California Lane Use Practice Test 2026

Lane use, turns, and passing trip people up because so much of it comes down to the lines painted on the road. In California you pass only when the markings and your sightlines allow it, and never across a double solid yellow. You have to finish any pass before a no-passing zone starts or an oncoming car reaches you, so you need room to get back over cleanly. Turns should begin and end in the closest legal lane rather than swinging wide.

U-turns confuse a lot of test takers. California permits them in many spots, but not where a "No U-turn" sign is posted, not in a business district except at an intersection, and not where you cannot see 200 feet in each direction. Common mistakes here are crossing solid lines to pass and making sloppy, wide turns that drift into the wrong lane. Study free, no account needed.

Keep going:

• California DMV Practice Test 1
• California DMV Written Test
• California Road Signs Practice Test
• California Defensive Driving Test
• California Parking Rules Test
• California DMV Points Test
• California Right of Way Test
• California Following Distance Test
• California DMV Practice Test

Every question traces back to the California Driver's Manual - skim the right-of-way and signs chapters before your retake.