Free California permit practice tests written from the official California Driver’s Handbook. Every answer explains the rule and links to the handbook section it comes from, so you can check it yourself.
Free California practice tests
- Test 01
California Practice Test 1
A balanced mix: signals, lane markings, right-of-way, sharing the road, safe driving and alcohol rules.
Start test - Test 02
California Practice Test 2
Traffic signals and sign shapes, parking and curb colors, seat belts and the point system.
Start test - Test 03
California Practice Test 3
Speed limits, phone and screen rules, rain and night driving, insurance and registration.
Start test - Test 04
California Practice Test 4
Trucks, buses and light rail, pedestrians, bad weather, alcohol and drug rules.
Start test - Test 05
California Practice Test 5
Emergencies and breakdowns, right-of-way at turns, lane markings, equipment, license renewal.
Start test - Signs
California Road Signs Test
30 common signs, each shown as a drawing: regulatory, warning, school, railroad and work-zone signs.
Start test - Topic
California Right-of-Way Test
Who goes first at intersections, roundabouts and crosswalks, plus emergency vehicles, school buses and sharing the road.
Start test - Topic
California Parking Rules Test
Parallel parking step by step, parking on hills, curb colors, no-parking zones and stopping on the freeway.
Start test - Topic
California Alcohol & DUI Test
BAC limits, medicines and cannabis, chemical tests, under-21 rules and what happens after a DUI arrest.
Start test - Topic
California Lane Markings Test
White and yellow lines, crosswalk and bike lane markings, carpool and center turn lanes, and changing lanes.
Start test - Topic
California Sharing the Road Test
Large trucks, motorcycles, bicyclists, light rail, neighborhood electric vehicles and work zones.
Start test - Topic
California Safe Driving Test
Brake failure and skids, rain, ice, fog and wind, night driving, phones, and what to do after a collision.
Start test - Topic
California Speed Limits & Turns Test
Speed limits by road type, adjusting to conditions, U-turns, turning and signaling.
Start test - Topic
California License & Insurance Test
Permit and license steps, provisional rules for teens, the drive test car, insurance and points.
Start test
All five tests use different questions: 230 in total, none repeated. Each has 46 questions and uses the DMV’s published 80% passing mark (37 correct). The road signs test adds 30 more, each with a sign drawing, the right-of-way test adds 29 new questions on who goes first, the parking test adds 30 more, the alcohol and drugs test adds 28, the lane markings test adds 30, the sharing the road test adds 30, the safe driving test adds 30, the speed limits and turns test adds 22, and the license and insurance test adds 30.
The California knowledge test at a glance
| What | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Passing score | 80% | California DMV, Instruction Permits |
| Number of questions | Widely reported as 46 for applicants under 18 and 36 for applicants 18 and older. The DMV does not publish the count on its current pages. | How we checked this |
| Attempts | Three attempts per application, then you must reapply. Applicants under 18 wait 7 days after a failed test, not counting the day of the failure. | Handbook, Section 3 |
| Where you can take it | At a DMV office, or online through the DMV’s online knowledge test option. Testing options are shown after you complete your application. | California DMV, Instruction Permits |
| Minimum age for an instruction permit | 15½ with driver education; otherwise 18 | California DMV, Instruction Permits |
| Study material | Questions are based on the California Driver’s Handbook. No study aids are allowed during the test. | California Driver’s Handbook |
Rules can change. Always confirm the current requirements on dmv.ca.gov before your test. Facts on this page were last checked on November 3, 2026.
How to use these tests
- Read the handbook sections once before you start.
- Take a practice test without looking anything up.
- For every question you miss, open the linked handbook section and reread the rule.
- Retake the test until you score well above 80%, because the real test can ask about rules you have not practiced here.
For a full study plan, the handbook sections to focus on and the numbers worth memorizing, read how to study for the California permit test.
How our questions are made
We write every question ourselves from the rules in the California Driver’s Handbook. We do not copy official test questions or handbook text, and each question is checked against the handbook before it is published. Found a mistake? Use the “Report a problem” link under any answer, or email hello@roadquizzer.com.
RoadQuizzer is not affiliated with the California DMV or any government agency. These are practice tests, not the official exam.