How to Get a Driver's License in California, Step by Step

Step 1: Apply for an instruction permit

If you do not have a driver's license from California or another state, the DMV says you must get an instruction permit before you take the drive test. To apply, you:

• complete the Driver's License & ID Card Application (you can start it online and finish at a DMV office);
• bring proof of identity and two proofs of California residency, and give your Social Security number (the DMV notes that exceptions may apply);
• pay the non-refundable application fee: the DMV fee table lists $46 for an original Class C license;
• pass a vision exam and have your photo taken;
• pass the knowledge test.

The application and fee are valid for 12 months after you apply. If you take the vision test with glasses or contact lenses, your license will have a corrective lenses restriction.

Step 2: Pass the knowledge test

The knowledge (written) test has multiple choice questions based on the California Driver's Handbook. The passing score is 80%.

• You have 3 attempts to pass before you must reapply.
• Minors who fail must wait 7 days to retake it, not counting the day of the failure.
• No testing aids are allowed, such as the handbook or a cell phone.
• DMV offices do not give knowledge tests after 4:30 p.m.
• The handbook is available as a PDF in English, Armenian, Chinese, Hindi, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese, and the DMV provides interpreters at no cost.

Teens under 18: permit, education and practice

To get a provisional instruction permit, you must be at least 15½ but under 18. You also need:

• a certificate of completion or enrollment in driver education (offered by DMV-licensed driving schools and some high schools, in a classroom or online);
• a parent's or guardian's signature on the application (if parents share joint custody, both must sign).

Do not use the permit until you start behind-the-wheel driver training. Before the drive test, a teen must:

• be at least 16;
• hold the permit for at least 6 months;
• practice for at least 50 hours with a California-licensed driver who is at least 25, including 10 hours at night;
• complete driver training: the DMV's Teen Driver Roadmap lists 6 hours of instruction from a licensed driving school.

If you are over 17½ but under 18, you may get the permit without the driver education and training certificates, but you cannot take the drive test until you turn 18.

Provisional license rules for drivers under 18

If you are under 18, your license will have the word provisional. As a provisional driver, you cannot drive:

• between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. during the first 12 months you have your license;
• with passengers under 20, unless a parent, guardian or other California-licensed driver who is at least 25 rides with you;
• for pay, or a vehicle that requires a commercial Class A, B or C license.

There are exceptions for medical need, school or school activities, work, and driving an immediate family member. Each one requires a signed note, for example from a doctor, a school principal, your employer or your parent.

Adults 18 and older

The DMV's permit checklist for adults is shorter: be at least 18, complete the application, bring proof of identity and residency, pay the fee, pass the vision exam and knowledge test, and have your photo taken. It does not list driver education or a parent's signature.

While you practice, a California-licensed driver who is at least 18 must ride with you, sitting close enough to take control of the vehicle if needed.

If you have a license from another state, you still apply, give your Social Security number, prove identity and residency, and pass the vision and knowledge tests. If your license is from another country, you follow the same process and must also pass the drive test; you need an accompanying driver to and from that test.

California also issues AB 60 licenses, which the DMV says cannot be REAL ID compliant. They are covered in our separate guide on getting a driver's license without an SSN.

Step 3: Schedule and take the drive test

Drive tests are not given without an appointment, so book one through the DMV's appointment system. On test day, bring:

• your instruction permit;
• a California-licensed driver who is at least 18 (25 for minors), unless you are already licensed;
• a safe vehicle with valid proof of insurance and registration (for a rental car, your name must be on the contract, and the contract must not exclude drive tests).

Only the examiner rides with you during the test. If you fail, you schedule a new test on another day and pay a retest fee (the DMV fee table lists $9). Minors must wait 14 days before retaking it. When a teen passes, the DMV issues a temporary license valid for 60 days, and the card arrives by mail in 3–4 weeks.

For what the examiner scores, see our guide on what road test examiners check.