California permit test flashcards
321 cards for the California DMV knowledge test. Read the question, say your answer, then flip: every answer comes with a one-line reason and the handbook page it comes from.
What’s in each deck
Practice test 121 cards
Every question in our California bank as a card. The front is the question (with its diagram where there is one); the back is the correct answer, why, and the page of the California Driver's Handbook (DL 600). Diagrams that would give the answer away appear only after you flip.
Road signs · Traffic signals · Pavement markings · Right of way & intersections · Turning & signaling · Lanes, passing & merging · Speed limits & control · Following distance & space · Parking & stopping · Highways & freeways · Sharing the road · School buses & emergency vehicles · Railroad crossings · Work zones · Night, weather & hazards · Emergencies & crashes · Alcohol & drugs · Distracted & drowsy driving · Permits & licensing · Laws, points & insurance · Seat belts & equipment
Road signs 118 cards · free
The sign on the front; its name, what it means and what to do on the back. Regulatory, warning, school, railroad, work zone and guide signs, all from the federal MUTCD, which California follows.
Road-sign flashcards on their own
California rules 21 cards
Permit and test facts (age, fees, passing score, supervised hours) and California’s laws on phones, DUI, seat belts, school buses, Move Over and more. Each card links to the official source it was checked against.
Read the full California traffic laws page
Motorcycle 61 cards
Questions from the California Motorcycle Handbook (DL 665): gear, controls, lane position, hazards and California’s motorcycle laws.
California motorcycle practice tests
A few of the cards
Front on top, back below. In the player you see one side at a time.
California rules · Permit and test facts
How old must you be to get a learner’s permit in California?
15 years, 6 months
Provisional instruction permit at 15 years 6 months with completed (or enrolled) driver education; 17.5-18 may get a permit without driver ed but cannot take the drive test until 18.
dmv.ca.gov
California rules · Traffic laws
What must you do after a crash in California?
Report a crash to DMV within 10 days if anyone is hurt or killed or property damage is over $1,000.
If anyone is injured or killed, a written report must also go to the CHP or city police within 24 hours.
leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
Practice test · Road signs
What does a five-sided (pentagon) sign like this one warn you about?
Practice test · Traffic signals
What must you do at a flashing red traffic light?
Practice test · Turning & signaling
How far before a turn should you start signaling?
Road signs · Regulatory signs
What does this sign mean?
Stop
Come to a complete stop at the stop line (or before the crosswalk or intersection), then go only when it is safe and you have yielded to traffic and pedestrians.
MUTCD 11th ed., page 6
How to study with flashcards
- Answer before you flip. Say the answer out loud or in your head. Recalling it yourself is what makes it stick; recognizing it among four options is easier than the real test.
- Grade yourself honestly. Swipe right (or press “Got it”) only if you had the answer, not if it looked familiar. Swipe left for “Again”.
- Review your misses straight away. At the end of a round you can go through just the cards you missed.
- Come back over several days. Short sessions spread out beat one long night.
- Finish with a real-format test. When most cards are known, take the California exam simulator to practice under test conditions.
Questions about the flashcards
How many California permit test flashcards are there?
321 in all: 121 practice-test cards from the California question bank, 118 road-sign cards, 21 California rules and permit facts and 61 motorcycle cards.
Are the flashcards free?
The road-signs deck is free for everyone, with no sign-up. The first 20 cards of each California deck are free too, and every practice test on this site is free.
Where do the answers come from?
Practice cards come from questions written from the California Driver's Handbook (DL 600), and each answer names the handbook page. Rule cards come from California’s statutes and DMV pages, checked and quoted on our traffic-laws page. Road-sign cards follow the federal MUTCD, which every state uses.
Do the flashcards work on a phone?
Yes. They open full screen, you tap a card to flip it and swipe right if you knew it, left to see it again, or up to skip. Turn your phone sideways for a wider card. There are buttons for every action, and on a computer you can use the keyboard.
Are these the real test questions?
No. States keep their test questions confidential, and no practice site has them. These cards cover the same rules the real California test is based on, with a source for every answer.
California practice test 1California permit test overview