California DMV Written Test 2026: Fees, Questions, Permit

Every California driver's licence starts with the same two hurdles at the DMV: a vision exam and the written knowledge test. Both happen during a single in-person visit, and one $46 application fee covers the permit, up to three attempts at the written test, and your eventual driving test. This guide covers the Class C licence, which is the ordinary passenger-vehicle licence.

The knowledge test in numbers

The DMV publishes the pass mark as 80%; the question counts above translate to roughly 83%, so aim comfortably higher than eight out of ten either way. Every question is drawn from the California Driver's Handbook, which the DMV publishes as a free PDF, and questions are pulled at random rather than in a fixed order.

Practical detail that catches people out: DMV offices stop administering knowledge tests at 4:30 p.m. Book an appointment early in the day, because arriving at 4:45 p.m. means coming back another day.

What the test covers

The handbook's tested material clusters into a handful of areas, and it is worth knowing where the questions concentrate:

• Right-of-way — four-way stops, uncontrolled intersections, roundabouts, pedestrians and emergency vehicles.
• Speed limits — the basic speed law, the 25 mph business-and-residential default, school zones, and blind-intersection and alley limits.
• Signs, signals and pavement markings, including what a flashing red or yellow means and how to read the colour of curb paint.
• Alcohol, drugs and penalties — the 0.08% limit for adults, 0.01% for anyone under 21, and implied-consent rules.
• Seat belts, child restraints and special vehicles such as school buses and light-rail crossings.
• Parking — distance from a fire hydrant or crosswalk, and the rules for parking on a hill.

The test is offered in 35 or more languages, so you can take it in Chinese if you prefer. Practising in the language you plan to test in is worth doing, because a few terms — "yield", "shall not", "unless otherwise posted" — carry precise legal meaning that translations soften.

What to bring

• A completed DL 44 application. If you are under 18, a parent or guardian must co-sign — both, if they share custody.
• Proof of identity, such as a passport or US birth certificate.
• Two documents proving California residency. If you want a REAL ID, bring the extra REAL ID documents at the same visit.
• Your Social Security number.
• The $46 fee. It is non-refundable.
• Glasses or contact lenses if you need them for the vision exam.

You will also give a thumbprint and have your photo taken. The whole visit typically runs an hour or more even with an appointment.

Retakes and the three-attempt limit

Your $46 application covers three attempts at the written test, with no extra charge per attempt. Fail all three and the application is closed: you file a new one and pay $46 again. Applicants under 18 must wait seven days between attempts, which the DMV intends as study time.

After you pass: from permit to licence

Passing the written test gets you an instruction permit, not a licence. Check the expiry date printed on it and work backwards from there. If you are under 18 you must then:

• Hold the permit for at least six months before the behind-the-wheel test.
• Complete six hours of professional driver training with a licensed instructor.
• Log 50 hours of supervised practice, at least 10 of them at night, with a licensed driver aged 25 or older.
• Be at least 16 on the day of the driving test.

Fail the behind-the-wheel test and there is a 14-day wait before you can retry — a longer penalty than the written test carries, which is a good reason not to book it before you are ready.

A provisional licence issued before you turn 18 restricts you for the first 12 months: no driving between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., and no passengers under 20 unless a licensed driver aged 25 or older is with you.

Costs to expect

The DMV portion is genuinely cheap; the driver education and training requirements are where a teen applicant's budget actually goes.

Official sources

• California DMV — Driver's licences and ID cards
• California Driver's Handbook