California permit test cheat sheet

California-specific rules from our question bank, condensed to one line each with the handbook page. Read it the night before; don’t use it instead of practicing.

Study sheet for before your test. Notes aren’t allowed in the DMV test room. See the study sheets to print.

Test format
Not published
Passing score
80%
Permit and test fees
$46 total
Minimum age for a permit
15 years, 6 months
Supervised driving
50 hours (10 at night)
Hold your permit
6 months minimum

Permits & licensing

  • California minors can get an instruction permit once they are at least 15½ and have completed driver education. p. 9
  • A minor's California permit is not usable on the day it is issued. p. 9
  • Minors must log at least 50 hours of practice with a California-licensed driver who is at least 25, and 10 of those hours must be at night. p. 9
  • A minor must hold an instruction permit for at least six months (or turn 18) before scheduling the drive test. p. 9
  • For the first year of a provisional license you may not drive between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. p. 10
  • In the first year of a provisional license you may not carry passengers under 20 unless a parent, guardian, or another California-licensed driver at least 25 years old is in the car. p. 10
  • Each provisional-license exception requires a specific signed note. p. 10
  • Minors who fail the knowledge test must wait seven days before retesting, and the day of the failure does not count. p. 11
  • The California DMV states that a passing score is 80%. source
  • The online knowledge test can be attempted twice. source

Alcohol & drugs

  • For drivers 21 and older in a regular vehicle, the per se limit is 0.08% BAC. p. 79
  • California has a zero-tolerance law: drivers under 21 may not drive with a BAC of 0.01% or more. p. 79
  • California sets a 0.04% limit for anyone driving a passenger for hire, the same as for commercial drivers. p. 79
  • California's implied consent law means you agree to a breath, blood or urine test when you drive. p. 78
  • After a DUI arrest, the officer may give you a 30-day temporary license, and DMV's Administrative Per Se law requires a suspension. p. 80
  • An opened container of alcohol or cannabis must be kept in the trunk or another area where passengers do not sit. p. 78
  • For drivers under 21, a PAS result of 0.05% or more lets the officer require a breath or blood test, and a later result at that level can lead to a DUI arrest. p. 81
  • Drivers under 21 may not carry alcohol in a vehicle unless a person 21 or older is with them and the container is full, sealed and unopened (or kept in the trunk if opened). p. 81
  • All DUI convictions stay on your driver record for 10 years. p. 80