new california drivers license - CA

If you are a visitor in California over 18 and have a valid driver license from your home state or country, you may drive in this state without getting a California driver license as long as your home state license remains valid.
 
If you become a California resident, you must get a California driver license within 10 days. Residency is established by voting in a California election, paying resident tuition, filing for a homeowner’s property tax exemption, or any other privilege or benefit not ordinarily extended to nonresidents.

Regulations and Types of Driver Licenses

Class C over 18

To apply for an original driver license if you are over 18, you will need to do the following:

• Visit a DMV office (make an Appointment(s) for faster service)
• Complete application form DL 44 (An original DL 44 form must be submitted. Copies will not be accepted.)
• Give a thumb print
• Have your picture taken
• Provide your social security number.  (See Below) It will be verified with the Social Security Administration while you are in the office.
• Verify your birth date and legal presence If your current name no longer matches the name on your birth data/legal presence document, see “True Full Name” and “How to Change Your Name” for more information.
• Provide your true full name (See Below)
• Pay the application fee (See Below)
• Pass a vision exam
• Pass a traffic laws and sign test. There are 36 questions on the test. You have three chances to pass.(Sample Test)

Note: To allow you sufficient time for testing DMV will not be administering written or audio exams after 4:30 p.m.

You will then be issued a permit if you have never been licensed before. When you practice, you must have an accompanying adult who is 18 years of age or older, with a valid California license. This person must be close enough to you to take control of the vehicle if necessary. It is illegal for you to drive alone.

If you have a license from another country, you will be required to take a driving test. If you have a license from another state, the driving test can be waived.

To take your driving test, you will need to:

• Make a driving test Appointment(s) . (Driving tests are not given without an appointment.) You may also call 1-800-777-0133 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday-Friday, to make a driving test appointment.
• Provide proof of financial responsibility
• California Insurance Requirements

You have three chances to pass the driving test. If you fail, you may practice for a while, then make another appointment. There is no waiting period, but you must make an appointment. If you fail to successfully complete the driving test on the first attempt, you must pay a $6 fee for each additional driving test that is administered under an application for an original or renewal driver license.

After you pass your driving test you will be issued an interim license valid for 90 days until you receive your new photo license in the mail. Double-check your address before you leave DMV and tell the DMV representative if you have moved or if your address is incorrect. If you have not received your license after 60 days, call 1-800-777-0133 and they can check on the status for you. Have your interim license with you to provide information when requested.

If your name is different on your birth date and/or legal presence document than the one you are currently using, you will also need to provide an additional acceptable document to establish your true full name, such as; a marriage certificate, dissolution of marriage, adoption or name change document that shows your current name.

Provisional Permit Under 18

To apply for a provisional permit, you will need the following:

• Be at least 15 ½, but under 18 years of age
• Visit a DMV office (make an Appointment(s) for faster service)
• Complete the application form DL 44 (An original DL 44 form must be submitted. Copies obtained by xeroxing, faxing, or other methods will not be accepted.)
• Have your parents’ or guardians’ signatures on the application form DL 44
• Give a thumb print
• Have your picture taken
• Provide your social security number.  (See Below) It will be verified with the Social Security Administration while you are in the office.
• Verify your birth date and legal presence
• “Provide your true full name if your name no longer matches the name on your birth date legal presence document.”
• Submit the proper form(s) for driver education and/or driver training classes (See below for details.)
• Pay the application fee (This fee entitles you to three exams of any type within the 12-month period and pays for both the instruction permit and the driver license. If all requirements are not met within the 12-month period, the application becomes void and all steps must be completed again.)
• Pass a vision exam
• Pass a traffic laws and sign test. There are 46 questions on the test. A passing score is at least 39 correct answers. You have three chances to pass the test. If you fail, you must wait 7 days before taking it again.

Note: To allow you sufficient time for testing DMV will not be administering written or audio exams after 4:30 p.m.

Driver Education and Driver Training Form Requirements

If you are 15 ½ to 17 ½ years of age, you will need to provide a:

• Certificate of Completion of Driver Education.

OR

• Certificate of Completion of Driver Education and Driver Training.

OR

• Certificate of Enrollment In An Integrated (Classroom) Driver Education And Driver Training Program.

If you are over 17 ½ but under 18 years of age, you may get your permit without the driver education and driver training certificates however, you will not be able to take the driving test until you turn 18.

Once you pass your written test, you will be issued a provisional permit.

A parent, guardian, spouse or adult 25 years of age or older, who has a valid California driver license, must be with you when you drive. He or she must sit in a position close enough to take control of the vehicle, if necessary. It is illegal for you to drive alone at any time.

Before being eligible to take your driving test you must:

• Be 16 years old

AND

• Have held your permit for a minimum of six months

AND

• Have completed driver education

AND

• Have completed 6 hours of professional driver training

AND

• Have completed 50 hours of practice with an adult 25 years or older. The adult must have a valid California driver license and certify to the 50 hours of practice. At least 10 of the 50 hours must have been done at night.

To take your driving test, you will need to:

• Make a driving test Appointment(s) . (Driving tests are not given without an appointment.) You may also call 1-800-777-0133 between  the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday-Friday, to make a driving test appointment.
• Provide proof of financial responsibility (See Below)

After you pass your driving test you will be issued an interim license valid for 90 days until you receive your new photo license in the mail. Check your address before you leave DMV and tell the DMV representative if you have moved or if your address is incorrect. If you have not received your license after 60 days, call 1-800-777-0133 to check on the status. Have your interim license with you to provide information when requested.

If you fail your driving test, you must wait two weeks before you can take the test again. You have three chances to pass.

If driver education and driver training were taken in a state other than California, DMV will accept either a To Secondary Schools Other Than California Schools form DL 33 completed by the out-of state school, or a letter on the out-of state school’s stationery signed by a school official stating that the courses are equivalent to California’s requirements. Instructional permits issued by another state are not acceptable proof.

Provisional Instruction Permit - Cumulative Credit

Your driver license application is valid for 12 months from the application date. If your application will expire before you have held your provisional instruction permit for six months, you must return to DMV and start a new application. You will need to pay the application fee and fulfill all application requirements. Take your instruction permit with you to DMV. You will be credited for the time you have held your instruction permit and receive cumulative credit towards your subsequent provisional instruction permit to meet the six-month requirement before taking your driving test.

You must keep the expired instruction permit with your new instruction permit until you pass your driving test. The new instruction permit and the expired permit is theonly proof of credit that satisfies the six-month requirement. When a new application is started, DMV does not retain the previous application information. If you lose your expired instruction permit, without the necessary proof of a previous application, the full six-month waiting period will be required before you will be allowed to take your driving test.

Bring both your instruction permits with you when you take your driving test.

Parents’ or guardians’ signatures - accepting liability for a minor

A minor’s application for a driver license must have the signatures of:

• Both parents, if the parents are California residents and have joint custody, or
• Both parents, if divorced, with joint custody, or
• One parent, if that parent has custody, or
• Guardians of the minor, if neither parent is living or has custody, or
• The person(s) having actual full and complete custody, if no legal guardian is appointed.

NOTE: Nonresident parents cannot sign the application form and cannot accept liability for a minor in California. Nonresident military parents stationed and living in California can sign the application form and accept liability for a minor.

When parents or guardians sign for a minor to get a driver license, they are stating that they will accept financial responsibility for that minor. Financial responsibility in California requires that drivers and vehicle owners carry the following minimum monetary limits:

• $15,000 for injury or death of 1 person per accident
• $30,000 for injury or death of 2 or more persons per accident
• $5,000 for any property damage per accident

Evidence of financial responsibility must be carried at all times in the vehicle. Most Californians maintain financial responsibility through insurance companies, which provide the policy holder with an identification card to be used as evidence of coverage. The card must state the insurance company’s name and address, the period of coverage, and policy number.

Driver Education and Driver Training Information

You may take driver education (classroom training) or driver training (behind-the-wheel) in a California secondary school, or in a state licensed, professional driving school. A California secondary school is a private or public high school, technical school, or adult school.

Driver Education and Driver Training courses must be conducted as prescribed by the Department of Education. Driver Education must consist of at least 30 hours or 2 1/2 semester periods of professional classroom instruction. Driver training must consist of at least six hours of behind-the-wheel professional instruction.

Professional schools and instructors in California are licensed by the DMV. Schools must carry liability insurance, be bonded, and maintain complete records for DMV inspection. Their teaching cars are subject to inspection every 6 months. Instructors must pass qualifying examinations every three years, or show proof of continuing education in traffic safety.

Provisional driver license restrictions during the first year

Effective January 1, 2006, a new law will increase driving restrictions for persons under the age of 18 who:

• Are issued a provisional driver license (DL) on or after January 1, 2006, or
• Already hold a provisional DL issued on or after January 1, 2005.

Provisional Driving Restrictions—You must be accompanied and supervised by a licensed parent, guardian or other licensed driver 25 years of age or older or a licensed or certified driving instructor when you:

• Transport passengers under 20 years of age at any time, for the first twelve months.
• Drive between 11 pm and 5 am for the first twelve months.

To determine if these restrictions apply to you, look at the date on your driver license.  The date printed just to the left of your photograph is the date these restrictions begin.  The new restrictions apply for 12 months following this date.  For example:  If the date on your license is May 7, 2005, you will have the above restrictions through May 7, 2006.  Violation of either restriction can result in a fine and/or community service.

Persons under 18 may not be employed to drive a motor vehicle. When you turn 18 years of age, the provisional part of your license ends. You may continue to drive as an adult using your photo license, which will expire on your 5th birthday after the date you applied.

Exceptions to Restrictions

When reasonable transportation is not available and it is necessary for you to drive, the law grants the following exceptions for minors to drive between 11 pm and 5 am or to transport an immediate family member unaccompanied and unsupervised.

The law allows the following exceptions when reasonable transportation is not available and it is necessary for you to drive. A signed note must be kept in your possession for any of these exceptions explaining the necessity and the date when the driving necessity will end (except emancipated minors).

• Medical necessity when reasonable transportation alternatives are inadequate. The note must be signed by your physician, and contain the diagnosis and probable date of recovery.

• Schooling or school-authorized activity. The note must be signed by your school principal, dean, or his/her designee.

• Employment necessity and the need to operate a vehicle as part of your employment. The note must be signed by your employer verifying employment.

• Your necessity or the necessity of an immediate family member. The note must be signed by your parent or legal guardian.

• If you are an emancipated minor, no documentation is needed. However, you must have already declared yourself emancipated and provided DMV with Proof of Financial Responsibility (SR 1P) in lieu of your guarantors’ signatures.

Questions and Answers-Changes to Provisional Driver License Restrictions

For questions and answers regarding the provisional Driver License restrictions, see our new Teen Pages.

Tests Required

18 years and over

Vision exam requirement

A 20/40 visual acuity with or without glasses is the department’s vision guideline. Customers applying for a Class A, B, or commercial C license must see 20/40 with both eyes and each eye individually. The departmental authority for administering the vision exam is 12804.9 (a) (1) (E) of the California Vehicle Code.

Visual acuity measurements are obtained for both eyes together and for each eye separately while both eyes remain open, as in normal driving. There are two methods of testing, a Snellen chart or Optec 1000 Vision Tester.

The Snellen chart contains five lines of letters and measures the portion of an applicant’s general seeing ability, known as visual acuity or keenness of vision. The Optec 1000 Vision Tester obtains a more precise vision score by providing a test situation, which is equivalent to placing the applicant at one end of a room 26 feet long to read a test target at the opposite end of the room.

Applicants who do not pass either exams may, depending on the circumstances, be referred to a vision specialist. The vision specialist may prescribe eye glasses or a stronger prescription for the current eye glasses worn.

Pass a traffic laws and sign test

If you have a license from another country, you will be required to take a driving test. If you have a license from another state, the driving test can be waived.

You have three chances to pass the driving test. If you fail, you may practice for a while, then make another appointment. 

After you pass your driving test you will be issued an interim license valid for 90 days until you receive your new photo license in the mail. Double-check your address before you leave DMV and tell the DMV representative if you have moved or if your address is incorrect. If you have not received your license after 60 days, call            1-800-777-0133       and they can check on the status for you. Have your interim license with you to provide information when requested.

15 1/2 to 17 1/2 yrs of age

you will need to provide a:

• Certificate of Completion of Driver Education.

OR

• Certificate of Completion of Driver Education and Driver Training.

OR

• Certificate of Enrollment In An Integrated (Classroom) Driver Education And Driver Training Program.

Over 17 1/2 but under 18 yrs of age

You may get your permit without the driver education and driver training certificates however, you will not be able to take the driving test until you turn 18. Once you pass your written test, you will be issued a provisional permit.

Fee

Class C - $31

Class C Under 18 - $31

Click Here For The Most Up To Date Fees

Documents needed

Financial Responsibility

You must show that your vehicle is properly insured before the driving test begins (or the test will be postponed) by providing one of the following:

• A document with the liability insurance policy or surety bond number.
• An Assigned Risk insurance card with the name of the assigned insurance company, file number, and current coverage dates.
• Current insurance binder or copy of an insurance policy signed or countersigned by an insurance company representative.
• Rental car contract if the driver is listed on the contract as the insured.
• DMV-issued certificate of self-insurance or acknowledgment of cash deposit.
• Written confirmation from the insurer that the person is insured.

The issue of identification –its reliability, integrity, confidentiality, etc. – is of prime concern to all citizens. The eligibility for government services, the issuance of various licenses, the assessment of taxes, the right to vote, etc., are all determined through evaluations based on identification documents.

It is critical that identification documents and systems be authentic and accurate in order to positively and uniquely identify each individual. The California legislature has declared the California driver license (DL) and identification (ID) card as the primary identification documents in this state. California state law requires that all applicants for an original California DL/ ID card submit proof of legal presence in the United States (U.S.) as authorized under federal law. Your true full name, as shown on your legal presence document and/or your name change document, will appear on your DL/ID card. These requirements help safeguard the accuracy and integrity of the documents issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

Identity Requirements For an Original DL/ID Card

When you apply for an original California DL/ID card, you must present:

• An acceptable birth date/legal presence (BD/ LP) document(s).
• An acceptable true full name document if the name of your BD/LP document is different from the name on your DL/ID card application.
• Your Social Security number (SSN). It will be verified with the Social Security Administration (SSA) while you are in the DMV office. You must also provide verification of your SSN to change an existing SSN on DMV's date base.

NOTE: If you are legally present in the U.S., but ineligible for an SSN, you are exempt from SSN requirements. However, you must still provide an acceptable BD/LP document for any future DL/ID card application or provide a valid SSN.

For additional application requirements, refer to the California Driver Handbook or dmv.ca.gov.

What is an Acceptable Document?

An acceptable birth date/legal presence or name change document is one produced by an issuing authority such as a county, state, or federal agency. Documents issued by Vital Statistics offices will be a certified copy of the original (the original is always retained by the issuing authority) and will contain an impressed seal or an original stamped impression. Other issuing agencies may issue you original documents. After being presented at a DMV office, your document will be returned to you. Do not make a copy of your BD/LP document, DMV does not accept photocopies of documents for birth date/legal presence or true full name verification.

List of Acceptable Birth Date/Legal Presence Documents

Present one of the following for a driver license or identification card.

• U.S. Birth Certificate or U.S. Passport.
• U.S. Certificate or Report of Birth Abroad (issued by the U.S. Department of State).
• Federal Proof of Indian Blood Degree (issued by U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs).
• American Indian Card (I-551) (issued by USCIS).
• Birth Certificate or passport issued from a U.S. territory.
• U.S. Citizen Identification Card (issued by USCIS).
• U.S. Military Identification Cards.
• Common Access Card (only if designated as Active Military or Active Reserve or Active Selected Reserve).
• Certificate of Naturalization or Citizenship (issued by USCIS).
• Northern Mariana Card (issued by USCIS).
• Permanent Resident Card (issued by USCIS).
• Temporary Resident Identification Card (issued by USCIS).
• Canadian passport or birth certificate.
• Nonresident Alien Canadian border crossing card (issued by USCIS).
• Valid foreign passport with a valid Record of Arrival/Departure (form I-94) (issued by USCIS).
• Certification from California Department of Corrections or California Youth Authority.
• Employment Authorization Card (issued by USCIS).
• "Processed for I-551" stamped in a valid foreign passport (issued by USCIS).
• Permanent Resident Re-entry Permit (issued by USCIS).
• Refugee Travel Document (issued by USCIS).
• Valid I-94 stamped "Refugee," "Parole or Parolee," "Asylee," or Section 207, Section 208, Section 209, Section 212d(2), HP or PIP (issued by USCIS).
• Valid I-94 with attached photo stamped "Temporary evidence of lawful admission for permanent residence" (issued by USCIS).
• Notice of Action (I-797 Approved Petition).
• Immigration judge's order granting asylum.
• Mexican border crossing card with valid I-94 (issued by USCIS).
• Certified court order or judgment issued from a court of competent jurisdiction. Must contain name, birth date, place of birth, legal presence status, and judge's signature.

Social security number (SSN) requirement

The Social Security Act allows any state to use the SSN to establish the identification of an individual. The California Vehicle Code requires the collection of the social security number.

All applicants must submit to DMV their social security number. Evidence of your social security number is required only on applications for an original commercial driver license and any request to correct a SSN that is already on the driver record data base, regardless of the class. The SSN is considered confidential and will not appear on the photo license or be encoded on the magnetic stripe. Any documents that the department is authorized to release to the public will have the SSN masked. The SSN is electronically verified with Social Security Administration while you are in the DMV office for all DL/ID card transactions, if it has not already been verified.

The only documents acceptable for SSN verification are originals of the following:

• Social Security Card (cannot be laminated)
• Medicare card
• U.S. Armed Forces Identification Cards: 
  Active-DD 2 
  Retired-DD 2 
  Reserved-DD 2 
  Dependent-DD 173
• Military separation document-DD 214

Exception to the SSN requirement:

If you are legally present in the US, but ineligible for an SSN, you are exempt from SSN requirements. However, you must still provide an acceptable birth date/legal presence document for any DL/ID card application OR provide a valid SSN.

What is a True Full Name?

Your true full name appears on your BD/LP document. If you change your name, then you must provide one of the following documents to verify your name change:

• Adoption documents that contain the legal name as a result of the adoption.
• A name change document that contains the legal name both before and after the name change.
• Marriage certificate (issued from a local or state office of vital statistics).
• Dissolution of marriage/domestic partnership document that contains the legal name as a result of the court action.
• A certificate, declaration, or registration document verifying the formation of a domestic partnership.