How To Apply For California Drivers License As A Teen

If you are ready to apply for your driver's license in California and have met the age requirements, you may be wondering what the process looks like. When it comes to California, new teen drivers applying for their drivers license have pretty strict guidelines to follow, including booking six hours of professional driving lessons. If you follow the steps below, you will get behind the wheel and gain that freedom you are looking for with your driver license.

First Up: Drivers Ed Course

The first step in the driver license process for California is taking the Drivers Ed course. If you are under 17 1/2 years old, then you are required to complete and pass a drivers education course to begin with, which includes 30 hours of online or classroom instruction. This course will teach you valuable skills and techniques that you will put to the test when booking your driving lessons. In order to start this process, you have to be at least 15 years old. If you are, Coastline Academy offers an online Drivers Ed course for you, which is DMV certified. Once you successfully finish this course and pass the final exam, we will send you a certificate of completion, which you will need for the next step.

Next Up: Written Test

Now that you have your certificate of completion in hand, the next step is to head to your local DMV office and take the written knowledge test. The test will consist of 48 questions on a wide variety of topics, all of which are covered during your Drivers Ed course. To pass this test, you cannot get more than eight questions wrong. To help prepare yourself for the written test, Coastline Academy also offers free practice tests that you can take as many times as you want. If you pass the written test at the DMV, you will then be issued your Provisional Instructor Permit at the same visit after paying the application fee.

Third Step: Driving Lessons and Driving Practice

Now that you have your learner's permit, the next step to getting your driver's license in California is to take six hours of professional driving lessons, which will need to be done in increments of 2-hour lessons. Coastline Academy offers driving lessons throughout the state of California, so book here.

Once you have completed your first driving lesson with an instructor, they will sign off on your permit and you are now allowed to drive with a parent, guardian or an adult who is at least 25 years old and has a valid driver's license. In addition to the six hours of driving lessons with a professional driving instructor, you will need to complete at least 50 hours of supervised driving with a parent, guardian or adult at least 25 years old with a valid driver's license. Of those 50 hours, 10 of them need to be completed at night.

Final Step: Behind-The-Wheel Driving Test

Once you have all your hours completed from above and have held your learner's permit for over six months, it is time to schedule your behind-the-wheel driving test at the California DMV. For this test, you will want to make sure you bring all the necessary documents to the DMV office with you. If you pass the driving test, then the California DMV will issue you an interim California driver license, which will be valid for 90 days.

Driver's License Laws

With this provisional license, you will be able to drive alone without supervision, but you will have certain restrictions to follow for the first 12 months:

• You are not allowed to drive between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.
• You are not allowed to have any passengers in the car under the age of 20, unless you have a licensed driver over 25 with you.

There are exceptions to these restrictions, which include a medical emergency or immediate need of a family member and school or work-related necessities. As long as you maintain a clean driving record during this time, you will be released from the provisional driver's license once you turn 18 years old and issued a full driver's license, even if your 18th birthday comes before those 12 months are completed.

It may take some time, but it is a process designed to make sure safe drivers are getting behind the wheel of cars in California, which is what we all want.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to our friendly support staff. If you want to start your driver's license journey with Coastline Academy, make sure to sign up for Drivers Ed and book your driving lesson today.