The California permit test, explained

The short answer

You need 80 percent to pass the California knowledge test, which is multiple choice and based on the California Driver Handbook. The DMV’s permit page does not say how many questions it has. Under 18, you can apply from age 15½ with a driver education certificate.

Source: Learner’s permits, California DMV

In California the learner’s permit is called an instruction permit. Under 17½ you need driver education first, and every teen needs a parent’s signature and 50 hours of practice before the drive test.

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This text was written with AI help, checked against the California DMV’s pages and approved by Fri Vei AS. Last updated .

Checked against the California DMV · Report a mistake

Drivoku is not connected to the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Every fact below links to the DMV page it comes from, checked on November 3, 2026. Rules change, so check the DMV before test day.

The California permit test at a glance

California instruction permit and knowledge test (under 18)
Minimum age15½ (DMV)
Before you applyA Certificate of Completion or Enrollment for driver education; from 17½ you may apply without it (DMV)
The testMultiple-choice questions based on the California Driver Handbook
Number of questionsNot stated on the DMV’s permit page
Passing score80 percent (DMV)
TriesThree before you must apply again; under 18, wait seven days after a failed test (Handbook, section 3)
WhereA DMV office (start the test before 4:30 p.m.). In 2023 the DMV announced an online test on a computer with a webcam, open to under-18s (DMV news release)
Fee$46 for an original Class C application, on the DMV’s licensing fees page

How many questions are on the California permit test?

The DMV does not publish the number on its learner’s permit page. It says the test has multiple-choice questions based on the California Driver Handbook, and that a passing score is 80 percent. Study the whole handbook rather than counting on a number of questions.

You get three tries before you have to apply again. If you are under 18 and fail, you wait seven days, not counting the day you failed, before the next try (California Driver Handbook, section 3).

Can you take the California permit test online?

Possibly. In a news release of December 28, 2023, the DMV said its online knowledge test, first offered to adults, had been opened in September 2023 to Californians under 18 who need a driver’s license. You need a computer or laptop with a webcam (not a tablet or phone), and the test runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday. You get two tries online; after that, you take it at a DMV office (DMV news release). The DMV’s current permit page only describes the test at an office, so check with the DMV whether the online test is open to you. Even after an online test you still visit an office for the rest of the application.

What to bring to the DMV

  • The driver’s license application, signed by a parent or guardian if you are under 18.
  • Your California ID card, or proof of identity and residency. For a REAL ID, bring two residency documents.
  • If you are under 17½: your driver education Certificate of Completion or Enrollment.

The DMV keeps the full list on its learner’s permit page and its REAL ID checklist. The application and fee stay valid for 12 months.

Rules for teen drivers in California

California, like every state, uses graduated driver licensing: a supervised permit first, then a license with limits. From section 2 of the handbook:

  • Do not use the permit until you start behind-the-wheel driver training.
  • Practice at least 50 hours with a California-licensed driver who is at least 25, including 10 hours at night.
  • Hold the permit for at least six months before the drive test, unless you turn 18 first.
  • For the first 12 months with a license, do not drive between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., and do not carry passengers under 20, unless a parent, guardian or another licensed driver aged 25 or older rides with you. The handbook lists the exceptions.

What Drivoku covers for California

Our free permit practice test and the questions below cover the road rules and signs that apply in every state: signals, right-of-way, sharing the road and safe driving, with signs from the national sign manual. They do not cover California’s own laws and numbers. For those, read the California Driver Handbook and try the DMV’s sample tests.

Practice five questions every state shares

Five shared road rules

Answer one question at a time. You see the answer and the reason after each one. Nothing you pick is saved or sent anywhere.

Question 1 of 5

  1. Traffic signals

    A steady green arrow points left while the circular light is red. A pedestrian is still crossing directly in your intended turning path. What must you do?

    • Turn left now; the arrow gives you the right-of-way
    • Turn left and stop inside the crosswalk
    • Go straight instead, since the arrow is on
    • Yield to the pedestrian, then turn when safe and permitted Right

    The right answer is D: Yield to the pedestrian, then turn when safe and permitted

    WhyA green arrow allows the left turn, but you must still yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk.

    Source: MUTCD Section 4A.03 Meanings of Steady Vehicular Signal Indications

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  2. Right-of-way

    At a marked crosswalk with no traffic signals, a pedestrian is already crossing in your lane. You have enough distance to stop safely. Which action gives the pedestrian the right-of-way?

    • Continue because your road has no stop sign
    • Sound your horn and keep your current speed
    • Stop and let the pedestrian cross Right
    • Steer into the next lane to pass the pedestrian

    The right answer is C: Stop and let the pedestrian cross

    WhyDrivers must yield to pedestrians crossing in their path within an unsignalized crosswalk.

    Source: UVC § 11-502(a) Pedestrians’ right of way in crosswalks (model law)

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  3. Sharing the road

    A motorcycle is traveling ahead in your lane. There appears to be enough room for your car beside it. How should you treat the motorcycle's lane space?

    • Share its lane whenever your car can fit beside it
    • Allow the motorcycle full use of its lane Right
    • Move beside it after sounding a brief horn warning
    • Use its unused lane space when traffic is moving slowly

    The right answer is B: Allow the motorcycle full use of its lane

    WhyA motorcycle is entitled to full use of a lane; a car must not crowd into that space.

    Source: UVC § 11-1303(a) Operating motorcycles on roadways laned for traffic (model law)

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  4. Distraction

    You drop something on the floor while driving. What should you do?

    • Wait to pick it up until you stop safely Right
    • Reach down quickly while watching the road
    • Look down and grab it in one quick move
    • Stop in the middle of the lane to get it

    The right answer is A: Wait to pick it up until you stop safely

    WhyWait to retrieve a dropped object until you can pull over and stop safely; reaching distracts you.

    Source: NHTSA: Distracted Driving, What Is Distracted Driving?

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  5. Speed and space

    Which statement about your speed is correct?

    • You must never drive below the posted limit, even in bad weather
    • Drive at a safe speed for conditions; don't needlessly block normal traffic Right
    • The posted limit is only a suggestion
    • You must match the speed of the fastest car

    The right answer is B: Drive at a safe speed for conditions; don't needlessly block normal traffic

    WhyDrive at a safe speed for conditions, even below the limit, but don't needlessly impede normal traffic.

    Source: UVC § 11-801 Basic rule (model law), UVC § 11-805 Minimum speed regulation (model law)

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Each topic's level is free in the app. Pro lets you practice every topic as much as you want.

In the app, questions you miss come back until you get them right. 5 questions a day are free.

45 free questions on this website and 379 in the app, checked against the MUTCD, the Uniform Vehicle Code and Texas law, with the reason for every answer. About the app

Out now on iPhone and Android.

Want more? Take the 25-question permit practice test or the road signs quiz, and browse the road signs library. Other states: permit test by state.

Common questions

How many questions are on the California permit test?

The DMV’s learner’s permit page does not say. It says the test is multiple choice, based on the California Driver Handbook, and that you need 80 percent to pass.

Can I take the California permit test online at home?

Possibly. In a December 2023 news release the DMV said its online knowledge test had been opened to Californians under 18 in September 2023, on a computer or laptop with a webcam, with two tries online before you must test at an office. Its current permit page only describes the office test, so check with the DMV.

How many times can you fail the California permit test?

You get three tries before you must apply again. Under 18, you wait seven days after a failed test, not counting the day you failed.

How old do you have to be to get a permit in California?

At least 15½, with a driver education Certificate of Completion or Enrollment. From 17½ you can apply without the certificate.

Sources

(5)
  1. Learner’s permits, California DMV
  2. California Driver Handbook, section 2: getting an instruction permit and driver’s license, California DMV
  3. California Driver Handbook, section 3: the testing process, California DMV
  4. More Californians fulfilling DMV testing requirement online (December 28, 2023), California DMV
  5. Licensing fees, California DMV