Parallel Parking Step by Step, and What the CA Test Scores
The DMV handbook’s parallel parking steps with the reference points we teach, the common errors and fixes, and the backing skill the California drive test really scores.
Stallion School of Driving instructors · Chico, CAUPDATED · OCT 3, 2026 · CHECKED AGAINST CA DMV SOURCES OCT 4, 2026
To parallel park, find a space at least three feet longer than your car, pull up about two feet beside the car in front of it, back in at about a 45-degree angle, then straighten out so you finish within 18 inches of the curb. Those are the California DMV handbook’s steps. On the drive test itself, the DMV’s published scoring criteria describe a different skill: backing in a straight line along a curb.
Is parallel parking on the California drive test?
Not on the DMV’s published scoring page. The Driving Performance Evaluation criteria, which the DMV says all examiners use for standard Class C tests, list parking lot driving, backing, intersections, turns, lane changes, and straight driving in business and residential areas. The backing section asks you to pull to the curb, back in a straight line for three vehicle lengths while staying within three feet of the curb, and make no more than one correction. A correction is any movement forward.
Parallel parking is still in the DMV handbook as a skill every driver should learn, and downtown Chico will ask for it the first time you drive there alone. We teach both. Straight-line backing gets the most attention in test prep, and parallel parking gets practiced for real life.
| Test backing item | What the DMV scores | How we practice it |
|---|---|---|
| Pull to the curb | Signal before, cancel after, safe speed, traffic check | Signal, mirror, shoulder, then ease in |
| Back in a straight line | Three vehicle lengths, within three feet of the curb | Head over the right shoulder, eyes through the back window |
| Corrections | No more than one forward movement | Tiny steering inputs, walking speed or slower |
| Pull away | Signal, blind-spot check, smooth merge back | Left mirror plus a look over the left shoulder |
Two rules on that page catch students out. A backup camera or self-parking cannot be relied on alone: the DMV tells you to turn your head over your right shoulder and look through the back windshield. And three attempts to back the car is listed as a critical driving error, which fails the test. Driving over the curb counts as striking an object, also a critical error.
The steps, in plain words
These follow the DMV handbook. The reference points are the ones we coach, and your instructor will adjust them for the car you drive.
- Find a space and signal. Look for a gap at least three feet longer than your car. Turn on your signal so drivers behind you know you are parking.
- Pull up beside the car in front of the space. Leave about two feet between the two cars. Stop when your rear bumper lines up with the front of the space, which is the other car’s rear bumper. Keep the signal on.
- Check behind and beside you. Use the rearview mirror and look over your shoulder for cars, cyclists and people walking.
- Back in at about 45 degrees. Creep backward and turn the wheel toward the curb. A common reference point is the moment your back seat passes the other car’s rear bumper: that is when the wheel goes to full lock toward the curb.
- Straighten out. When your rear wheel is within about 18 inches of the curb, turn the wheel away from the curb as you keep backing, so the front of the car swings in behind the car ahead.
- Center and finish. Pull forward or back a little if needed. You want to end parallel to the curb and within 18 inches of it. Shift to park, set the parking brake, and look for passing cars, bikes and motorcycles before anyone opens a door.
Common errors and how we fix them
Parallel parking errors almost always come from one of three things: the setup, the timing of the turn, or speed. Fix the setup first, because a bad start makes every later step harder.
| Error | What it causes | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| Starting more than about two feet from the other car | You end far from the curb | Set the two-foot gap before you shift into reverse |
| Turning toward the curb too early | The rear wheel hits the curb | Wait for your reference point, then turn |
| Turning too late | The car ends at an angle and far out | Pull out, reset the two-foot gap, try again |
| Backing too fast | No time to see or correct | Creep at walking speed or slower, foot over the brake |
| Watching only the camera | You miss people and bikes behind the car | Look over your shoulder and use the mirrors; the camera is extra |
| Forgetting to signal or cancel | Drivers behind cannot read your plan | Signal on at the start, off when parked |
One habit helps all of it: turn the wheel while the car is creeping, not while it is stopped. Steering a moving car is easier to judge, and it keeps the move smooth.
Straight-line backing for test day
Practice this on a quiet residential street with a clean curb, like the streets near Bidwell Park in Chico. Pull to the curb with your signal on, cancel it, and check traffic. Put your right arm on the back of the passenger seat if it helps you turn, look over your right shoulder through the back window, and back slowly.
Use small steering movements. If the car drifts toward the curb, a slight turn of the wheel away fixes it; big turns make the back of the car swing. Count about three car lengths using parked cars as a guide. Then signal, check your left mirror and left shoulder, and pull back into the lane. The DMV allows one forward correction, so aim for none and keep one in reserve.
Where to practice in our area
Start on quiet streets, then take the skill to real parking. In Chico, downtown and the streets around CSU Chico have tight parking with pedestrians and cyclists, so we bring students there once they are steady in traffic, following the order in our Chico roads guide. Downtown Gridley and Solano Street in Corning add parking practice for south-county and Tehama County students.
Paradise adds hills. The DMV handbook says that when you park headed downhill, turn the front wheels into the curb. Headed uphill, turn them away from the curb and let the car roll back a few inches until the tire gently touches it. With no curb, turn the wheels to the right. Set the parking brake every time. Paradise lessons include parking in the town center.
Practice plan for parents
Ten minutes is enough. Do three straight-line backs along a curb, then three parallel parks between two easy markers, such as trash cans on collection day or two cones, before trying it between real cars. Stop while it is still going well. If your teen is stuck, ask the instructor to make backing the focus of the next lesson, or book DMV test prep, which includes backing and parking. For the full list of what examiners score, see what the DMV drive test checks.
Quick answers
Is parallel parking on the California DMV drive test? It is not on the DMV’s published scoring criteria. The test scores backing in a straight line along a curb for three vehicle lengths, within three feet of the curb.
Can I use my backup camera on the test? The DMV says backup cameras may be used but cannot replace looking. Turn your head and look through the back window.
How many corrections are allowed when backing? No more than one. Three attempts to back the car is a critical error.
How close to the curb should a parallel park end? Within 18 inches, according to the DMV handbook.