California DMV Permit Test · Class C Knowledge Test
California DMV Permit Test: Speed, Lanes, and Parking Concepts
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Overview
This chapter covers how fast you may drive, how to use lanes, and where and how to park. Many test questions here are about specific numbers, so it helps to learn them as a small set. Above all of them sits the Basic Speed Law: you must never drive faster than is safe for the conditions, even if you are under the posted limit.
California has several special speed limits. In alleys and at blind intersections or blind railroad crossings, the limit is 15 mph. Near a school with children present, the limit is usually 25 mph. On most highways the top limit is 65 mph.
When you park parallel to a curb, your wheels must be within 18 inches of it. On a hill, turn your wheels so the car would roll into the curb, not into traffic. Curb colors also give orders: red means no stopping, white is for picking up or dropping off passengers, green is for limited-time parking, and blue is for people with a disabled placard or plate only.
Key concepts
Basic Speed Law
You may never drive faster than is safe for current conditions such as rain, fog, traffic, or road surface, no matter what the posted speed limit is.
Memory tipThe sign gives the top speed; the weather and traffic decide your real speed.
Source: California Vehicle Code (VC 22350) / CA DMV Driver Handbook · as of 2026
15 mph zones
The speed limit is 15 mph in any alley, at a blind intersection, and at a blind railroad crossing, where you cannot see far enough in each direction.
Memory tipTight or blind spots = 15. Think 'one-five for places you can't see.'
Source: California Vehicle Code (VC 22352) / CA DMV Driver Handbook · as of 2026
School zone speed
Unless signs say otherwise, the limit near a school is 25 mph when children are present.
Memory tipKids around = 25.
Source: California Vehicle Code (VC 22352) / CA DMV Driver Handbook · as of 2026
Maximum highway speed
On most California highways the maximum speed limit is 65 mph, unless signs post a different limit.
Memory tip65 is the usual ceiling. Higher only where a sign says so.
Source: California Vehicle Code (VC 22349) / CA DMV Driver Handbook · as of 2026
Parallel parking distance
When parking parallel to a curb, your wheels must be within 18 inches of the curb.
Memory tip18 inches is about a ruler and a half.
Source: California Vehicle Code (VC 22502) / CA DMV Driver Handbook · as of 2026
Parking on a hill
Facing downhill, turn the front wheels toward the curb. Facing uphill with a curb, turn the wheels away from the curb. Always set the parking brake.
Memory tipPicture the car rolling: you want it to bump into the curb, never into the street.
Curb colors
Red: no stopping, standing, or parking. White: stop only long enough to pick up or drop off passengers or mail. Green: park for a limited time. Blue: disabled parking only, with a placard or plate.
Memory tipRed = no. White = drop-off. Green = go (soon). Blue = disabled.
Source: California Vehicle Code (VC 21458) / CA DMV Driver Handbook · as of 2026
Often tested
- Driving under the posted limit can still break the Basic Speed Law if conditions are bad.
- Know the number set: 15 mph (alley, blind spots), 25 mph (school with children), 65 mph (most highways), 18 inches (curb).
- Hill parking questions usually ask which way to turn the wheels. Downhill = toward the curb.
- White and green curbs are the ones people confuse: white is drop-off only, green is short-time parking.
Easy to confuse: Curb colors at a glance
| Curb color | What it means |
|---|---|
| Red | No stopping, standing, or parking |
| White | Stop only to pick up or drop off passengers or mail |
| Green | Parking for a limited time |
| Blue | Parking only for people with a disabled placard or plate |
3 sample questions
Verified practice questions from this unit.
Question 1. California's Basic Speed Law says you should:
- ① Drive at the same speed as the cars around you
- ② Always drive exactly at the posted speed limit
- ③ Never drive faster than is safe for current conditions
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Answer: ③ Never drive faster than is safe for current conditions
Key point: Basic Speed Law = never faster than is safe for conditions
The Basic Speed Law means you may never drive faster than is safe for the conditions, such as weather, traffic, visibility, and road surface. In heavy rain or fog, a safe speed may be well below the posted limit.
Wrong answers
- Always drive exactly at the posted speed limit: The posted limit is the maximum under good conditions, not a required speed.
- Drive at the same speed as the cars around you: Keeping up with other traffic is not a legal defense if that speed is unsafe.
Question 2. Unless a sign shows a different limit, what is the maximum speed on most California highways?
- ① 65 mph
- ② 75 mph
- ③ 55 mph
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Answer: ① 65 mph
Key point: Most California highways: 65 mph max (70 only where posted)
The maximum speed on most California highways is 65 mph. On some highways, a higher limit of 70 mph is allowed only where it is posted.
Wrong answers
- 75 mph: 75 mph is not a California speed limit.
- 55 mph: 55 mph is the limit for two-lane undivided highways and for vehicles towing trailers, unless otherwise posted.
Question 3. Unless otherwise posted, what is the speed limit in a residential district?
- ① 15 mph
- ② 35 mph
- ③ 25 mph
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Answer: ③ 25 mph
Key point: Residential or business district: 25 mph unless posted
Unless a sign says otherwise, the speed limit in residential and business districts is 25 mph.
Wrong answers
- 35 mph: 35 mph is too fast for a residential street unless a sign posts that limit.
- 15 mph: 15 mph is the limit for alleys and blind intersections, not normal residential streets.