Driver’s license knowledge test (Class C) · California DMV
Alcohol and drugs
Questions and answers
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For a driver over 21, at what blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is it illegal to drive?
0.08% or higher
The limit for drivers over 21 in a regular vehicle is 0.08%.
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For a driver under 21, at what BAC is it illegal to drive?
0.01% or higher
Drivers under 21 may not drive with a BAC of 0.01% or higher.
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What is the BAC limit when driving a vehicle that requires a commercial driver’s license?
0.04%
The limit is 0.04% for commercial vehicles and when driving a passenger for hire.
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What is the BAC limit for a driver of any age who is on DUI probation?
0.01%
On DUI probation the limit is 0.01% at any age.
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What is the BAC limit when you are driving a passenger for hire?
0.04%
Driving a passenger for hire carries a 0.04% limit.
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Your BAC is below the legal limit. Can you still be convicted of DUI?
Yes, if you are impaired
Depending on how impaired you are, you may be arrested and convicted of DUI even without a BAC measurement.
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How does DUI law treat medications prescribed by a doctor compared with illegal drugs?
The same, if they affect your ability to drive safely
The law does not distinguish between illegal drugs and medications. Anything that impairs driving counts.
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Can alcohol in a medication such as cough syrup count under DUI law?
Yes
Alcohol in any form counts, including medications like cough syrup.
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An officer suspects you of DUI and you refuse a blood or urine test. What happens?
DMV will suspend or revoke your driving privilege for one year
Refusing the test leads to a one-year suspension or revocation.
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By driving in California, what have you agreed to?
A breath, blood, or urine test if an officer suspects DUI
Driving in California means you consent to chemical testing when an officer suspects DUI.
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You have an opened container of alcohol in your vehicle. Where must it be kept?
In the trunk, or a place where passengers do not sit
An open container must be in the trunk or where passengers do not sit. The glove box is not allowed.
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May you keep an open container of alcohol in the glove box?
No, it is illegal
Keeping an open container of alcohol in the glove box is illegal.
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May a passenger smoke or eat a cannabis product in a moving car?
No, it is illegal for drivers and passengers
Drinking alcohol or smoking or eating cannabis is illegal for both the driver and passengers.
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How long does a DUI conviction stay on your driver’s record?
10 years
All DUI convictions remain on the record for 10 years.
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You are arrested for DUI. How long do you have to request a DMV administrative hearing?
10 days from the date of arrest
A hearing may be requested within 10 days of the arrest.
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After a DUI arrest, an officer may take your license and give you a temporary one. How long is it valid?
30 days
The temporary driver’s license is valid for 30 days.
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What is the maximum jail sentence listed for a DUI conviction?
Up to six months
A DUI conviction may bring up to six months in jail, plus fines and license action.
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When may a driver under 21 carry alcohol inside a vehicle?
When someone 21 or older is with them and the container is full, sealed, and unopened
A person 21 or older must be present and the container must be full, sealed, and unopened.
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A driver under 21 is caught with alcohol in the vehicle. For how long may the vehicle be impounded?
Up to 30 days
Law enforcement can impound the vehicle for up to 30 days, and the court may suspend the license for one year.
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A 16-year-old is convicted of riding a bicycle under the influence. What can happen to their driving privilege?
It may be suspended or delayed for one year
For ages 13 to 20, a bicycle DUI conviction can suspend or delay the driving privilege for one year.
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What do California’s DUI laws cover?
Both alcohol and drugs
It is illegal to drive under the influence of alcohol or of any drug that affects your ability to drive safely.
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How does your tolerance to alcohol change as you age?
It decreases, which raises the risk of alcohol-related driving problems
Tolerance to alcohol goes down with age.
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You took an over-the-counter cold medicine that affects your ability to drive. May you drive?
No, it is illegal at any age
Driving after taking any drug that affects your ability to drive is illegal. That includes prescription and over-the-counter medications.
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You combined a little alcohol with a medication and together they reduce your ability to drive safely. Is driving legal?
No, any combination that decreases your ability to drive safely is illegal
Any combination of alcohol or drugs that decreases your ability to drive safely makes driving illegal.
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What should you do before driving when you use a medication?
Read the label and know the effects of the drug
Read medication labels and know how any drug you use affects you.
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Which action leads DMV to suspend or revoke your driving privilege for one year?
Refusing a blood or urine test when an officer thinks you are driving under the influence
An officer who thinks you are under the influence may ask for a blood or urine test. Refusing it costs your driving privilege for one year.
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Which age group can lose or have delayed its driving privilege for a year after a conviction for bicycling under the influence?
13 to 20 years old
The rule covers people 13 to 20 years old. It takes effect once they are eligible to drive.
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Your adult passenger wants to drink a beer while you drive your car. Is that legal?
No, drinking alcohol is illegal for drivers and passengers
It is illegal to drink any alcohol while driving or riding as a passenger in a vehicle.
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You are carrying a cannabis product in the passenger area of your car. In what condition must the container be?
Sealed and unopened
Any alcohol or cannabis carried in the vehicle must be in a sealed, unopened container. An open one goes in the trunk or where passengers do not sit.
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Passengers in which vehicles are not covered by the open container and consumption law?
A bus, taxi, camper, or motorhome
The law does not apply to a passenger in a bus, taxi, camper, or motorhome.
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What does your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) measure?
How much alcohol is present in your bloodstream
When you drink, traces of alcohol enter the bloodstream. BAC measures how much is there.
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A 19-year-old who is not on probation drives a regular car with a BAC of 0.02%. Is this legal?
No, the limit under 21 is 0.01%
For drivers under 21, a BAC of 0.01% or higher is illegal.
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A 30-year-old driver is carrying a paying passenger and has a BAC of 0.05%. Is this legal?
No, the limit when driving a passenger for hire is 0.04%
Driving a passenger for hire with a BAC of 0.04% or higher is illegal.
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Which two groups of drivers share the 0.01% BAC limit?
Drivers under 21 and drivers of any age on DUI probation
The 0.01% limit applies under 21 and, at any age, on DUI probation.
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A 40-year-old drives a regular car with a BAC of exactly 0.08%. Is this legal?
No, 0.08% or higher is illegal
For drivers over 21 the illegal level starts at 0.08%.
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Your BAC is below the legal limit. Does that mean it is safe for you to drive?
No, almost everyone feels negative effects below the limit
A BAC below the limit does not make driving safe. Alcohol affects almost everyone at lower levels too.
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How many drinks can it take to affect your ability to drive safely?
Even one
Even one drink can affect your ability to drive safely.
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On which factors are the handbook’s BAC estimates based?
Number of drinks, gender, and body weight
The estimates depend on how many drinks are consumed, gender, and body weight.
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Is it legal to drink alcohol while operating a boat or jet ski?
No, it is illegal
Drinking alcohol or taking drugs is illegal when operating a boat, jet ski, water skis, aquaplane, or similar vessel.
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You already took a breath test at the roadside. Can you still be required to take a blood or urine test?
Yes, to detect the presence of drugs
After a preliminary alcohol screening or breath test, a blood or urine test may still be required to check for drugs.
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What does California’s Administrative Per Se law require when you are arrested for DUI?
DMV must suspend your driving privilege
Under the Administrative Per Se law, DMV suspends the driving privilege of a person arrested for DUI.
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You were arrested for DUI and ask for a DMV administrative hearing three weeks later. Is the request on time?
No, it had to be made within 10 days of the arrest
A hearing may be requested within 10 days from the date of arrest.
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What may the officer do with your driver’s license when you are arrested for DUI?
Take it and give you a temporary license for 30 days
The officer may take the license and issue a temporary one that is good for 30 days.
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Which course must you complete after a DUI conviction?
A DUI program
A person convicted of DUI must complete a DUI program.
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Which document must you file after a DUI conviction?
A California Insurance Proof Certificate (SR 22/SR 1P)
A convicted driver must file the insurance proof certificate known as SR 22/SR 1P.
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After a DUI conviction, what device may you be required to install on your vehicle?
An ignition interlock device
An ignition interlock device (IID) may be required.
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Which fees must a driver convicted of DUI pay?
Any applicable license reissue or restriction fees
Any applicable reissue or restriction fees must be paid.
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What may happen to your vehicle when you are convicted of DUI?
It may be impounded, and you may have to pay a storage fee
Law enforcement may impound the vehicle, and the storage fee may fall on you.
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You cause serious injury or death while driving under the influence. What may you face besides criminal penalties?
Civil lawsuits
A driver who causes serious injury or death while under the influence may face civil lawsuits.
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You get another DUI while an earlier one is still on your record. What may happen?
The court or DMV may give you an additional penalty
A DUI stays on the record for 10 years, and another DUI in that time may bring an additional penalty.
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Besides action against the license, which penalties may follow a DUI conviction?
Jail for up to six months and a fine
A convicted driver may be sentenced to up to six months in jail and may have to pay a fine.
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A 19-year-old driving alone has a sealed, unopened case of beer on the passenger seat. Is this legal?
No, someone 21 or older must be in the vehicle
A person under 21 may not carry alcohol inside a vehicle unless someone 21 or older is with them.
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Which driver under 21 may carry alcoholic beverages in closed containers without an adult in the vehicle?
One working for someone with an off-site liquor sales license
Working for the holder of an off-site liquor sales license is the exception.
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A licensed driver under 21 is caught with alcohol in the vehicle. What may the court do?
Fine the driver and suspend the license for one year
The court may fine the driver and suspend the license for one year.
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A person under 21 with no driver’s license yet is caught with alcohol in a vehicle. What may the court ask DMV to do?
Delay the first driver’s license for up to one year
For someone not yet licensed, the first license may be delayed for up to one year.
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An officer suspects a driver under 21 of consuming alcohol. What can the officer require?
A hand-held breath test, PAS, or another chemical test
The officer can require a hand-held breath test, a preliminary alcohol screening, or another chemical test.
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A driver under 21 is convicted of DUI with a BAC of 0.01% or higher. What may DMV do?
Revoke the driving privilege for one year
DMV may revoke the driving privilege for one year. The driver must also complete a licensed DUI program.
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The screening test of a driver under 21 shows a BAC of 0.05% or higher. What may the officer require?
A breath or blood test
At 0.05% or higher on the screening test, the officer may require a breath or blood test.
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For a driver under 21, a later breath or blood test confirms a BAC of 0.05% or higher. What may follow?
Arrest for DUI and suspension of the driving privilege
A later test at 0.05% or higher may lead to a DUI arrest and suspension.
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