When my son turned 15 and asked about getting his driver’s permit, I told him to go online and figure out what needed to be done. Little did I know that you need an advanced degree in “Government Bureaucracy” and “1990s Web Site Design” to decipher the process. The frustration factor is enhanced by the fact that what’s actually required by the DMV differs from what their official site says on certain official-but-out-of-date pages, and may differ from day to day depending on who you talk to at the DMV.
After four trips to the DMV, conversations with 6-8 different DMV employees, scouring the DMV site, and griping with other families who’d experienced a similar runaround, I decided to detail the current scoop on what it takes to get a driver’s permit in California – with the caveat that today is September 19, 2016 and what worked today may not work tomorrow.
The bottom line? I believe this page has the most current, “fast facts” version of what is needed to get a permit – and then a license. But if you have your teen follow the steps and tips below, he or she might even walk out with a permit on the first try!
How to Get Your Driver’s Permit
- Turn 15. If you want to drive when you turn 16, get started a year in advance. Seriously. You must now hold a permit for a minimum of 6 months before you can apply for a driver’s license, regardless of when you turn 16.
- Complete a Driver’s Education Course. You need to be 15 years old to start one. There are a thousand companies offering online driver’s ed but we recommend DriversEd.com because they let you proceed through the lessons as you complete them. It’s expensive though – $49.50! If you choose a different online course, make sure it doesn’t make you wait several hours between lessons because those take weeks or even months to complete.
- Speak DMV.
Nowhere will you find any info on the home page of the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) – www.dmv.ca.gov – about getting a “driver’s permit” or “provisional license.” (And don’t be all thinking you can just Google that phrase like it is 2016 because you can’t. You will end up on an out-of-date-but-still-live page on the DMV site with the wrong info.) You have to browse like it’s 1999: start on the DMV home page, and then click on “DL/ID Card” in the “Driver License” section (see right). Remember that in the DMV world, you are applying for a driver’s license for the first time – not just a permit. Unfortunately, there are many pages on the DMV site that discuss the process – each slightly different from the other. Again, after looking at many of them, I believe this page on the official DMV site has the most current and accurate info.
- Get an Appointment at the DMV.
About a month or two before you turn 15 ½ and after you’ve got your driver’s ed certificate in hand, click here to make an appointment at the local DMV. You must have an appointment to get a permit and it has to be earlier than 4:30pm so that you’ll have time to finish the process. When you click to schedule an appointment, you will see three options (see above right) and you should click on the wholly unintuitive “Office Visit Appointment.”
On the “Appointment System” page, 
you will choose your local DMV from the pull-down menu and then ponder the next two unintuitive questions shown at right. First, you need to process “1 item” and second, you need to click “Apply for an original driver license” (even though it doesn’t say “permit” or “provisional license” anywhere.) The rest of the appointment scheduling process is fairly understandable. The first available appointment will typically be 2-4 weeks away. Even if the date is far off, get the appointment and then check every morning for cancellations – we got two appointments on the same day that way – or check a less popular DMV office.
5. Stop by the DMV and Pick Up Form DL-44. This is not available for download anywhere (?!?) You need to walk into the lobby of a local DMV and grab one prior to your appointment because you need the signatures of both parents on it when you arrive for your appointment. Grab 2-3 copies in case you make a mistake while filling it out because you can’t turn one in with any information crossed out or covered with white out.
- Gather the Documents for Your Appointment. This is going to take some time so let your parents know in advance that they need to help you find some of this stuff.
- The application DL-44, filled out in black or blue pen without errors or anything crossed out, and with signatures of both parents.
- An original or “certified copy” of your birth certificate or other accepted form of birth date and name verification.
- Your social security number. You don’t need the card but they will verify the number during the appointment.
- Your driver’s ed certificate of completion.
- Proof of residency in your name or the name of a parent on the birth certificate. A parent’s driver’s license does not count (?!?) so you need something on this list of approved documents – mortgage, bank, utility, or insurance-type stuff– that has your current name/address or that of one of your parents. If your mother is not using her maiden name (which is shown on your birth certificate but might not be shown on current proof of residency documents), take a copy of their marriage certificate as well, or take proof with your father’s name instead. I sent a stack of 10 different documents with my son and the DMV employee wanted to see most of them. So take I would recommend taking as many documents as you can find – just in case!
- A check or cash for the fee. A new license will set you back $33 in 2016. They do NOT accept credit cards.
- Prepare for the Knowledge Test! The knowledge test is difficult because the questions include random, trivia-type questions about traffic laws that are not usually intuitive. You have to carefully read each question, then the answers, then the question again. The DMV is famous for including tricky questions which look very similar to those on practice tests but are not the same.
Unfortunately, the only way to pass is to study the DMV’s Driver’s Handbook – get the 2016 PDF here – and take the DMV’s online practice tests (click here to access these tests under “Regular Driver (Class C License)”. It is better to study the DMV material versus anything from a third-party driver’s education provider because the DMV knows what will be on the tests. This year, everyone says they missed a question about what to do if you are stopped by a police officer. The correct answer is lots of jail time – not a fine (see right). 
Regardless of what some DMV web pages say, you only get one chance to take the knowledge test at your appointment. The test has 46 questions and you take it in a special exam area of the DMV office. It tells you if you got a wrong answer as you go along but it doesn’t tell you the right one. As soon as you get 38 correct answers (Pass!) or 9 incorrect answers (Fail!), the test will end automatically.
This system makes it better to skip tough questions. You can skip three and they will show up again at the end of the test. This gives you a better chance of scoring 38 correctly and passing the test before having to answer the tough ones! However more than half of first-time test takers will fail and have to come back 8 days later (not 7 days later as it says online) to try again. Luckily, you don’t need to get an appointment to re-test: You just arrive in the non-appointment line and they’ll route you to the exam area. And another thing: It definitely pays to chat up the testing administrator and ask for any tips on tough questions!
- Show Up on Time for Your DMV Appointment and BRING ALL YOUR STUFF! Our DMV was super fast and honored our appointment time almost to the minute. Not sure what happens if you are late but I’m sure there’s a chance you won’t be served. Be sure you have all the items in #6: Miss just one and you’ll have to go home, make another appointment and wait another few weeks for your next shot. But you are fully prepared! So you’ll hand over all your paperwork, do a vision test, give a thumbprint, take your driver’s license photo and take the knowledge test. After you pass the test, you’ll walk out with a permit in under an hour! Don’t forget that even though you have a permit, you cannot drive alone. All driving must be with a licensed driver at least 25 years of age in the passenger seat.
Two More Steps to Get a Driver’s License!
- Complete Behind-the-Wheel Training. You’ll need to wait 6 months before you can apply for an official driver’s license. You are supposed to complete an official behind-the-wheel driver’s education course before you get behind the wheel for the first time, so you’ll want to sign up for this training right after getting your permit. (And this training is very expensive too, btw – sheesh!) Then, you need to practice with your parent or another adult. (The DMV offers this guide for parents to help their kids learn to drive behind the wheel. ) Your parents will have to sign your permit saying that you’ve completed a minimum of 50 hours of driving (including 10 at night) before you can get your license.
- Get a Real License! When all your behind-the-wheel training is complete, six months have passed and you have turned 16, you can take the test for a real driver’s license. First, schedule a behind-the-wheel driver’s test appointment at the DMV. Be sure to get the appointment several weeks before you want to take the driving test.
On the day of your appointment, take your driver’s ed certificate and your behind-the-wheel certificate and head into your appointment. If you pass, you are psyched! If not, you must wait two weeks to try again but don’t despair: Lot’s of kids get nervous and make a mistake when they get in the car to drive with the testing proctor.
If you have a friend who recently passed the driving test at your DMV, be sure to ask them to let you know about any tricky parts of the test. Also, ask them to accompany you and your parent on a drive around near where you will take your DMV driving test so you’ll be familiar with the area.
When you finally pass the test and get your license, you cannot drive between 11pm and 5am or have passengers under 20 years old in the vehicle for the first 12 months. After that, you’re free to hit the road whenever and with whomever you like – congratulations!
by Maryann Jones Thompson, 2016
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Keywords: family vacation, family travel, travel with kids, how to get a driver permit, how to get a driver’s license, tips for getting a driver’s permit, tips for passing the driver’s test, tips for getting a driver’s license
