California permit practice test 2026

15 mph covers blind intersections, alleys and blind railroad crossings. A blind intersection is one where you cannot see 100 feet in each direction in the last 100 feet before crossing.

The first 12 months also restrict driving between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. without a licensed adult 25 or older in the vehicle.

Refusal carries its own suspension under implied consent, separate from anything the court does, and the refusal can be used as evidence.

California's zero tolerance threshold is 0.01%, which can be reached by cough syrup or mouthwash. The administrative suspension is one year.

Riders must obey signals and signs, and drivers must yield to them the same way they would to another vehicle.

The orange triangle marks a vehicle traveling under 25 mph. Closing speed is higher than it looks, so slow early and pass only with a long clear view.

The shoulder is for emergencies and for stopped vehicles. Using it as a lane is both illegal and a common cause of crashes with people standing outside their cars.

Enter the center left turn lane no more than 200 feet before your turn. It is not a travel lane.

The liver processes alcohol at a fixed rate. Nothing speeds it up, so the only plan that works is not driving.

You need to see far enough ahead to complete the pass and return safely. Hills, curves, intersections and railroad crossings take that view away.

Since January 1, 2026, the law covers any stopped vehicle with flashing hazard lights or another warning device such as cones or flares, not only emergency vehicles, tow trucks and highway maintenance vehicles. If a lane change is unsafe or impracticable, slow to a reasonable and prudent speed as you pass.

Most pedestrian deaths happen after dark. Lower your speed so your stopping distance fits inside your headlight range.

Increase your own space cushion and give them a chance to go by. Brake-checking turns their mistake into your crash.

Pump to build pressure, downshift for engine braking, apply the parking brake gradually, and look for an open escape path or an uphill slope.

Space is time. The more of it you keep on all four sides, the more options you have when something goes wrong.

California requires hands-free operation for all drivers. Drivers under 18 may not use a phone at all, hands-free or not.

Belts keep you behind the wheel and away from the windshield, and they position you correctly for the airbag.

The turnout rule applies to any slow-moving vehicle holding up a line of traffic where passing is unsafe.

25 mph is the default for residential and business districts, and it also applies in school zones when children are present unless posted lower.

Driving with a peephole is a citation in most states, and snow left on the roof slides onto your windshield or the car behind you.

The maneuver blocks the whole road for several seconds, so it needs a low-traffic street and a clear view both ways.

Trailers and large trucks are held to 55 mph in California even where other traffic may do 65 or 70.

Expired registration is an easy stop for an officer and, in many states, grounds for towing.

Do not engage. Let them go, change your route if they follow, and drive to a police station rather than home.

Every state sets a damage threshold and a deadline for reporting. Exchange information at the scene and file the report on time.