How to Get Your Permit in California: Step by Step

Short answer: To get your permit in California, you start a driver’s license application online, visit a DMV office with your documents, pay the application fee, and pass a vision test and a knowledge test. Teens must be at least 15½, finish driver education first, and have a parent or guardian sign. Adults 18 and older skip driver education and the parent signature.

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This guide walks you through each step in order. If you’re not sure which rules apply to you, start with the quick table below, then follow the steps.

Which path are you on?

California has different permit requirements depending on your age. Here’s the short version. For the full breakdown of what changes at each birthday, see our guide to the California permit age.

Your age	Driver education first?	Parent or guardian signs?
15½ to 17½	Yes, certificate of completion or enrollment	Yes
17½ to 18	Not required for the permit	Yes
18 and older	No	No

Step 1: Finish driver education (teens under 17½)

If you’re between 15½ and 17½, the DMV needs proof of driver education before it will issue your permit. Driver education is the classroom part. The DMV says it must be either 30 hours or 2½ semester periods of professional classroom instruction. A home study or internet course also counts if it meets the same requirements.

When you finish, the school gives you a Certificate of Completion of Driver Education. If you’re in an integrated program that combines classroom and behind-the-wheel training, you can show a Certificate of Enrollment instead. If you took driver education in another state, that school can fill out form DL 33 for you.

Teens who are 17½ or older can get a permit without driver education. The catch is explained in our permit age guide.

Step 2: Start your application online

The DMV asks teens getting a learner’s permit to start the driver’s license application online. Here’s how it works:

Create a MyDMV account. The DMV uses two-step sign-in, so you need an email address and a phone that can get a call or text.
Fill out the application. You’ll need your Social Security number if you have one, plus your name, address and date of birth.
If you’re under 18, your parent or guardian uses their own MyDMV account to approve your application. If both parents have custody, both must sign.
Submit it. You’ll get a confirmation number by email.

The online application is offered in 10 languages, and the DMV stores it for up to one year. It isn’t finished until you visit a DMV office. When a parent or guardian signs for a minor, they also accept financial responsibility for that minor’s driving.

Step 3: Gather your documents and make an appointment

After your application is in (and approved by a parent, if you’re a minor), schedule an appointment and upload your documents. In general you’ll need proof of identity, proof of California residency, your Social Security number (exceptions may apply), and a legal name document if your names don’t match. Teens also bring their driver education certificate, and a parent or guardian must come to the office with you.

The details, including which documents are accepted and how a teen can use a parent’s utility bill, are in our checklist of what to bring to the DMV permit test.

Step 4: Pay the application fee

You pay a nonrefundable application fee at the office. The DMV doesn’t list a separate fee for a permit. The permit is part of your driver’s license application, and as of November 2026 the DMV’s licensing fees page lists $46 for an original Class C driver’s license. Check that page before you go, since fees can change.

Your application and fee are good for 12 months after you apply. If the application expires before you finish, you’ll need to reapply.

Step 5: Pass the vision and knowledge tests

At the office you’ll have your photo taken, give a thumbprint, and take a vision test. If you wear glasses or contacts for the vision test, your license will carry a corrective lenses restriction, so bring them.

Then comes the knowledge test, a multiple-choice test based on the California Driver’s Handbook. Key facts from the DMV:

You need a score of 80% to pass.
You get three tries before you must reapply.
Minors who fail must wait seven days to retake it, not counting the day they failed.
DMV offices don’t give knowledge tests after 4:30 p.m.

You may be able to take the test from home. The DMV says the online test can be tried twice, with a third try at an office, and it’s offered in 35 languages. You need a computer or laptop with a webcam; tablets and phones don’t work. Teens under 18 have been able to test online since September 2023. Our online permit test guide covers how that works.

The DMV doesn’t publish an official question count for the knowledge test; we explain what is and isn’t known in how many questions are on the California permit test. The best way to get ready is to read the handbook and practice. You can take the free 10-question practice test right now to see where you stand.

Step 6: Start driver training to validate your permit (teens)

This step surprises a lot of families. If you’re under 18, your permit is not valid the day you get it. It becomes valid only after a professional driving instructor signs it, once you’ve completed at least one hour of behind-the-wheel training.

Driver training is the in-car part. The DMV requires at least six hours of behind-the-wheel training with a professional instructor. Until your instructor signs your permit, you should not practice driving with anyone.

Step 7: Practice, then move toward your license

Once your permit is valid, you can practice with a qualified supervising driver. You can never drive alone on a permit. Who can ride with you, and how long you must hold the permit, are covered in our guide to California learner’s permit rules.

For teens, the road to a license looks like this: hold the permit for at least six months, log 50 hours of supervised practice (10 at night), finish your six hours of driver training, then pass the drive test. Our behind-the-wheel test guide explains that last step. After you pass, your first year comes with limits on night driving and passengers, explained in California provisional license rules.

Quick timeline for a teen starting at 15½

Finish driver education and get your certificate.
Apply online; parent approves in MyDMV.
Visit the DMV with a parent, pay the fee, pass the vision and knowledge tests.
Take your first driver training lesson so your instructor can sign and validate the permit.
Practice for at least six months and 50 hours.
Take the drive test, at age 16 at the earliest.

Studying is the one step you control completely. When you’re ready to check yourself, try our free practice test before your DMV visit.

Ready to check what you know? Take the free 10-question California permit practice test.

Start the free test →

Frequently asked questions

Can I get my California permit online?

You start the application online and may be able to take the knowledge test online, but you still need to visit a DMV office to finish. That visit covers your documents, fee, photo, thumbprint and vision test.

How much does a permit cost in California?

The DMV doesn't list a separate permit fee. As of November 2026, its licensing fees page lists $46 for an original Class C driver's license application, which is nonrefundable and good for 12 months. Check the DMV fees page for the current amount.

Do adults need driver education to get a permit in California?

No. Driver education and a parent signature are required only for applicants under 18, and teens 17½ or older can get a permit without driver education.

Can I drive as soon as I get my permit?

Adults can practice right away with a licensed driver who is at least 18. Teens under 18 must wait until a professional driving instructor signs the permit after at least one hour of behind-the-wheel training.

Does my parent have to come to the DMV with me?

Yes. The DMV's Teen Driver Roadmap says a parent or guardian must attend the office visit with an applicant under 18.

How to Get Your Permit in California: Step-by-Step Guide