The California Driver’s Handbook: your free study guide

Where to get it

DMV also has PDFs in Armenian, Chinese, Hindi, Punjabi, Russian and Vietnamese on its Driver Handbooks page.

Where to spend your time

DMV doesn’t say how the questions are split across the book. Most of the rules you’ll be tested on are in sections 5 to 9, so give those the most attention.

• Section 5: An introduction to driving, such as signalling, the horn and headlights
• Section 6: Navigating the roads, including lane lines, turns, freeways and parking
• Section 7: Laws and rules of the road, including signs, signals and right-of-way
• Section 8: Safe driving, from following distance to emergencies
• Section 9: Alcohol and drugs

Don’t skip the short sections

Sections 2 and 3 cover the permit rules and the testing process, and section 10 covers insurance and reporting a collision. They’re only a few pages each, and questions on permit rules, like who you can practise with, do turn up.

Looking for a PDF practice test?

DMV doesn’t publish its tests as PDFs. Its four free Class C sample tests are on its website instead, with 10 questions each. Be wary of “2020” or “2021” practice PDFs floating around. The handbook was last revised in June 2025, so older material can teach outdated rules.