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CALIFORNIA DMV · WRITTEN TEST (CLASS C)

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Traffic rules, parking and seat belts: California DMV written test practice

Rules to understand before practicing

Check signs, curb markings and road markings before parking or turning. Leave crossings, driveways and emergency access clear. When parked on a hill, wheel direction and the parking brake help keep a rolling vehicle out of traffic. Restraint requirements depend on a child's age and size and the state law; choose an appropriate seat and follow its installation instructions. A common mistake is applying a curb color or distance learned in another state without checking local rules.

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17 free practice questions on traffic rules, parking and seat belts for the California DMV written knowledge test, each with the correct answer and a short explanation. Study them here, then check yourself in the interactive quiz or the exam simulator.

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About the California written test

36questions on the real test for adults
30 / 36correct answers to pass (~83%)
3attempts before you must reapply

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1. Children under 2 years of age should generally be:

  1. In a child booster seat
  2. In the front seat with a lap belt
  3. ✓ In a rear-facing car seat in the back seat
  4. Facing any direction—at the driver's discretion

Explanation: Children under 2 years of age must ride in a rear-facing car seat, unless they already weigh 40+ pounds or are taller than 40 inches.

Official reading · set1-023

2. Children under the age of 8 should generally be:

  1. In the front seat, in any child restraint system
  2. ✓ In an appropriate car seat or booster seat in the back seat
  3. Simply fastened with a waist belt, in the front or back
  4. Only with an adult seat belt

Explanation: Children under 8 years of age (and shorter than 4 feet 9 inches) must use a car seat or booster seat in the back seat, in accordance with California's child passenger safety law.

Official reading · set1-024

3. California's seat belt law requires the use of seat belts:

  1. Just a driver
  2. Only the driver and front-seat passenger
  3. ✓ The driver and all passengers, in all seats
  4. Only passengers under 18 years of age

Explanation: Everyone in the car must wear a seatbelt—in every seat and on every trip.

Official reading · set1-025

4. The recommended following distance from the vehicle ahead under good conditions is:

  1. 1 second
  2. ✓ 3 seconds
  3. 10 seconds
  4. One car length, regardless of speed

Explanation: The 3-second rule scales with speed, unlike a fixed distance in "car lengths," and allows time to react.

Official reading · set1-026

5. Where should you adjust navigation settings before a trip?

  1. Assume everyone else will stop
  2. ✓ While parked safely before you begin driving
  3. Accelerate without checking
  4. Ignore the situation

Explanation: Set your route before moving so the device does not distract you.

Official reading · set1-027

6. Drivers under the age of 18 may use a cell phone while driving:

  1. This is only possible in speakerphone mode
  2. ✓ It is not allowed at all, not even on speakerphone, except when calling emergency services
  3. You can drive freely, just like adult drivers
  4. For navigation only

Explanation: In California, drivers under the age of 18 are completely prohibited from using wireless devices while driving, except to report an emergency.

Official reading · set1-028

7. Headlights must be turned on:

  1. Only after 10:00 p.m.
  2. ✓ From 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise, as well as whenever the windshield wipers are on because of rain
  3. Only when driving in fog
  4. Only on highways

Explanation: California law requires the use of headlights both at night and when windshield wipers are in use during rain.

Official reading · set1-029

8. At a railroad crossing with flashing signals, you must stop no closer than:

  1. 5 feet from the nearest rail
  2. ✓ 15 feet from the nearest rail
  3. 50 feet from the nearest rail
  4. All you have to do is slow down

Explanation: Stop at least 15 feet away from the nearest rail and wait until the signals stop flashing and the crossing is safe.

Official reading · set1-030

9. U-turns are prohibited:

  1. Everywhere in California, without exception
  2. ✓ In business districts (except at signalized intersections or where permitted by a sign), as well as anywhere where a “No U-Turn” sign is posted
  3. Only on highways
  4. Only at night

Explanation: By default, U-turns are restricted in business districts, and a “No U-Turn” sign overrides the usual rules where it is posted.

Official reading · set1-031

10. How many penalty points does a typical traffic violation—such as speeding—add to a driver's record?

  1. 0 points
  2. ✓ 1 point
  3. 3 points
  4. 5 points

Explanation: Most violations are worth 1 point; more serious ones (reckless driving, DUI, fleeing the scene of an accident) are worth 2 points.

Official reading · set1-032

11. After accumulating how many points over a 12-month period can a driver be deemed a “negligent driver” and have their license suspended?

  1. 2 points
  2. ✓ 4 points
  3. 8 points
  4. 12 points

Explanation: The thresholds are as follows: 4 points for 12 months, 6 points for 24 months, or 8 points for 36 months.

Official reading · set1-033

12. When another driver honks to signal that they want to pass you, you should:

  1. Speed up so you don't miss it
  2. ✓ Maintain your speed (or slow down slightly) and stay in your lane
  3. Pull over to the side of the road
  4. Flash your high beams at him

Explanation: Allow the driver who is passing you to complete the maneuver safely—do not accelerate or get in their way.

Official reading · set1-034

13. You see a car pulled over on the side of the road with its hazard lights on, traffic cones, or emergency stop signs. What should you do?

  1. Ignore this if you're driving in a different lane
  2. ✓ If possible, safely change lanes or slow down
  3. Speed up to get through this section faster
  4. Come to a complete stop in your lane

Explanation: California's expanded "Move Over" law now applies not only to emergency vehicles but also to any vehicle that has stopped with its hazard lights or warning signs on.

Official reading · set1-035

14. How should you choose a parking space?

  1. ✓ Check signs, curb markings and whether the vehicle would block access
  2. Accelerate without checking
  3. Ignore the situation
  4. Assume everyone else will stop

Explanation: Do not park where you would obstruct traffic, a crossing or emergency access.

Official reading · set1-036

15. A blue curb is intended for:

  1. Commercial loading
  2. ✓ Vehicles with a valid disability placard or license plate
  3. For taxis only
  4. For buses only

Explanation: Blue curbs are for vehicles with a disability placard or license plates; parking there without one is a serious violation.

Official reading · set1-037

16. When parking uphill on a street with a curb, you should turn the front wheels:

  1. ✓ Away from the curb
  2. Toward the curb
  3. Straight
  4. It doesn't matter

Explanation: Turn the wheels away from the curb so that if the car rolls backward, it will come to rest against the curb.

Official reading · set1-038

17. When parking downhill, you should turn the front wheels:

  1. Away from the curb
  2. ✓ Toward the curb
  3. Straight
  4. It doesn't matter

Explanation: Turn the wheels toward the curb so that the car, as it rolls forward, comes to a stop against the curb rather than rolling out onto the roadway.

Official reading · set1-039

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Content updated October 4, 2026 · How we review content