Is this legal in the state of California?

Ok so I'll be taking my drivers test soon. I drived with my instructor today and we practiced the path for the drivers test. This will be hard to ask without pictures but I'll attempt I was on a side street with only one lane for each direction of traffic. I turned from that street unto a six lane street with three lanes for each direction of traffic. The 1st lane is the lane beside the sidewalk, the second lane is the lane in the center, and the 3rd lane is the lane beside the median. The instructor told me when I make the left turn, to turn onto the second lane so I only have to change lanes once to reach the DMV which comes up on the right after two three city blocks. I was then perplexed because I remember in driving school to generally turn to the lane closest to the median when turning left. Is what he said correct in California or am I supposed to turn the 3rd lane? Will I flunk my drivers test if I turn onto the second lane or do I have a better chance turning to the first

If you check the DMV handbook you'll notice that it's legal in California. You have the choice to turn into any lane as long as it's safe to do so. Your driving instructor was correct due to safety factor of running into a person making a right turn from the lane coming reverse of you. Being that close to the DMV it was good advice to go into the center lane to only have to change lane only once because people usually are violent in California and won't let you change lanes.

wow that is confusing...

This rule could apply anywhere. You could never yurn into the lane closest to the curb because you could hit another car that's also turning. You want to turn into the lane closest to yours. If you have two or three turning lanes on that road, you could have to turn into the closest one to yours so you would not create an accident.

Sometimes driving instructors bend the rules. I remember when I learned how to drive my instuctor through an empty soda can at the car in front of mine because they had cut me off. That could also never be the right thing to do and would've gotten him a ticket if a cop had seen him. Just use your common sense and you may want to be okay.

Technically it's illegal, but no cop will really pull you over for it. For your test, play it safe and drive by the book.

Your instructor is telling you wrong info. you may want to turn into the third lane closest to median . FIRE HIM/HER now. haha.

Wow.some good answers, some not so good. you may be able to turn into EITHER of the TWO lanes closest to the median.
Here it's in color from the CA DMV:
dmv.ca.gov/images/dlhdbk/29a.gifdmv.ca.gov/images/dlhdbk/29a.gif">dmv.ca.gov/images/dlhdbk/29a..
And the writing to go with it:
dmv.ca.gov/pubs/hdbk/pgs25thru29.htm#turnexamplesdmv.ca.gov/pubs/hdbk/pgs25thru29.htm#turnexamples">dmv.ca.gov/pubs/hdbk/pgs25thr.

Good luck.

When making a left turn, you may choose ANY lane to turn onto. The restriction only applies with right turns. When making a right turn, you have to turn into the lane closest to the sidewalk right side . failing to do so risks a traffic citation.