How to Get Your Driver’s License
Getting your driver’s license has become a teenage rite of passage, immortalized by books, movies, and music (looking at you, Olivia Rodrigo). It is easy to fantasize about the fun and freedom your license could bring, but how do you turn a fantasy into that little plastic rectangle? The process can seem mystifying at first, but when it’s broken down, there are simply four steps: complete a driving education course, obtain your learner’s permit, practice driving, and pass your behind the wheel test.
The first step in getting your driver’s license is to complete a driving education course. The California DMV website states that driver education “teaches you about traffic laws, road safety, driver responsibilities, and avoiding accidents.” It will prepare you for the questions on the written permit test as well as real-life situations you may encounter when driving. The class must be at least 25 hours, not including breaks, but may be in person or online. The best way to find a school is through a simple internet search (try “driver’s education course”) or by asking friends or family members who have recently completed their driver’s ed. Once you have finished the course and received your certificate of completion, you can move on to the next step: obtaining your permit.
Getting your permit is one of the more difficult steps, as it is when you will need the most documentation and need to pass the written test. You will first have to complete an application and make an appointment with the DMV by visiting their website at www.dmv.ca.gov/instruction-permits. Be sure to make an appointment in advance, as slots fill up quickly. On the day of the appointment, you will need to bring proof of residency (see some examples of documents here) and proof that you have completed the driver’s education. After presenting those, you must take the test. Don’t worry too much—the information on the test will all have been covered in driver’s ed. If you do not pass, you may retake the test, but you will have to wait two weeks. However, if you do pass, you are not quite done yet; you will need to take your photo and vision exam and pay the application fee. Then you’re free to start practicing your driving!
There is a six month waiting period between when you get your permit and when you can test for your license. This means that you have plenty of time to fulfill the practice hour requirements. You will first need to take behind the wheel lessons with a certified instructor. A total of six hours of lessons are required, but after the first lesson, the instructor will sign and validate your permit for personal practice. You will still have to be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or licensed driver over 25 though. You can find behind-the-wheel driving schools in the same way you found your driver’s ed, with an online search. Including your lessons, you must practice for at least 50 hours, ten being at night, before you take your driving test. Your parent or guardian must sign your permit to certify that you have completed the practice requirement. More practice is always better, but if you hold your permit for more than a year, you will need to renew it, which means retaking the written test too. Once you are sure you are prepared, you can then take the final, monumental step: the behind the wheel test.
Start by scheduling your driving test on the DMV website; It may be helpful to schedule it for a day you can take your time and relax. When you arrive at the test center, you must present your permit and proof of insurance for the car you will be testing in. You will then go to your car with your tester. They will first ask you to demonstrate your knowledge of the car’s function by asking you to point out or operate the headlights, emergency flasher, windshield wipers, and turn signals. They will also test you on the hand signals for right turn, left turn, and stop. The driving portion of the test is next. For usually no more than fifteen minutes, you will be asked to demonstrate left and right turns, stops at controlled and uncontrolled intersections, straight line backing, and lane changes. The test only asks you to drive in regular streets, not the freeway, and more in depth and useful information is available in the DMV’s pre-test brochure. Take a deep breath and remember that your tester will not try to trick you; they want you to pass. You fail if you make one “critical driving error” (a collision or “unsafe maneuver”, for example) or 15 minor mistakes. If you fail, you can retake the test up to three times, otherwise you will need to reapply with a new permit. If you pass, however, congratulations! You are officially a licensed driver! As a minor, you need to keep in mind a few restrictions for the first year of having your license: you cannot drive between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. and cannot transport passengers under 20 years old, unless accompanied by a California-licensed parent or guardian, a California-licensed driver 25 years old or older. You may, however, drive minor siblings if you have parental consent. Other than that, look out for your license card in the mail within the next two weeks, and enjoy the roads!
