Signs + Signals
20%of exam
Right-of-Way
20%of exam
Speed + Lanes
20%of exam
Sharing + Safety
20%of exam
PedestriansBicyclistsTrucksEmergencyConditions
Alcohol + Licensing
20%of exam
BACImplied ConsentPermitProvisionalFees
Quick Facts
- Exam
- CA permit
- Owner
- California DMV
- Format
- Multiple choice
- Pass
- 80%
- Fee
- $46 Class C
- Teen age
- 15 1/2
- Permit hold
- 6 months
- Practice
- 50 hours
- Adult BAC
- 0.08%
Shape Ladder
Octagon stop; triangle yield; diamond warns
OctagonTriangleDiamondPentagon
Stop vs Yield
Stop
- Full stop
- Octagon
- Proceed when safe
Yield
- Slow first
- Triangle
- Stop if needed
Must stop vs may stop
Signal Picker
- Steady red→Stop
- Steady yellow→Stop if safe
- Flashing red→Stop sign
- Flashing yellow→Caution
- Dark signal→All-way stop
- Green arrow→Protected turn
- Red arrow→No turn
- Railroad lights→Stop and wait
Sign Shapes
- Octagon
- Stop
- Triangle
- Yield
- Diamond
- Warning
- Pentagon
- School
- Circle
- Railroad ahead
- Rectangle
- Regulatory/guide
- Orange
- Work zone
- Green
- Guide directions
Curb Colors
Red none; white quick; blue disabled
Red: noYellow: loadWhite: pickupGreen: timedBlue: disabled
Yellow vs Flashing
Steady yellow
- Red coming
- Stop if safe
- Clear intersection
Flashing yellow
- Caution
- No required stop
- Watch hazards
Ending green vs caution
Signals + Markings
- Red light
- Stop
- Yellow light
- Stop if safe
- Green arrow
- Protected movement
- Flashing red
- Stop sign
- Flashing yellow
- Proceed cautiously
- Dark signal
- All-way stop
- Double yellow
- No passing
- Broken yellow
- Pass if safe
- White diamond
- HOV lane
Curbs + Parking
- Red curb
- No stopping
- Yellow curb
- Loading only
- White curb
- Pickup/dropoff
- Green curb
- Time limited
- Blue curb
- Disabled parking
- Uphill curb
- Away from curb
- Downhill curb
- Toward curb
- Fire hydrant
- Keep clear
Right Red vs Left Red
Right red
- Stop first
- Yield all
- Unless posted
Left red
- One-way to one-way
- Stop first
- Unless posted
Common vs limited
Right-of-Way Picker
- Same stop time→Driver on right
- Turning left→Yield oncoming
- Entering roundabout→Yield circulating
- Merging freeway→Find gap
- Pedestrian crossing→Yield
- Emergency siren→Pull right
- School bus reds→Stop
- Mountain conflict→Uphill priority
Intersections
- First arrival
- Goes first
- Same time
- Right goes first
- Left turn
- Yield oncoming
- Roundabout
- Yield circulating
- Freeway merge
- Match speed
- Rail gates
- Wait fully
- Crosswalk
- Yield pedestrians
- Mountain road
- Uphill priority
Speed Defaults
65 freeway; 55 two-lane; 25 towns
65 freeway55 two-lane25 district15 blind
Solid vs Broken
Solid yellow
- No passing
- Opposing traffic
- Turns allowed
Broken yellow
- Passing possible
- Check clear
- Return right
No pass vs pass
Speed Defaults
- Basic law
- Safe for conditions
- Freeway
- 65 mph
- Two-lane
- 55 mph
- Residential
- 25 mph
- Business district
- 25 mph
- School zone
- 25 mph
- Blind intersection
- 15 mph
- Alley
- 15 mph
Basic vs Posted
Basic law
- Conditions decide
- May be lower
- Safety first
Posted limit
- Legal maximum
- Normal conditions
- Still reduce
Safe speed vs sign
Lanes + Turns
- Signal
- Before move
- Blind spot
- Head check
- Right on red
- Stop first
- Left on red
- One-way only
- Double white
- Do not cross
- Center turn
- Left turns only
- Bike lane
- Merge before turn
- U-turn
- Legal if safe
HOV vs Bike Lane
HOV
- Diamond lane
- Occupancy rules
- Posted access
Bike lane
- Cyclist space
- Merge for turn
- Check bikes
Carpool vs cyclists
Conditions + Safety
- Headlights
- Low visibility
- Fog
- Low beams
- Wet roads
- Slow down
- Hydroplane
- Ease off
- Skid
- Steer direction
- Following
- More space
- Collision
- Stop, exchange
- Seat belts
- Everyone buckles
BAC Steps
Adult eight; underage one
0.08 adult0.04 CDL0.01 under 210.01 probation
Adult vs Underage BAC
Adult
- 21 or older
- 0.08% limit
- Still impaired earlier
Under 21
- Zero tolerance
- 0.01% limit
- One-year revocation
Legal adult vs zero tolerance
Permit Picker
- Age 15 1/2→Apply permit
- Teen applicant→Driver ed
- Never licensed→Hold permit
- Before road test→6 months
- Need practice→50 hours
- Under 21 BAC→0.01% limit
- Adult BAC→0.08% limit
- Commercial BAC→0.04% limit
Alcohol + Drugs
- Age 21+
- 0.08% BAC
- Under 21
- 0.01% BAC
- DUI probation
- 0.01% BAC
- Commercial
- 0.04% BAC
- For hire
- 0.04% BAC
- Implied consent
- Chemical test
- Medication
- May impair
- Only safe
- Zero drinks
Permit + License
- Teen permit
- 15 1/2
- Driver ed
- Teen requirement
- Application
- $46 Class C
- Hold period
- 6 months
- Practice
- 50 hours
- Vision
- Required screening
- Knowledge
- No test aids
- Handbook
- Question source
Common Traps
Rolling stop
Stop means full ≠ Slow is yield
Basic speed
Posted is maximum ≠ Conditions can lower
Left on red
One-way only ≠ Not any street
Double white
Do not cross ≠ Not passing lane
Underage BAC
0.01% limit ≠ Not 0.08%
Bike pass
Give 3 feet ≠ Do not squeeze
Dark signal
Treat as stop ≠ Not free green
Last Minute
- 1.Official pass: 80%
- 2.Class C fee: $46
- 3.Octagon = stop
- 4.Triangle = yield
- 5.Diamond = warning
- 6.Basic law controls speed
- 7.Freeway default: 65
- 8.Two-lane default: 55
- 9.Residential default: 25
- 10.Under 21 BAC: 0.01
- 11.Adult BAC: 0.08
- 12.Permit hold: 6 months
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