California Motorcycle Manual 2026

How to use the California Motorcycle Manual

The DMV draws its 46-question knowledge test from the California Motorcycle Manual, and you need 83% to pass, which is 38 correct answers. Read the 52 pages once for coverage, then answer practice questions to find the rules that did not stick. Practice tells you what you do not know yet; the Motorcycle Manual is where the rule is actually stated, in the words the state chose.

It is also the only source that settles an argument. When a practice answer and your instinct disagree, the California Motorcycle Manual decides it, and every explanation we write points back into it.

What is inside the California Motorcycle Manual

The California Motorcycle Manual runs to 52 pages. These are the areas it covers that the knowledge test can ask about.

• Choosing and fitting a helmet and protective gear
• Motorcycle controls and the pre-ride inspection
• Basic skills: starting, stopping, turning and shifting
• Lane position, visibility and being seen in traffic
• Following distance, escape routes and scanning for hazards
• Cornering, braking and swerving
• Riding over surface hazards and in bad weather
• Carrying passengers and cargo
• Group riding
• Alcohol, drugs and impairment on a motorcycle
• Licensing, endorsement steps and the skills test

The California knowledge test at a glance

Everything below comes from the DMV directly. It is what the California Motorcycle Manual is preparing you for.

Questions

46

Passing score

83%

Correct answers needed

38 of 46

Time limit

Time limit not published

Test fee

$38

Minimum age

15.5

Can you take it online?

Yes, with conditions

Verified against the DMV in November 2026.