California Parking Rules Practice Test

This free test has 30 new questions on parking and stopping: parallel parking step by step, parking on hills, places where parking is illegal, freeway stops and pulling away from the curb. You need 24 correct (80%) to pass, and every answer links to the California Driver’s Handbook section it comes from.

Unofficial practice test 30 questions · pass at 80% (24 correct)

0 / 30 answered · 0 correct

You are looking for a space to parallel park. According to the handbook, the space should be longer than your vehicle by at least how much?
Three feet Six inches Ten feet No extra length is needed
You have found a parallel parking space and pull up beside the car parked just ahead of it. About how much side-to-side room should you leave between the two vehicles?
About six inches About two feet About five feet About eight feet
While setting up to parallel park, you pull up beside the car parked ahead of the open space. Where should you stop before you start backing in?
When your front bumper lines up with the front of the space When your front wheels are even with the back of the space When your rear bumper lines up with the front of the space When your rear bumper lines up with the back of the space
You begin backing into a parallel parking space. At about what angle should you steer your car into the space?
About 10 degrees About 90 degrees About 120 degrees About 45 degrees
You are backing into a parallel parking space at an angle, and your rear wheel is now within 18 inches of the curb. What should you do next?
Start steering away from the curb Turn the steering wheel sharply toward the curb Stop, shift into park, and set the parking brake Keep backing straight until your tire hits the curb
You have stopped beside the car ahead of an open space and are about to back into it. What should you do just before you start backing?
Turn off your signal so drivers behind can go around Check your rearview mirror and look over your shoulder Rely only on your side mirror to see what is behind Open your door and lean out to look behind the car
You are practicing straight-line backing along a curb. According to the handbook, how far should you back up in a straight line?
One vehicle length Ten vehicle lengths Three vehicle lengths Half a city block
Your car has a manual transmission, and you are parking on a hill. Besides turning your wheels the right way, what does the handbook tell you to do?
Leave it in neutral so the brakes can hold it Leave the engine running with the car in neutral Let the curb hold the car and skip the parking brake Set the parking brake and leave the car in gear
You park an automatic-transmission car in a driveway that slopes down toward the street. How should you leave it?
Wheels set so it won't roll into the street, in park, brake on Wheels straight ahead, in neutral, with the parking brake on Wheels aimed at the street, in park, with the parking brake off Wheels straight ahead, in park, with the parking brake off
You need to stop briefly to unload boxes of merchandise (freight) from your vehicle. Which curb color marks a zone for loading and unloading both passengers and freight?
White Yellow Green Blue
The only open spot on your block would leave the back of your car partly blocking the sidewalk. The curb is unpainted and no signs are posted. What does the handbook say?
You may park if people can still walk around it You may park if you stay inside your vehicle You may not park there, even partly blocking it You may park there for up to 15 minutes
A section of curb was built to give wheelchair users access to the sidewalk. The curb is unpainted and no sign is posted. May you park in front of it?
Yes, if you have a disabled person placard Yes, if you stay with your vehicle Yes, for no more than 15 minutes No, parking there is not allowed
Your car runs only on gasoline. A parking space has a sign saying it is designated for zero-emission vehicles. May you park there?
No, it is for zero-emission vehicles only Yes, if you keep the engine turned off Yes, if every other space is full Yes, for up to 30 minutes
Traffic is light, and you want to park along the edge of a bridge to take photos. There is no emergency, and no signs about parking are posted on the bridge. What does the handbook say?
You may park if you turn on your flashers You may not park on the bridge You may park for up to 15 minutes You may park if you stay with the car
At a corner, the curb has been built out into the street (a curb extension) next to a crosswalk. Within how many feet of that crosswalk is parking illegal?
10 feet 20 feet 15 feet 30 feet
A safety zone for people waiting for a streetcar is marked on the road near the curb. You want to park in the gap between the safety zone and the curb. What does the handbook say?
You may park there if no streetcar is coming You may park there for up to 10 minutes You may park there outside of rush hour You may not park between a safety zone and curb
Every space on the block is taken. You need to run into a store for two minutes, so you consider stopping beside a parked car and leaving your vehicle there. What does the handbook say?
Do not double park, even for a short time It is allowed if your emergency flashers are on It is allowed if the stop is under five minutes It is allowed on streets with two lanes each way
On a quiet two-way street, the only open space is on the left side, facing oncoming traffic. There is no emergency, no officer has told you to stop, and no sign permits it. May you park there facing the wrong way?
Yes, if the street has very little traffic No, you may not park on the wrong side Yes, if you park within 18 inches of the curb Yes, if you leave your parking lights on
In which of these situations does the handbook allow you to stop on a freeway?
To wait for a friend who is following you To take photos of the scenery When a law enforcement officer requires it To let a passenger out near their home
You have an emergency and must stop on the freeway. Where does the handbook say your vehicle should be?
In the far-right lane with your flashers on Halfway onto the shoulder, half in the lane In the left lane, close to the center divider Parked completely off the pavement
According to the handbook, who may set aside spots on public streets for charging electric vehicles?
Local authorities Electric car owners who live nearby Any business next to the space Only the California DMV
On a warm, sunny day you plan to leave your dog in your parked car while you shop, with one window cracked open. What does the handbook say?
It is fine because a window is partly open Leaving a pet in a hot car is unsafe and illegal It is fine if you return within ten minutes It is fine as long as the engine is turned off
It is dusk and getting harder to see. You switch on only your parking lights and keep driving. What does the handbook say?
Parking lights are enough until full darkness Parking lights are fine on well-lit city streets Driving with only parking lights is illegal Parking lights are fine if you also use flashers
Traffic is backed up just past a railroad crossing. If you cross now, you would have to stop with part of your car on the tracks. No warning lights are flashing. What should you do?
Cross and stop on the tracks, since no train is coming Cross and stop with only your rear bumper on the tracks Cross quickly with your emergency flashers turned on Wait until there is room to get all the way across
The fog becomes so thick that you can no longer drive safely. What does the handbook suggest?
Pull off the road, turn on emergency flashers, and wait Stop in your lane and switch on your high beams Keep driving with only your fog lights turned on Speed up to get through the fog more quickly
Your car develops trouble on a two-lane road, and there is no room to pull completely off the road. Where should you stop?
Just beyond the top of a hill Where drivers behind you can see your car Just around a curve in the road In a dark spot where your car is hidden
You are parked at the curb on an empty residential street and are about to pull out. No other vehicles are in sight. What does the handbook say about signaling?
No signal is needed when no one is around Signal only after you have joined the lane Signal before pulling out, even with no one around Tap your horn instead of using a turn signal
You have just parked on a busy street and are about to open your door on the traffic side. What should you look carefully for first?
Only cars, since bicycles must avoid parked cars Only what you can see in your rearview mirror Nothing, since passing traffic must avoid your door Passing vehicles, bicycles, and motorcycles
You are pulling out of a curb parking spot onto a street with three lanes going your way. Which lane should you enter?
The right lane The center lane The left lane Whichever lane is fastest
You are driving down a street lined with parked cars on your right. What does the handbook advise?
Drive as close to the parked cars as you can Keep some space between you and the parked cars Drive with your right wheels in the bicycle lane Speed up so you spend less time beside them

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Curb colors in California

Curb	What it means	Practice
Red	No stopping, standing or parking.	Test 2
Yellow	Stop only to load or unload passengers or freight. Drivers of ordinary (noncommercial) cars generally must stay with the vehicle.	this test, Test 2
White	Stop only briefly to let passengers get in or out.	Test 2
Green	Park for a limited time.	Test 3
Blue	Only for a disabled person, or someone driving them, with a disabled placard or plate.	Test 3

Parking on a hill

Situation	What to do	Practice
Facing downhill, with a curb	Turn the front wheels into the curb.	Test 3
Facing uphill, with a curb	Turn the front wheels away from the curb, then let the car roll back until a tire touches the curb.	Test 3
No curb (uphill or downhill)	Turn the front wheels to the right, toward the edge of the road.	Test 1
Manual transmission	Set the parking brake and leave the car in gear.	this test
Driveway sloping to the street	Turn the wheels so the car cannot roll into the street, shift into park and set the parking brake.	this test

Parallel parking, step by step

Find a space at least 3 feet longer than your vehicle, and turn on your signal.
Pull up beside the car parked ahead of the space, about 2 feet away from it, and stop when your rear bumper lines up with the front of the space.
Check your rearview mirror and look over your shoulder before you back up.
Back in, steering into the space at about a 45-degree angle.
When your rear wheel is within 18 inches of the curb, start steering away from the curb.
Finish parallel to the curb and no more than 18 inches from it.

This test practices these steps, and the final 18-inch rule is also in Test 5.

Where you may not park

Place	Rule	Practice
Fire hydrant	Not within 15 feet	Test 2
Crosswalk (marked or unmarked)	Not within 20 feet, or 15 feet where there is a curb extension	Test 2, this test
Sidewalk ramp for disabled persons	Not within 3 feet, and never in front of a curb built for wheelchair access	Test 2, this test
Crosshatched area next to a disabled space	Never	Test 4
Sidewalk	Not on it, and not partly blocking it	this test
Bridge or tunnel	Not unless signs allow it	this test
Between a safety zone and the curb	Never	this test
Next to a parked car (double parking)	Never, not even for a moment	this test
Left side of the street, facing traffic	Not unless an emergency, an officer or a sign allows it	this test
Freeway	Only in an emergency, when an officer requires it, or where stopping is specifically allowed; then get completely off the pavement	this test

All of these rules come from Section 6: Navigating the Roads of the California Driver’s Handbook, which also lists other places where parking is not allowed.

Keep studying

Try the right-of-way test and the road signs test, or read how to study for the California permit test.