The California DMV test, and how to pass it
Also for CDL: air brakes and combination. Both are federal, so they are the same test in every state.
California DMV states that you need 80 percent to pass the Class C knowledge test, but it does not publish the number of questions on any current page. The widely quoted 36 questions for adults and 46 for under-18s come from a DMV research report published in December 2006, which is the most recent official source we could find.
Source: California DMV instruction permits page, checked September 9, 2026. California DMV.
The format, and where each number comes from
| Questions | 36California DMV Research and Development Branch report RSS-06-221 (December 2006), checked September 9, 2026For applicants 18 and over. Applicants under 18 sit a different form with 46 questions. No current DMV consumer page publishes either count: both come from a 2006 DMV research report, which is why we name it rather than stating the number bare. |
| Correct to pass | 30California DMV Research and Development Branch report RSS-06-221 (December 2006), checked September 9, 2026Six errors allowed for adults on the 36 question form; eight errors allowed for under-18s on the 46 question form. |
| Pass mark | 80%California DMV instruction permits page, checked September 9, 2026DMV states 80 percent, but the documented error allowances work out at 83.3 percent for adults and 82.6 percent for under-18s. The two do not reconcile, so treat 80 percent as a floor and aim well above it. |
| Learner permit age | 15 years and 6 months with driver education, or 18 without itCalifornia Driver's Handbook (DL 600), getting an instruction permit, checked September 9, 2026 |
| Supervised hours | 50 hours, of which at least 10 must be at nightCalifornia Driver's Handbook (DL 600), checked September 9, 2026Under-18 applicants only, with a supervisor aged 25 or over, plus 6 hours of professional training and a 6 month permit hold. Adults have no supervised hours requirement. |
| Retakes | Three attempts per application, then you must reapplyCalifornia Driver's Handbook (DL 600), the testing process, checked September 9, 2026Applicants under 18 must also wait seven days before retaking a failed knowledge test, not counting the day of the failure. |
What California asks that other states do not
California is the only state to define lane splitting in its vehicle code, and it applies a universal helmet law to every rider and passenger at every age. It sets four separate alcohol thresholds rather than one, including 0.01 for anyone on DUI probation and 0.01 for drivers under 21. Minimum liability insurance rose to 30/60/15 on 1 January 2025. Daylighting rules now bar parking within 20 feet of any crosswalk, marked or not. Drivers under 18 may not use a phone at all, hands-free included, and a slow driver must pull over once five vehicles have queued behind them. The painted kerb colours carry five specific legal meanings, which the test does ask about.
| Alcohol limits | 0.08 adult, 0.01 under 21, 0.01 on DUI probation |
| Helmet | Universal, every rider and passenger, every age |
| Lane splitting | Defined in statute, CVC 21658.1 |
| Minimum insurance | 30/60/15 since 1 January 2025 |
| Parking | No parking within 20 feet of any crosswalk |
Our California paper carries 27 questions on rules like these, plus 70 on the parts that do not change between states, such as federal sign shapes and right of way.
What the exam covers
These are the sections of the California Driver's Handbook (DL 600), 2025 edition that the knowledge exam is drawn from, in the handbook’s own order.
- Licences and permits. Instruction permits, provisional restrictions, curfews and the testing process.
- Laws and rules of the road. Turning on red, speed limits, HOV lanes and the five-vehicle rule.
- Safe driving. Headlights, phones, child restraints and California conditions.
- Alcohol and drugs. The four separate BAC thresholds and what each one applies to.
- Insurance and collisions. Minimum cover, SR 1 reporting and financial responsibility.
- Parking. Kerb colours, daylighting, and parking on a grade.
- Sharing the road. Lane splitting, helmets, cyclists and school buses.
Source: California Driver's Handbook (DL 600), 2025 edition. Read the official handbook.
Common questions
How many questions are on the California permit test?
The California Class C knowledge exam has 36 questions and you need 30 correct to pass. For applicants 18 and over. Applicants under 18 sit a different form with 46 questions. No current DMV consumer page publishes either count: both come from a 2006 DMV research report, which is why we name it rather than stating the number bare.
How old do you have to be to get a learner permit in California?
15 years and 6 months with driver education, or 18 without it.
How many supervised driving hours does California require?
50 hours, of which at least 10 must be at night. Under-18 applicants only, with a supervisor aged 25 or over, plus 6 hours of professional training and a 6 month permit hold. Adults have no supervised hours requirement.
How many times can you retake the California permit test?
Three attempts per application, then you must reapply. Applicants under 18 must also wait seven days before retaking a failed knowledge test, not counting the day of the failure.
Other states: all US permit practice tests.
Sources: California Department of Motor Vehicles; California Driver's Handbook (DL 600), 2025 edition. Checked 9 September 2026. Original practice questions, not the official examination questions, and not affiliated with or endorsed by California DMV.