A California rider holds a class M1 license. What does CVC 12804.9(b)(5)(B) say about class M2 vehicles?CVC 12804.9(b)(5)
A nonresident over 18 rides into California carrying a valid license from the home jurisdiction. What does CVC 12502(a)(1) allow?CVC 12502(a)(1)
A person holds a valid California driver's license of any class but no M2 endorsement. What may that person ride under CVC 12804.9(h)?CVC 12804.9(h)
A regular California instruction permit lets a learner drive beside a supervising licensed driver. Which vehicles does CVC 12509(d) shut out of that arrangement?CVC 12509(d)
An applicant aged 21 or older wants a California motorcycle instruction permit. What does CVC 12509.5(a)(3) require?CVC 12509.5(a)(3)
An applicant is 18 to 20 years old. What two things does California's CVC 12509.5(a)(2) require for the motorcycle instruction permit?CVC 12509.5(a)(2)
An applicant under 18 wants a California motorcycle instruction permit. Besides the safety program and the written exam, what does CVC 12509.5(a)(1) require?CVC 12509.5(a)(1)
Does a California class C license by itself cover a two-wheel motorcycle under CVC 12804.9(b)(3)?CVC 12804.9(b)(3)
Does the six-month minimum hold in CVC 12509.5(b) apply to a California permit holder aged 21 or older?CVC 12509.5(b)
Show all 115 questions (106 more)
Permits, classes M1 and M2, and training, continued
For at most how long from the date of application is a California motorcycle instruction permit valid under CVC 12509.5(d)?CVC 12509.5(d)
How does California's CVC 280 define 'darkness'?CVC 280
How long is 'short-term' for a rental motorized bicycle under California's CVC 12804.9(h)?CVC 12804.9(h)
How long must a California rider under 21 hold the motorcycle instruction permit before a class M1 or M2 license is issued?CVC 12509.5(b)
How may California grant class M1 authority to someone who already holds a class C license?CVC 12804.9(b)(4)
Under CVC 12500(b), what must a person hold to drive a motorcycle on a California highway?CVC 12500(b)
Under CVC 12500(c), where else besides a highway does a California rider need a valid license of the appropriate class?CVC 12500(c)
Under CVC 12509.5(a), what must a person obtain before operating a two-wheel motorcycle in California or being issued a class M1 license?CVC 12509.5(a)
What is the youngest age at which California's CVC 12509.5 allows a motorcycle instruction permit?CVC 12509.5(a)(1)
What may the California DMV accept in place of a driving test on a class M1 or M2 application?CVC 12804.9(g)
What must a California motorcycle licensee have in immediate possession at all times when riding on a highway?CVC 12951(a)
What must a person under 21 show before California issues a class M1 or M2 license or endorsement?CVC 12804.9(i)
When may a California motorcycle instruction permit holder not ride at all under CVC 12509.5(c)?CVC 12509.5(c)
Which California license class covers a two-wheel motorcycle or a motor-driven cycle?CVC 12804.9(b)(4)
Which device is carved out of California's class M2 by CVC 12804.9(b)(5)(A)?CVC 12804.9(b)(5)
Which roads must a California motorcycle instruction permit holder stay off under CVC 12509.5(c)?CVC 12509.5(c)
Which vehicles does California's class M2 include under CVC 12804.9(b)(5)?CVC 12804.9(b)(5)
Who is the only passenger a California motorcycle instruction permit holder may carry?CVC 12509.5(c)
Helmets, lamps, noise and equipment 41
A California motorcycle's horn must be audible under normal conditions from at least what distance?CVC 27000(a)
A California passenger wears a helmet but the driver does not. What does CVC 27803(c) say about the passenger?CVC 27803(c)
A California rider's passenger has no helmet on. Who breaks CVC 27803?CVC 27803(b)
At what rate may a California motorcycle's headlamp modulator work under CVC 25251.2?CVC 25251.2
Between what heights from the ground must the rear license plate be mounted under California's CVC 5201(a)?CVC 5201(a)
CVC 26311 requires service brakes on all wheels in contact with the roadway. Which part of a California motorcycle outfit is excepted?CVC 26311(a)
CVC 27600 requires fenders, flaps or splash guards. Which California motor vehicles does it name?CVC 27600
Does California's CVC 26700 require a windshield on a motorcycle?CVC 26700(a)
During darkness, from what distance to the rear must a white light make a California motorcycle's license plate clearly legible?CVC 24601
During darkness, how many lighted headlamps must a California motorcycle have under CVC 25650?CVC 25650
From how far to the rear must the red taillamp be plainly visible on a California motorcycle manufactured after January 1, 1969?CVC 24600(e)
From what distance must a California motorcycle's stoplamp be plainly visible and understandable, in normal sunlight and at night?CVC 24603(f)
From what distance to the front and rear must a California motorcycle's turn signals be plainly visible and understandable?CVC 24952
How many license plates does the California DMV issue for a motorcycle under CVC 4850(a)?CVC 4850(a)
How many mirrors does CVC 26709 require on a motorcycle subject to registration in California?CVC 26709(a)
How many red rear reflectors must a registered California motorcycle carry under CVC 24607?CVC 24607(a)
How many taillamps must a California motorcycle show during darkness under CVC 24600?CVC 24600(a)
On a 1978 or later California motorcycle, how long must the automatic headlamp stay lighted under CVC 25650.5?CVC 25650.5
On which vehicles does California's CVC 27803 require a helmet?CVC 27803(a)
Under California's CVC 27803(e), when does a rider count as 'wearing' a safety helmet?CVC 27803(e)
What brakes must a California motorcycle manufactured prior to 1966 have under CVC 26311(a)(6)?CVC 26311(a)
What color must the stoplamp emit on a California motorcycle manufactured on or after January 1, 1979?CVC 24603(e)
What does California's CVC 25251.2 say about a motorcycle headlamp modulator?CVC 25251.2
What does California's CVC 27151(a) say about modifying a motorcycle's exhaust system?CVC 27151(a)
What does California's CVC 27400 forbid a motorcycle operator to wear?CVC 27400
What does CVC 27150(a) require of a registered California motorcycle with an internal combustion engine?CVC 27150(a)
What does the label on a motorcycle helmet sold in California stand for under CVC 27802(a)?CVC 27802(a)
What minimum tread depth, in any two adjacent grooves, does CVC 27465(b)(1) set for a tire on a California motorcycle?CVC 27465(b)
What must the taillamps do if the engine stops on a California motorcycle manufactured and first registered after January 1, 1971?CVC 24253(b)
What noise limit does California's CVC 27202 set for a motorcycle manufactured after 1969 and before 1973?CVC 27202
What noise limit does California's CVC 27202 set for a motorcycle manufactured after 1985?CVC 27202
Where must the single license plate issued for a California motorcycle be attached under CVC 5200(b)?CVC 5200(b)
Which California motorcycles must have a headlamp that turns on automatically when the engine is started?CVC 25650.5
Which California motorcycles must have lamp-type turn signals under CVC 24951(b)(4)?CVC 24951(b)
Which California-registered motorcycles must bear the federal EPA exhaust system label under CVC 27202.1?CVC 27202.1(d)
Which earplugs does California's CVC 27400(d) let a motorcyclist wear in both ears?CVC 27400(d)
Which federal standard must California's motorcycle helmet regulations include under CVC 27802(a)?CVC 27802(a)
Which machine is left out of the motorcycle noise limits in California's CVC 27202?CVC 27202
Which machines are excepted from California's motorcycle turn signal requirement in CVC 24951(b)(4)?CVC 24951(b)
Which vehicle is exempt from California's helmet requirement under CVC 27803(f)?CVC 27803(f)
Who must wear a safety helmet on a motorcycle in California under CVC 27803(a)?CVC 27803(a)
Seats, handlebars and passengers 8
CVC 27801(a) bars driving a two-wheel motorcycle in California when its seat is positioned in what way?CVC 27801(a)
Does California's passenger seat and footrest rule in CVC 27800 also cover a motorized bicycle?CVC 27800
How high may the handgrips sit on a two-wheel motorcycle in California before CVC 27801(b) bars driving it?CVC 27801(b)
To which machines does California's seat and handlebar section, CVC 27801, apply?CVC 27801
What kind of sidecar may carry a passenger under California's CVC 27800?CVC 27800
What must every passenger on a California motorcycle do while it is in motion?CVC 27800
Where may a California motorcycle driver carry a passenger under CVC 27800?CVC 27800
Which of these does California's CVC 27800 require before a motorcycle carries a passenger?CVC 27800
Lane splitting, carpool lanes, signals and parking 13
A California motorcycle first registered before 1973 has no turn signals and is not required to have them. How must its rider signal under CVC 22110(a)?CVC 22110(a)
A California rider's signal lamps stop working during a ride. What does CVC 22110(b) require?CVC 22110(b)
Does California's CVC 21658.1 itself set a top speed for lane splitting?CVC 21658.1
For how far before turning must a California rider give a turn signal continuously under CVC 22108?CVC 22108
From which side must a California rider give required hand and arm signals under CVC 22111?CVC 22111
How does a California rider signal a stop or sudden decrease of speed by hand under CVC 22111(c)?CVC 22111(c)
How does California's CVC 21658.1 define 'lane splitting'?CVC 21658.1(a)
How must a motorcycle be parked at a California curb under CVC 22502(a)?CVC 22502(a)
May a motorcycle use a California high-occupancy vehicle lane with only the rider aboard?CVC 21655.5(b)
On a one-way California roadway, how must a motorcycle parked on the left-hand side sit under CVC 22502(e)?CVC 22502(e)
On which California roads does the lane splitting definition in CVC 21658.1(a) apply?CVC 21658.1(a)
What does California's CVC 21755(a) never allow when passing another vehicle on the right?CVC 21755(a)
Which motorcycles fit California's lane splitting definition in CVC 21658.1(a)?CVC 21658.1(a)
Motor-driven cycles, motorized bicycles and mopeds 15
A motor vehicle has four wheels on the ground, two of them a functional part of a sidecar. What is it under California's CVC 400(b)?CVC 400(b)
Absent a local ordinance, where may a motorized bicycle not be operated in California under CVC 21207.5(a)?CVC 21207.5(a)
Does 'motor-driven cycle' in California's CVC 405 take in a motorized bicycle?CVC 405
During darkness, how far ahead must the headlamp of a California motor-driven cycle reveal a person or vehicle at a speed greater than 35 mph?CVC 25651(a)
During darkness, how far ahead must the headlamp of a California motor-driven cycle reveal a person or vehicle at any speed under 25 mph?CVC 25651(a)
How does California's CVC 400(a) define a motorcycle?CVC 400(a)
Under California's CVC 405, a motor-driven cycle is a motorcycle whose motor displaces less than what?CVC 405
Under California's CVC 406(a), a motorized bicycle or moped has a motor producing less than what?CVC 406(a)
Under CVC 406(a), when may a California moped have no pedals?CVC 406(a)
What is the most a motorized bicycle or moped may be capable of on level ground under California's CVC 406(a)?CVC 406(a)
What must a motorized bicycle display in California under CVC 5030?CVC 5030
Which machines may the Department of Transportation or a local authority bar from a California freeway under CVC 21960(a)?CVC 21960(a)
Which of these is expressly not a motorcycle under California's CVC 400(c)?CVC 400(c)
Which three items does CVC 24015(b) add for every motorized bicycle operated on a California highway?CVC 24015(b)
Which transmission must a motorized bicycle or moped have under California's CVC 406(a)?CVC 406(a)
Other road rules 4
On a two-lane California highway where passing is unsafe, how many vehicles lined up behind a slow rider trigger the duty to use a turnout under CVC 21656?CVC 21656
What does California's CVC 21710 forbid on a downgrade?CVC 21710
Where does California's CVC 23109 forbid a motor vehicle speed contest or exhibition of speed?CVC 23109
Within what distance of an oncoming vehicle must a California rider dim the headlamp during darkness under CVC 24409(a)?CVC 24409(a)
Alcohol and insurance 7
At what blood alcohol concentration, measured by a preliminary alcohol screening test, may a California rider under 21 not drive under CVC 23136(a)?CVC 23136(a)
At what blood alcohol level is it unlawful for an adult to drive a vehicle, a motorcycle included, under California's CVC 23152(b)?CVC 23152(b)
CVC 23140(a) sets a second under-21 alcohol level for California drivers. What is it?CVC 23140(a)
For a policy issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2025, what minimum limit does California's CVC 16056(a)(2) set for bodily injury to or death of one person?CVC 16056(a)
For a policy issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2025, what minimum property damage limit does California's CVC 16056(a)(2) set?CVC 16056(a)
How may a California rider show evidence of financial responsibility when a peace officer demands it under CVC 16028(a)?CVC 16028(a)
May a California peace officer stop a motorcycle for the sole purpose of checking for evidence of financial responsibility?CVC 16028(a)
How this list was compiled: Written from the California Vehicle Code, each cited section opened on the California Legislature's site, https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes.xhtml, checked 2026-09-19. Each question names its section and links to it. Section 12804.9 is printed there in two versions, so its link opens a list: the first version listed is the one in force until January 1, 2029, and the clauses asked here read the same in both. Exam facts on the page come from the California DMV, https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/driver-licenses-identification-cards/instruction-permits/ (passing score 80%, permit from age 15 and a half) and https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/driver-licenses-identification-cards/motorcycle-licenses/ (three attempts at the knowledge test), checked 2026-09-19. Those pages print no question count and no time limit for the motorcycle knowledge test, so none is used here. Licence: Own work. Questions, answer choices and explanations were written for this site from the California Vehicle Code text; nothing is copied from the California Motorcycle Handbook, the DMV's sample Class M tests, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation or another practice test.
How it works
California's Vehicle Code is the only source for the 115 questions in this unofficial California motorcycle permit practice test, each with its section. The permit limits in CVC 12509.5 are the core: no riding in darkness, no freeways, no passenger but an instructor. The DMV's own test leans on riding technique, which this bank never asks. Code checked September 2026.
Read the full guide
What California law does that other states do not
CVC 21658.1 defines lane splitting, a two-wheeled motorcycle riding between rows of stopped or moving vehicles in one lane. CVC 27803 puts a helmet on every rider and passenger at any age. CVC 27801 stops handgrips six inches above the shoulder, and CVC 22502 parks a motorcycle with a wheel or fender touching the curb.
What the DMV publishes about the test
The CA DMV motorcycle test is multiple choice and based on the California Motorcycle Handbook. The DMV's instruction permits page gives the passing score as 80% and no question count or time limit. The DMV's sample Class M tests, opened September 2026, ask mostly about riding technique: braking, lane position, group formation. This statute-only bank holds none of that.
Set Start from to Permits, classes M1 and M2, and training first. Questions you miss wait under Missed, and Clear my progress wipes them and your scores.
Keep the small machines apart: a motor-driven cycle is under 150 cc and takes class M1, a moped stays under 30 mph and takes M2, a motorized scooter rides on class C.
Lane splitting questions turn on the definition in CVC 21658.1: two wheels, one lane, rows stopped or moving, and no speed written into the statute.
Questions and answers
How many questions are on the California motorcycle knowledge test?
The DMV does not say. Its instruction permits page, checked September 2026, gives the 80% passing score but no question count or time limit. Exam mode here marks at the DMV's 80%. The 25 questions it deals are this site's choice, not the DMV's.
Do riders over 21 need a California motorcycle permit?
The sources differ. CVC 12509.5(a) says a person shall obtain the instruction permit before operating a two-wheel motorcycle or being issued class M1 or M2. The DMV's motorcycle licenses page says people over 21 do not need one before applying for the license. Under 21, both agree: the safety course first, then six months on the permit.
Is this the DMV's M1 practice test?
It is not. The DMV publishes its own sample Class M tests, and this private page has no tie to the department and has never seen its questions. Everything here was written from the Vehicle Code, none from the California Motorcycle Handbook. Read the handbook and take those samples too.