CA Permit Practice Test 22

All 20 questions in test 22

Every question below comes from the California question bank on this page. Open a question to see the correct answer and the explanation. Nothing here is hidden behind a signup.

1. 1. 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
   Show answer

   15 feet from the hydrant. A vehicle may not be parked within 15 feet of a fire hydrant. The 20-foot distance is a tempting number because California uses it near crosswalks, but hydrants and crosswalks have different spacing rules. When scanning for a place to leave the car, look ahead for hydrants and fire station driveways before you pull in. If the hydrant is close enough that firefighters would lose access, keep moving.

2. 2. On a two-lane road where passing is unsafe, when must a slow driver use a turnout area or lane?

   1. Only if a posted sign orders the driver to turn out
   2. Only after ten vehicles are following for one mile
   3. Whenever any single vehicle catches up
   4. When five or more vehicles are following
   Show answer

   When five or more vehicles are following. California requires a slow driver to use a turnout area or lane on a two-lane road when passing is unsafe and five or more vehicles are following. The one vehicle choice goes too far because the handbook sets a specific five vehicle threshold. The cue is a line of traffic building behind you on a road where drivers cannot pass, especially in hills or curves where a marked turnout appears.

3. 3. If you cannot see farther than 100 feet in heavy rain or snow, what speed does California identify as unsafe to exceed?

   1. 30 mph
   2. 45 mph
   3. 55 mph
   4. The posted limit if traffic is light
   Show answer

   30 mph. When heavy rain or snow limits visibility to 100 feet, California says it is unsafe to drive faster than 30 mph. The posted limit choice ignores that visibility can require a much lower speed than the sign allows. A concrete cue is losing sight of details beyond a short city lot ahead, at which point low beams, wipers, defroster, and a slower pace are needed.

4. 4. Where can veterans learn about the Veteran license designation?

   1. At any car dealership
   2. By asking a police officer
   3. On social media
   4. At the DMV veterans page for requirements and benefits
   Show answer

   At the DMV veterans page for requirements and benefits. The Veteran designation prints on the license or ID for those who prove qualifying service, unlocking benefits and recognition. The DMV veterans page collects the exact documents and steps so applicants arrive prepared. County veteran service offices offer free help assembling the paperwork. County veteran offices help assemble the qualifying paperwork free of charge. Qualifying service proof is required before the designation will print.

5. 5. How do you know the minimum number of people needed to use an HOV lane?

   1. It is printed on signs at the on-ramp or along the road
   2. It is always exactly two people statewide
   3. It depends only on whether the vehicle is a sedan
   4. It is shown by the number of diamond symbols on the pavement
   Show answer

   It is printed on signs at the on-ramp or along the road. HOV lane occupancy is controlled by posted signs, so check the on-ramp and roadside signs for the minimum number of people and the hours. The always-two choice is unreliable because some locations require a different number or have time limits. The cue is the HOV sign near the lane entrance; read it before entering rather than assuming the same rule applies everywhere.

6. 6. You found a parallel parking space. What should you do first?

   1. Stop in the lane without signaling
   2. Honk to claim the space
   3. Turn on your signal to show you plan on parking
   4. Flash your high beams
   Show answer

   Turn on your signal to show you plan on parking. The signal converts your slowdown from a mystery into a clear message, telling followers you are parking rather than turning or stalling. After signaling, pull alongside the car ahead of the space, verify the gap, check over your shoulder, and back in at 45 degrees. Unsignaled stops invite rear-end crashes from drivers who cannot read your intent. Pull alongside the car ahead of the space before starting to back in.

7. 7. What can DMV do if you refuse a requested blood or urine test during a DUI investigation?

   1. Require a new knowledge test only
   2. Suspend or revoke your driving privilege for one year
   3. Issue a warning if your BAC is unknown
   4. Delay action until a second refusal
   Show answer

   Suspend or revoke your driving privilege for one year. When an officer has reason to believe you are driving under the influence and requests a blood or urine test, refusing carries a one-year DMV suspension or revocation. The warning choice understates the consequence; the handbook ties refusal itself to the licensing penalty. A concrete cue is the request for a chemical test during a DUI stop, not whether a BAC number has already been measured.

8. 8. What should a yellow merging-traffic sign make you do?

   
   1. Stop in your lane until all ramp traffic has entered
   2. Move onto the shoulder to leave the lane open
   3. Hold your lane and adjust speed so entering traffic can blend safely
   4. Cross a double solid white line to avoid the merge area
   Show answer

   Hold your lane and adjust speed so entering traffic can blend safely. A merging-traffic sign warns that another traffic stream will join yours, so keep scanning, leave room, and change speed smoothly if needed. Stopping in your lane is dangerous unless traffic control or an emergency requires it, because following drivers may not expect a full stop. The cue is the side line joining the main line, which should make you check mirrors and nearby gaps before the merge point.

9. 9. May a bicyclist leave the right edge to avoid hazards?

   1. Ride into the hazard to stay right
   2. Stop in traffic and wait
   3. Ride on the sidewalk instead
   4. Move left to avoid parked cars, animals, trash, and similar hazards
   Show answer

   Move left to avoid parked cars, animals, trash, and similar hazards. The ride-right rule bends for safety: parked cars with opening doors, animals, debris, and broken pavement all justify moving left into the lane. Signal the move when possible, take the space needed to clear the hazard, then return right when safe. Drivers must respect the cyclist's temporary lane position rather than squeezing past. Drivers must honor the cyclist's temporary full-lane position near road hazards.

10. 10. If animals or livestock are near the roadway, what should you do?

    1. Honk repeatedly so the animals scatter
    2. Slow down or stop and continue only when safe
    3. Drive between the animals before they move
    4. Speed up because animals usually avoid vehicles
    Show answer

    Slow down or stop and continue only when safe. California instructs drivers who see animals or livestock near the road to slow down or stop and proceed only when safe. Honking is a poor choice because sudden noise can scare animals and make them harder to predict. The cue is an animal warning sign, rider, herd, or handler near the shoulder, where your job is to reduce speed and follow the directions of the person in charge.

11. 11. When entering traffic from a full stop, what should you do before moving into the lane?

    1. Use hazard lights instead of a turn signal
    2. Enter slowly so approaching traffic has to brake
    3. Wait only for a gap equal to one car length
    4. Signal and leave enough space to reach traffic speed
    Show answer

    Signal and leave enough space to reach traffic speed. From a stopped position, California says to signal and leave enough room to accelerate to traffic speed before joining the lane. The one car length choice is too short because the handbook gives larger space examples, such as half a block on city streets. The cue is starting from a driveway, curb, or stopped position where traffic is already moving and needs predictable notice.

12. 12. The vehicle ahead has an orange and red triangle on its back. What does it tell you?

    1. A wide-load truck that needs two lanes
    2. A slow-moving vehicle, usually traveling 25 mph or less
    3. A farm vehicle that is exempt from speed limits
    4. A stopped emergency vehicle with its lights on
    Show answer

    A slow-moving vehicle, usually traveling 25 mph or less. The orange and red triangle is the slow-moving-vehicle emblem, carried by road maintenance vehicles, farm equipment, and other machines that cannot keep up with normal traffic flow. Expect a large and growing speed difference, plan your pass early, and brake in good time rather than bearing down on it at full speed. The emblem never exempts the vehicle from traffic laws, marks a wide load, or signals an emergency stop.

13. 13. A 17-year-old in California is convicted of using alcohol. What will the court order DMV to do?

    1. Add one point and take no other action
    2. Suspend the privilege for 30 days
    3. Suspend the privilege for one year, or delay eligibility for a license
    4. Require a new vision test
    Show answer

    Suspend the privilege for one year, or delay eligibility for a license. For anyone 15 to 20 years old convicted of using alcohol or a controlled substance, the court orders DMV to suspend the driving privilege for one year. If the young person has no license yet, eligibility to apply is delayed instead. A single point with no other action and a 30 day suspension both understate the penalty. A vision test has nothing to do with an alcohol conviction. The rule reaches teens who are not yet licensed, which is why it is written as a suspension or a delay.

14. 14. How does California treat drugs, prescriptions, and over-the-counter medicine under DUI law?

    1. Only illegal street drugs count for DUI.
    2. Doctor-prescribed medicine is exempt from DUI rules.
    3. Cannabis counts only if alcohol was also used.
    4. Any drug that affects safe driving can lead to DUI.
    Show answer

    Any drug that affects safe driving can lead to DUI.. California DUI law covers alcohol and drugs, including legal medications, whenever they affect the ability to drive safely. A prescription label does not create an exemption, so the doctor-prescribed option is wrong. Over-the-counter medicine can also cause drowsiness or slower reactions. The cue is impairment, not where the substance came from: if the drug changes what you see, hear, decide, or do behind the wheel, do not drive.

15. 15. Your wheels drift off the pavement onto the shoulder. Which recovery action comes first?

    1. Grip the steering wheel firmly.
    2. Turn sharply back onto the pavement.
    3. Brake hard until the vehicle stops.
    4. Accelerate to match traffic speed.
    Show answer

    Grip the steering wheel firmly.. When wheels leave the pavement, the first step is to keep control by gripping the steering wheel firmly. California then advises easing off the accelerator, braking gently, checking behind, and steering back carefully. The sharp-turn option is dangerous because too much force can send the vehicle into oncoming traffic. Your cue is the drop from pavement to shoulder: stabilize the vehicle before trying to return to the lane.

16. 16. You receive a one-point traffic citation. What may a judge offer that keeps the citation from reaching your insurer?

    1. The option of attending a traffic violator school
    2. An automatic dismissal once the fine is paid
    3. Removal of the citation from your driver record
    4. A reduction of the fine in exchange for a warning
    Show answer

    The option of attending a traffic violator school. For a one-point violation a judge may offer the choice of attending a traffic violator school, which keeps the citation from being reported to your insurance company. Note what it does not do: the citation still remains on your driver record, so this is not an erasure. Paying the fine by itself brings no such protection, and the offer concerns insurance reporting rather than the size of the penalty. You can use this option once in any 18-month period, and the school reports your course completion to the court.

17. 17. How is a California center left turn lane marked?

    1. By a single solid white line on each side
    2. By two painted lines on each side, the inner line broken and the outer line solid
    3. By a broken white line on each side
    4. By double solid yellow lines on each side
    Show answer

    By two painted lines on each side, the inner line broken and the outer line solid. A center left turn lane sits in the middle of a two-way street and is marked on both sides by two painted lines: the inner line is broken and the outer line is solid. The broken inner line lets vehicles from either direction enter to prepare for a left turn or U-turn, while the solid outer line separates it from the through lanes. Two sets of solid double yellow lines spaced two or more feet apart mean a barrier, not a turn lane.

18. 18. Driving through standing water, your steering suddenly goes light and the tires stop gripping. What is happening and what should you do?

    1. The tires are riding on water; slow down gradually without using the brakes
    2. The brakes have overheated; press the pedal hard to cool them
    3. The road has iced over; accelerate to regain traction
    4. A tire has deflated; brake firmly and steer toward the shoulder
    Show answer

    The tires are riding on water; slow down gradually without using the brakes. Hydroplaning happens in wet conditions when the tires lose all contact with the road and the vehicle rides on water, which is why the steering suddenly feels light. The handbook says to slow down gradually and not use the brakes, because sudden braking may cause you to lose control, and a slight change of direction or a gust of wind could throw the vehicle into a skid. To avoid it, drive slowly, steer around standing water when possible, and slow down if you hear sloshing sounds from the tires.

19. 19. A driver flees law enforcement and causes serious bodily injury during the pursuit. What sentence can that driver face?

    1. A county jail term capped at thirty days
    2. State prison for up to seven years
    3. License suspension without any custodial term
    4. A fine and mandatory traffic school
    Show answer

    State prison for up to seven years. Fleeing on its own is a misdemeanor, but a conviction for causing serious bodily injury during a pursuit exposes the driver to imprisonment in a state prison for up to seven years, or to a county jail term of a year or less. That is a different order of consequence from a short jail stay, a suspension, or a fine with traffic school. Manslaughter resulting from evading law enforcement during a pursuit carries a state prison term with a minimum of 4 to 10 years.

20. 20. What should you do first if you have a tire blowout?

    1. Abruptly lift off the accelerator
    2. Brake suddenly to stop the vehicle immediately
    3. Hold the steering wheel with both hands
    4. Turn sharply toward the shoulder
    Show answer

    Hold the steering wheel with both hands. For a tire blowout, California first lists holding the steering wheel with both hands so you can keep the vehicle stable. Sudden braking is a dangerous choice because the handbook warns that abrupt braking or quick accelerator release can cause loss of control. The cue is a loud pop, vibration, or strong pull; grip firmly, stabilize the car, release speed gradually, and steer toward a safe place after control returns.