California driver knowledge test: practice and key rules

30 practice questions written from the California Driver's Handbook, with the rule behind each answer.

The knowledge test in California

The handbook says that when you apply for an original driver's license you must pass a knowledge test with multiple choice questions, that you are allowed three attempts before you must reapply, and that minors must wait seven days to retake a failed knowledge test. The number of questions and the pass mark are not in the sections we read, so they are not stated here; check dmv.ca.gov.

Young drivers

The handbook says an applicant under 18 must be at least 15½ years old for an instruction permit and complete a driver education programme. For the license, a minor must be at least 16, have held a permit for at least 6 months, and have practised for at least 50 hours with a California-licensed driver aged 25 or older, 10 of those hours at night.

How the practice is made

We read the California Driver's Handbook on the official website and noted rules that are stated plainly: speed limits where no sign is posted, distances for signalling, following and parking, alcohol limits, the meaning of signals, and right-of-way. Each practice question is built on one such rule, and the explanation tells you what the handbook says, so that a wrong answer sends you back to the right fact. We read parts of the handbook, not every page. Signs, pavement markings and many situations are best learned from the handbook itself, with its pictures.

Rules compared with other states

Some numbers differ between states. The pages below put California beside Virginia and Oregon.

• Speed limits where no sign is posted
• Following distance and signalling
• Where you may not park: distances
• Alcohol limits for drivers
• Headlights: when to use them and when to dim

How to prepare

1. Download the current handbook from the official site and read it once from start to finish.
2. Read our questions with their explanations.
3. Take the practice test until you score 90 percent or more several times running.
4. Go back to the handbook for every question you missed. The sections on signs and on right-of-way deserve a second reading.

Questions people ask

Independent practice site. DMV Practice is not a government website and is not connected with any Department of Motor Vehicles or licensing agency. The questions are our own, written from each state's public driver handbook as we read it on 12 November 2026. They are not the official test questions. Laws change: the current handbook of your own state is the authority.