Printable CA Permit Practice Test

1. How soon must you dim high-beam headlights for an oncoming vehicle?

1. Only after the other driver flashes lights
2. Within 100 feet of the oncoming vehicle
3. Within 500 feet of the oncoming vehicle
4. Within 300 feet when vehicles approach each other

2. Why does the California handbook say never to start a vehicle inside a garage with the door closed?

1. The battery drains faster in an enclosed space
2. Garage fumes fog the windshield
3. The engine cannot warm up properly
4. Carbon monoxide from the exhaust is deadly and has no odor

3. When is stopping or parking on a freeway allowed?

1. For a phone call if you keep your hazard lights on
2. In an emergency or when a law enforcement officer requires it
3. Any time the shoulder is wider than your vehicle
4. Only during daylight outside commute periods

4. What does a five-sided school sign require you to expect?

1. A park entrance where vehicles may stop in the travel lane
2. A playground where only bicycles must yield
3. A hospital driveway with emergency vehicles entering traffic
4. A school area, with children who may be in or near the crosswalk

5. Your brake pedal sinks to the floor. What should you try first?

1. Turn off the ignition before steering
2. Quickly pump the brakes with gentle pressure
3. Shift into park while moving
4. Pull the parking brake with full force

6. At this yield sign, what must you be ready to do?

1. Speed up to match traffic before entering
2. Stop if needed to let vehicles, bicyclists, or pedestrians pass
3. Stop only if another driver honks
4. Proceed first because cross traffic has the sign

7. What does this DO NOT ENTER sign tell you?

1. The road may be entered after stopping
2. Only trucks are barred from the ramp
3. Do not enter the road or ramp where it is posted
4. The lane is closed only during rush hour

8. Traffic lanes in California are often called by number. Which lane is the Number 1 Lane?

1. The far right lane, next to the shoulder
2. The left, or fast, lane
3. The center lane of a three-lane road
4. Whichever lane is marked for carpools

9. A flashing yellow left-turn arrow appears. What does it mean?

1. Your left turn is protected from oncoming traffic
2. You must stop and wait for a green arrow
3. You may turn after yielding to oncoming traffic
4. Oncoming vehicles must stop before you turn

10. Which medication-related situation can make driving illegal?

1. Only taking medication bought without a prescription
2. Taking medicine only after sunset
3. Taking any drug that affects your ability to drive safely
4. Carrying prescription medicine in the vehicle

11. A white SPEED LIMIT sign with black lettering is what type of sign?

1. A regulatory sign you must obey
2. A guide sign for destinations
3. A warning sign for changing road conditions
4. A temporary construction advisory

12. Which adult point total may lead DMV to suspend a California driver license?

1. 2 points in 12 months.
2. 4 points in 12 months.
3. 5 points in 24 months.
4. 7 points in 36 months.

13. During a traffic stop, what should the driver do after stopping and before the officer reaches the vehicle?

1. Roll down the window and keep hands visible
2. Get out and meet the officer beside the vehicle
3. Reach for documents immediately in the glove box
4. Keep the radio on so the stop is recorded

14. What is the minimum legal distance for parking near a fire hydrant?

1. 20 feet from the hydrant
2. 3 feet from the hydrant
3. 15 feet from the hydrant
4. 30 feet from the hydrant

15. Fog becomes too thick for safe driving. What should you consider doing?

1. Pull off the road, turn on emergency flashers, and wait.
2. Use high beams and continue at the posted speed.
3. Drive using only fog lights.
4. Cross lanes to find a clearer path.

16. A firefighter gives you directions that conflict with a posted sign. What should you do?

1. Follow the posted sign because it is permanent
2. Proceed only if the traffic signal is green
3. Wait until another driver chooses a direction
4. Follow the firefighter's order

17. What do flashing yellow lights on a school bus warn you to do?

1. Stop only if children are already in the street
2. Pass quickly before red lights appear
3. Slow down and prepare to stop
4. Continue at speed unless the stop arm is out

18. Your vehicle begins to skid on a slippery surface. What should you do with the brake pedal?

1. Press it hard until the vehicle stops
2. Tap it rapidly while turning away from the skid
3. Avoid using it while you ease off the accelerator
4. Hold it halfway down to keep the wheels straight

19. A pedestrian is crossing at an unmarked crosswalk. What must you remember?

1. Drivers may proceed if no white lines are painted
2. Pedestrians have the right-of-way there
3. Only school crosswalks create right-of-way
4. Pedestrians must yield to turning vehicles

20. What movement does this sign prohibit?

1. A left turn only
2. A right turn only
3. A U-turn
4. A lane change

21. When you see a yellow traffic-signal-ahead sign, what should you expect?

1. A traffic signal is ahead, so prepare to slow or stop
2. A stop sign replaces the next signal at all times
3. A railroad signal controls the next crossing
4. A lane-use control signal begins immediately above you

22. What is the maximum speed for a passenger vehicle towing a trailer on a California highway, even when the general posted limit is higher?

1. 55 mph.
2. 60 mph.
3. 65 mph.
4. 70 mph when traffic is light.

23. What do broken white lane lines mean on a road with traffic moving in the same direction?

1. Traffic on your side is about to become two-way
2. Lane changes are prohibited until the next intersection
3. The lane is reserved for emergency vehicles
4. Changing lanes is allowed when it is safe

24. For a California driver age 21 or older operating a noncommercial vehicle, what is the lowest general per-se DUI BAC threshold?

1. 0.04% or higher only when not towing
2. 0.08% or higher
3. 0.10% or higher after midnight
4. Any reading only if a crash occurs

25. Your vehicle stalls on train tracks and a train is approaching. Which direction should you run?

1. Straight down the tracks away from the train
2. Toward the nearest crossing gate
3. Diagonally away from the tracks toward the direction the train is coming from
4. Behind your vehicle so it shields you from debris

26. What lane space should you give a motorcycle when possible?

1. Only the left half of the lane.
2. The full lane.
3. Enough room to share the lane side by side.
4. A shoulder path if traffic is slow.

27. You drive past a California school bus that is flashing its red lights. What penalty can follow?

1. A fine of up to $1,000 and a possible one year suspension
2. A $35 fine with no effect on the license
3. A warning for a first offense
4. A fine of up to $100

28. Where must you not park on a two-way street?

1. Within a marked legal space beside the right curb
2. On a level street after setting the parking brake
3. In a time-limited green curb space during posted hours
4. On the wrong side of the street

29. How far before a turn should you begin signaling on a street?

1. Only after entering the intersection
2. At least 100 feet before turning
3. At least 25 feet before turning
4. Exactly one block before every turn

30. Who may park at a blue curb?

1. A disabled person or someone driving a disabled person with the proper placard or plate
2. Any driver loading freight for a short time
3. Only buses during posted commute hours
4. Any driver who stays inside the vehicle

31. Two vehicles meet on a steep narrow road where neither can pass. Which driver should back up?

1. The uphill-facing driver because gravity helps them stop
2. The downhill-facing driver until the uphill vehicle can pass
3. The driver closest to the centerline
4. The larger vehicle, regardless of direction

32. When you cannot change lanes to pass a bicyclist, how much clearance must you allow?

1. At least two feet if traffic is light
2. As much room as your lane allows, with no minimum
3. One full car length
4. At least three feet

33. A pedestrian using a white cane is at a crossing. What right-of-way rule applies?

1. They have the right-of-way only inside a marked crosswalk
2. They may be warned forward with a horn tap
3. They must wait for all vehicles to clear first
4. They have the right-of-way at all times

34. Where may a California driver attach a sticker no larger than a 7-inch square?

1. In the center of the windshield behind the rearview mirror
2. The lower corner of the passenger's side windshield
3. Anywhere along the top edge of the windshield
4. The lower corner of the driver's side of the windshield

35. An officer arrests a California driver for DUI and takes the license. What does the driver receive, and for how long?

1. Nothing; driving must stop immediately
2. A 90 day restricted license
3. A permit to drive only to work for one year
4. A temporary driver's license good for 30 days

36. A California bicyclist is riding slower than traffic. When may the rider move away from the right curb?

1. When passing, preparing to turn left, or avoiding a hazard or road condition
2. Never, the rider must stay at the curb
3. Only when riding in a group
4. Only on roads posted under 25 mph