By state
California permit practice test
Questions written from the California Driver Handbook and the federal sign manual, scored the way the DMV scores the minor's knowledge test.
Your score · California
0 / 0
0 correct out of 0 answered
Pick an answer to start
| Pass mark: 37 of 46 (80 %) |
| You can still miss 9 |
Practice questions written from the state handbook and federal rules. Not the official test.
To get a California instruction permit under 18 you must be at least 15 years 6 months, finish a driver education course, pass the knowledge test with at least 80 % of the answers right and pay one application fee of $46, which also covers the first license and allows three attempts at the knowledge test within twelve months. The permit is then held 6 months, with 50 hours of practice certified by a parent, 10 of them at night, before the drive test for a provisional license at 16 years at the earliest. For the first twelve months of that license the night and passenger rules apply. After a failed knowledge test, a minor waits 7 days (minors) before trying again. The practice test above uses the same scoring: one wrong answer too many and the panel turns red.
Pass mark of your state's knowledge test
Correct answers needed
37 / 46
| Questions | 46 |
| Minimum score | 80 % |
| Mistakes allowed | 9 |
| Retake after a fail | 7 days (minors) |
The state publishes a percentage, not a number of answers: the count is derived from it.
Questions and state rules by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How the questions are written
The pass mark, in answers
The DMV states the pass mark as a percentage, 80 %. In answers, that depends on the length of the test you get. The mini-tool below gives the count for any state; for California it uses the 46-question length of the minor's test given in the DMV's research report, flagged as not confirmed by a current page.
Pass mark of your state's knowledge test
Correct answers needed
37 / 46
| Questions | 46 |
| Minimum score | 80 % |
| Mistakes allowed | 9 |
| Retake after a fail | 7 days (minors) |
The state publishes a percentage, not a number of answers: the count is derived from it.
From the permit to a full license in California
The steps of the California graduated license, with the figures the DMV publishes:
| Step | Rule |
|---|---|
| Instruction permit | from 15 years 6 months, after driver education |
| Practice with the permit | 6 months minimum, 50 hours including 10 at night |
| Provisional license | from 16 years, after the drive test |
| Night limit, first 12 months | Provisional: no driving 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. during the first 12 months |
| Passengers, first 12 months | Provisional (first 12 months): no passengers under 20 unless a parent/guardian or licensed driver 25+ rides along |
| Alcohol under 21 | 0.01 BAC |
The date calculator turns these rules into calendar dates from a date of birth. Compared with Texas, where the permit is possible at 15 years, California starts later but asks for the same 50-hour order of practice.
What the California test asks most
The handbook's chapters on signs, right of way, lane use, speed limits, alcohol and sharing the road with cyclists, motorcycles and trucks make up most of the test. California-specific rules worth reading twice: the basic speed law (never faster than is safe for conditions), the 25 mph limit near schools when children are present, the ban on any handheld phone for drivers under 18, and the "Move Over" rule for stopped emergency and service vehicles. The sign questions follow the federal MUTCD shapes and colors; choose "Road signs only" in the test selector to drill them.
On the day at the DMV
Bring proof of identity, of residency in California and your Social Security number, the completed application, and for a minor the signature of a parent or guardian and the driver education certificate. The vision test comes first. The knowledge test is taken on a touch screen at the field office; check on the DMV site whether an appointment is needed in your area. The rules and the fee are those published on the DMV fee page; this site is independent of the DMV.