California

• If you are under 18, you must be at least 15½ years old.• You must complete a driver education program.• A parent or guardian must sign the application and accept financial responsibility. If parents or guardians share joint custody, both must sign.• You must wait to use the permit until you start behind-the-wheel training with an instructor who validates the permit.

• The knowledge test has multiple-choice questions. • If you are applying for an original license, you have three attempts to pass before you must reapply. • Minors must wait seven days, not counting the day of the failure, before retaking a failed knowledge test. • The manual text provided here does not give the number of questions, passing score, or time limit.

To apply for an instruction permit or driver's license, you must provide proof of identity, two proofs of California residency, and your Social Security number. If the name on your identity document and application do not match, you must also provide a legal full name document. The manual says exceptions may apply. For REAL ID requirements and current acceptable documents, it refers you to the DMV website.

With an instruction permit, you must practice driving with a California-licensed driver who is at least 18 years old, or at least 25 if you are a minor. This person must sit close enough to take control of the vehicle if needed. If you are under 18, you must wait to use the permit until you start behind-the-wheel training with an instructor who validates the permit.

• To get your driver's license after you have your instruction permit, you must practice driving with a California-licensed driver. • If you are a minor, that supervising driver must be at least 25 years old. • If you are under 18, you must practice for at least 50 hours, including 10 hours at night. • If you are under 18, you must hold your instruction permit for at least 6 months before scheduling the behind-the-wheel drive test, unless you turn 18 first.

For the first 12 months of a provisional license, a driver under 18 may not drive between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. The driver also may not carry passengers under age 20 unless a parent, guardian, or another California-licensed driver who is at least 25 is riding in the vehicle. A provisional driver may not drive for pay or operate vehicles that require a commercial Class A, B, or C license. The manual lists exceptions for medical need, school or school activities, work, or driving an immediate family member. In those cases, the driver must carry a signed note that explains the reason.

On test day, bring your instruction permit or driver's license, another California-licensed driver if required, a vehicle that is safe to drive, and valid proof of insurance and registration. If you use a rental vehicle, your name must be on the contract, and the contract must not exclude behind-the-wheel drive tests. Before the test, the examiner checks basic vehicle items. These include the driver window, windshield, rearview mirrors, brake lights, tires, foot brake, horn, parking brake, turn or arm signals, windshield wipers, and seat belts. Recording devices are not allowed during the drive test. Advanced driver assistance features such as automated parallel parking are not allowed as a substitute for driving skill.

At intersections, the road user that arrives first usually goes first. If people arrive at the same time, yield to the person on your right. At a T intersection without STOP or YIELD signs, traffic on the through road has the right-of-way. Pedestrians have the right-of-way. They have the right-of-way in marked and unmarked crosswalks. Drivers turning left must yield to pedestrians and to oncoming traffic that is close enough to be dangerous. Drivers turning right must check for pedestrians, bicycles, and motorcycles. In a roundabout, yield to traffic already in it. On a steep narrow mountain road, the vehicle facing uphill has the right-of-way, and the downhill vehicle should back up.

California uses the Basic Speed Law. You may never drive faster than is safe for current road, traffic, and weather conditions. Unless otherwise posted, the ideal maximum speed limit on most California highways is 65 mph. It is 55 mph on a two-lane undivided highway and for vehicles towing trailers. Other limits in the manual include 25 mph in business or residential districts unless posted otherwise, 25 mph within 500 feet of a school while children are outside or crossing, 15 mph at a blind intersection, 15 mph in an alley, and 15 mph within 100 feet of a railroad crossing when you cannot see the tracks for 400 feet in both directions.

A solid red light means stop. You may turn right on red after a complete stop unless a NO TURN ON RED sign is posted. A red arrow means stop. Do not turn until a green traffic signal light or green arrow appears. A solid yellow light means caution. The light is about to turn red. A flashing yellow light means proceed with caution. A flashing yellow arrow allows a left turn after you yield to oncoming traffic and proceed carefully. A solid green light means go, but only if the intersection is clear. A green arrow means a protected turn. If a traffic light is not working, stop as if the intersection has STOP signs in all directions, then proceed when safe.

The manual groups signs by purpose and by color or shape. It includes examples such as STOP and YIELD signs, red-and-white regulatory signs like DO NOT ENTER and WRONG WAY, warning signs, school signs, railroad crossing signs, and white rectangular rule signs. It explains that diamond-shaped signs warn of road conditions or dangers ahead. A 5-sided sign means you are near a school. A yellow-and-black circular sign or an X-shaped sign means you are approaching a railroad crossing and should look, listen, slow down, and be prepared to stop.

The manual explains center and lane lines. A single solid yellow line marks the center of a two-way road. Do not pass if there is only one lane going your direction and the solid yellow line is on your side. Double solid yellow lines mean do not pass, except in limited cases such as a left turn into or out of a driveway or private road, a U-turn, an HOV entrance, or when directed by signs because your side is blocked. A broken yellow line means you may pass when it is safe. A solid white line separates lanes going in the same direction. Double solid white lines mark a lane barrier and should not be crossed. A yield line is a row of solid white triangles that shows where approaching vehicles must yield or stop. The manual also covers HOV lanes, center left-turn lanes, bicycle lanes, and end-of-lane markings.

Parking guidance covers parallel parking, straight-line backing, hill parking, and curb colors. When parallel parking, your vehicle should end up within 18 inches of the curb, and you should set the parking brake. On hills, turn your wheels based on the slope and whether there is a curb. Leave the vehicle in park, or in gear if it has a manual transmission. Colored curbs have special rules: white for passenger loading or unloading, green for limited-time parking, yellow for loading, red for no stopping, standing, or parking, and blue for disabled parking. Do not park on a crosswalk, on a sidewalk, in front of a driveway, within 15 feet of a fire hydrant, in a disabled crosshatched area, double parked, or in other places the manual lists as illegal parking.

When a school bus flashes yellow lights, slow down and prepare to stop. When it flashes red lights, you must stop from either direction until the children are safely across the street and the red lights stop flashing. You do not need to stop if the bus is on the other side of a divided highway or a multilane highway with two or more lanes in each direction. Failing to stop may bring a fine of up to $1,000 and a one-year suspension of driving privileges.

Pedestrians have the right-of-way in marked and unmarked crosswalks. Drivers must use caution, reduce speed, or stop so a pedestrian can safely finish crossing. Do not pass a vehicle stopped at a crosswalk. Give extra time to seniors, people with small children, and people with disabilities. Pedestrians using guide dogs or white canes have the right-of-way at all times. Do not honk at them, and do not stop in the middle of a crosswalk. Bicyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as other drivers. Drivers must check blind spots for bicycles, merge toward the curb or into a bike lane only when it is safe, and leave at least three feet when passing a bicyclist if they cannot change lanes.

Drivers and passengers must wear seat belts. A driver can be ticketed for not wearing a seat belt and can also be ticketed if a passenger under 16 is not wearing one. Wear the shoulder belt across your shoulder and chest, not under your arm or behind your back. The lap belt should be snug and low across your hips. If you are pregnant, wear the lap belt low under the abdomen and the shoulder strap between the breasts and to the side of the abdomen.

Children who are under 2 years old, under 40 pounds, and under 3 feet 4 inches tall must ride in a rear-facing child passenger restraint system. A child in a rear-facing child passenger restraint system may not ride in the front seat of an airbag-equipped vehicle. Children who are under 8 years old, or less than 4 feet 9 inches tall, must ride in a child passenger restraint system in a rear seat, with limited exceptions listed in the manual. Children who are 8 years old or older, or at least 4 feet 9 inches tall, may use a properly secured safety belt. It is illegal to leave a child age 6 or younger unattended in a vehicle unless supervised by someone who is at least 12 years old.

The handbook warns drivers to avoid distractions such as looking at a phone, navigation system, children, or pets, changing music, or grooming. Using a handheld cell phone while driving is illegal. Adult drivers should use a phone only in hands-free mode when necessary. Do not send or read text messages or emails while driving. A mounted phone may be used with a single swipe or touch, and it cannot block your view of the road. For minors, using a cell phone or electronic wireless device to answer calls and send or respond to text messages while driving is against the law, except for emergency assistance calls.

California DUI laws apply to alcohol and drugs, including illegal drugs, prescription medicine, and over-the-counter medicine that affects safe driving. If you refuse a required blood or urine test, DMV will suspend or revoke your driving privilege for one year. The BAC limits listed in the manual are 0.08% for drivers over 21, 0.01% for drivers under 21, 0.01% for drivers on DUI probation, and 0.04% for drivers of vehicles requiring a commercial driver's license or drivers carrying passengers for hire. If you are arrested for DUI, DMV may suspend your driving privilege under the Administrative Per Se law. A DUI conviction can lead to a one-year suspension or revocation, completion of a DUI program, an SR-22 or SR-1P insurance filing, fees, and possible ignition interlock device installation. DUI convictions stay on your record for 10 years.

You must have proof of financial responsibility when you drive and for a drive test. If you get into a collision, you must show proof to the other drivers involved. The manual text provided here cuts off early in Section 10, so additional collision duties are not available in this excerpt.

Highway traffic has the right-of-way. When entering a highway, be in the proper lane, get to or near the speed of traffic, merge when it is safe, and do not stop unless absolutely necessary. Leave three seconds of space between you and the vehicle ahead. When exiting, know your exit, change lanes one at a time, signal about five seconds before you exit, and do not cross solid lines. On multilane roads, use the left lane to pass and the right lane to enter or exit. If you are towing, or driving certain larger vehicles, you must use the far-right lane or another lane marked for slower vehicles. If there are four or more lanes in your direction and no lanes are marked, some vehicles may use only the two lanes closest to the right edge of the road.

On city streets, leave about half a block, or about 150 feet, when entering traffic from a full stop. Do not enter an intersection unless you can get completely across without blocking traffic. Business and residential districts have a 25 mph speed limit unless posted otherwise. Near schools, the speed limit is 25 mph within 500 feet while children are outside or crossing the street. Some school zones may be as low as 15 mph. The manual also reminds drivers to watch for pedestrians, bicycles, school buses, and curb markings.

Safe driving starts with scanning at least 10 seconds ahead and staying aware of what is in front of you, beside you, and behind you. Check mirrors often, check blind spots, and avoid staying in another driver's blind spot. Use the three-second rule for following distance. Leave more space when conditions are poor, and make room for vehicles entering freeways. Slow down for darkness, rain, fog, snow, sun glare, wind, and slippery roads. The handbook also explains emergency responses for skids, hydroplaning, tire blowouts, driving off the pavement, and disabled vehicles. In general, stay calm, slow gradually when appropriate, and keep control of the vehicle.

• Use headlights beginning 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise, and whenever weather or visibility requires them. If you need windshield wipers for fog, rain, or snow, you must turn on low-beam headlights. • Drivers must move over and slow down for stationary emergency vehicles, tow trucks with flashing amber warning lights, and stopped road work vehicles with flashing or amber warning lights. • Work-zone fines can be $1,000 or more, and some roads are designated as Safety Enhanced-Double Fine Zones. • It is illegal to wear a headset or earplugs in both ears while driving, to smoke when a minor is in the vehicle, or to drive using only parking lights.

California includes several state-specific rules in this handbook. It is legal to share lanes with motorcycles, which is called lane splitting. Provisional drivers under 18 also have special first-year limits on nighttime driving and young passengers. The manual says only federal law enforcement officers can ask about immigration status. California law prohibits state and local officers from asking drivers or passengers about immigration status. The handbook also includes a section about law enforcement stops and the rights of drivers and passengers. The manual also covers HOV lane use by certain low-emission vehicles with DMV-issued decals and rules for neighborhood electric vehicles and low-speed vehicles.

• Study signs by color and shape. • Learn major sign groups such as STOP, YIELD, DO NOT ENTER, WRONG WAY, railroad crossing, school, pedestrian, and warning signs. • Connect each sign to the action it requires, such as stop, yield, slow down, or do not enter. • Use the handbook sign charts to review regulatory, warning, guide, and construction signs.

• Missing questions on signs, signals, and right-of-way rules • Confusing red light, red arrow, flashing red, and flashing yellow rules • Forgetting teen restrictions, phone rules, seat belt rules, or child restraint rules • Missing special speed limits for schools, blind intersections, alleys, and railroad crossings • Misunderstanding lane markings, bike lane rules, passing distance for bicycles, or school bus stopping rules