL 600, revised June 2025), PDFchecked 2026-11-01 |
| Retakes | 3 attempts, then reapplyMinors wait seven days to retake a failed knowledge test, not counting the day of the failure. No testing aids, such as the handbook or a cell phone, are allowed. | California Driver's Handbook (DL 600, revised June 2025), PDFchecked 2026-11-01 |
| Fee | $46The DMV fee for an original Class C driver's license application, which is the application you make for the instruction permit. The handbook states that the application fee is non-refundable. | California DMV: Licensing feeschecked 2026-11-01 |
| What to bring | Proof of identity, two proofs of residency, Social Security numberBring a legal full name document if your names differ; exceptions may apply to residency and the Social Security number. Under 18, you also need to have completed driver education and to have your application signed by a parent or guardian (both, if they share joint custody). | California Driver's Handbook (DL 600, revised June 2025), PDFchecked 2026-11-01 |
Full tests
- Test 130 questions · untimed · pass 24difficulty 1 of 6
- Test 230 questions · untimed · pass 24difficulty 2 of 6
- Test 330 questions · untimed · pass 24difficulty 3 of 6
- Test 430 questions · untimed · pass 24difficulty 4 of 6
- Test 530 questions · untimed · pass 24difficulty 5 of 6
- Test 630 questions · untimed · pass 24difficulty 6 of 6
Handbook chapters
- Chapter 1: Getting your permit and licenseHow to get a California instruction permit and driver's license: documents, age rules, driver education, the knowledge, vision and drive tests, provisional license limits for teens, and keeping your license up to date.
- Chapter 2: An introduction to drivingFitness to drive, steering methods, signaling distances, when to use the horn, headlight rules and what to do when your vehicle breaks down. Study notes for the California DMV knowledge test.
- Chapter 3: Navigating the roadsLane markings, choosing and changing lanes, HOV, center left turn and bike lanes, right turns, left turns and U-turns, merging, passing, parking on hills and colored curbs, and law enforcement stops in California.
- Chapter 4: Traffic signals and signsWhat every California traffic light, arrow and flashing signal means, pedestrian signals, and how to read signs by shape and color, from STOP and YIELD to railroad, school and warning signs.
- Chapter 5: Rules of the roadCalifornia right-of-way rules at intersections, roundabouts, crosswalks and mountain roads, special speed limits for schools, alleys, blind intersections and railroad crossings, everyday vehicle laws, and how points can cost you your license.
- Chapter 6: Sharing the roadDriving safely around trucks, buses, light rail, motorcycles, emergency vehicles, slow-moving vehicles, animals, bicyclists and road workers in California, with the key distances, speeds and fines.
- Chapter 7: Safe drivingScanning, following distance and blind spots, the Basic Speed Law, night driving, skids, rain, snow, fog and wind, emergencies such as blowouts and stalls on railroad tracks, cell phone rules and carbon monoxide. Study notes for the California DMV knowledge test.
- Chapter 8: Seat belts and child restraintsCalifornia seat belt rules, how to wear a belt correctly, child car seat requirements by age and height, air bag distances, and the law on leaving children and pets in a vehicle.
- Chapter 9: Alcohol and drugsCalifornia DUI law for alcohol, cannabis and medications: BAC limits by age and license type, open container rules, implied consent, what happens after a DUI arrest or conviction, and the extra rules for drivers under 21.
- Chapter 10: Insurance, collisions and registrationCalifornia's minimum insurance amounts, what happens if you drive uninsured, the most common causes of collisions, what to do at the scene, when to report a crash to police and the DMV, and the deadlines for registering, buying and selling a vehicle.