Topic 6 · Alcohol, Drugs, and Driving (DUI Laws)
Under California law, medication prescribed by your doctor:
- Can still make it illegal to drive if it affects your ability to drive safely — correct answer
- Only matters if it is combined with alcohol
- Is always safe to take before driving
Why
The law does not distinguish between illegal drugs and medicines from a doctor or pharmacy: what counts is whether they affect your ability to drive. Even cough syrup is named in the handbook. (Section 9, Alcohol and Drugs.)
Practise this in the real format
Reading one answer is not the same as sitting the test. The simulator runs the first-time adult form: 36 questions, 6 mistakes allowed, 83% to pass.
Source: California Driver's Handbook (DL 600, rev. 6/2025), the document the DMV writes the real test from. Edited by Fernando Aguilera. Aprobify is not affiliated with the California DMV.
More from Alcohol, Drugs, and Driving (DUI Laws)
- Which is true about DUI and bicycling in California?
- A standard drink is equal to:
- A commercial driver is considered DUI at what BAC level?
- A driver convicted of DUI will usually be placed on probation for how long?
- When can an under-21 driver legally possess alcohol in a car?
- If you are 13-20 and convicted of vandalism, what can happen to your license?