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Provisional Driver Permit and License Information for persons Under 18
1.How to apply for a provisional permit if you are under 18 To apply for
a provisional permit if you are under 18, you will need the following: 1. Be at least 15, but under 18 years of age
2. Visit a DMV office (make an appointment for faster service) 3. 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.)
4. Have your parents' or guardians' signatures
on the application form DL 44
5. Give a thumb print
6. Have your picture taken
7. Provide your social security number
8. Verify your birth date and legal presence
9. Submit the proper form(s) for Driver Education and/or Driver Training (see below for details)
10. Pay the $12 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.)
11. Pass a vision exam
12. 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.
Once you pass your written test, you will be issued a provisional permit. You can be issued a permit at age 15, but you cannot take the drive test or
be issued a driver license until you are 16 years of age. 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. They must
sit in a position that allows them to take control of the vehicle, if necessary. It is illegal for you to drive alone at any time.
2.Parents' or guardians' signatures - Accepting 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. 3.Driver Education and Driver Training Information
You may take driver education (classroom training) or driver training (behind-the-wheel) in a public or private high school, or in a state licensed, professional driving 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. 4.Provisional driver license restrictions during the first year
On July 1, 1998, new laws were imposed concerning provisional drivers. These new laws affect minors who start their application (pay the application
fee) after July 1, 1998. It does not matter when you are issued a permit or driver license. What matters is the date you started your application.
For example, let's say you started your application and paid your $12 application fee on June 28, 1998 and failed the written test. You would need
to wait 7 days to take the test again. You come back to DMV on July 5, 1998 and this time pass the written test. You are then issued a permit. Would the new laws pertain to you? No, because you started the
application on June 28, before the new laws went into effect.
The following new restrictions are for minors who apply after July 1, 1998, pass their driving test at DMV and are issued a provisional
driver license.
- During the first 6 months you are licensed to drive you must be accompanied by a driver 25 years of age or older if you drive between the hours of 12 a.m. and 5 a.m. or
if you have passengers under the age of 20 in the car at any time.
- During the second 6 months, you must still be accompanied by a driver 25 years of age or older if you drive between the hours of 12 a.m. and 5 a.m., however, now you may have passengers under the age of 20 in
the car without supervision between the hours of 5 a.m. and midnight.
Persons under 18 may not be employed to drive a motor vehicle. When you become 18, the provisional part of your license ends. You may
continue to drive as an adult using your photo license, which will expire on your 4th birthday after the date you applied.
5.How to apply for a motorcycle or moped driver license if you are under 18:
There are two classes of motorcycle licenses, Class M1 and Class M2.
- With a Class M1, you can operate any 2-wheel motorcycle and any motorized vehicle in Class M2.
- With a Class M2, you can only operate any motorized bicycle or moped or any bicycle with an attached motor.
To apply for a motorcycle Class 1 or 2 permit, you will need to:
- Be at least 15 1/2 years of age
- Visit a
DMV office
(make an appointment for faster service)
- Complete 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 parents certification of completing 50 hours of supervised driving practice. Ten of the 50 hours must have been at night.
OR
- Show your California driver license, if you have one issued to you.
- Pay a $15 application fee
- Pass a
vision exam
- Pass a
traffic lawsand signs test for motorcycles
After passing the traffic laws and signs test, you will be issued an instruction permit to allow you to practice driving a motorcycle. You may not drive at night, on the freeway, or have any passengers
with you.
To apply for your motorcycle driver license, you must:
- Be at least 16 years old
- Have had your permit for 6 months
- Have completed driver education and driver training or have your California driver license.
- Complete a motorcycle rider training course given by the California Highway Patrol (CHP). All persons under 21 are required to complete the course.
- Submit the CHP completion certificate (You will not be required to take the motorcycle driving test at DMV.)
After you submit the CHP completion certificate, you will be issued an interim license valid for 60 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. |
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Driver License Information for persons over 18
1.How to apply for a driver license if you are over 18 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 take a job here or become a 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 home owner's
property tax exemption, or any other privilege or benefit not ordinarily extended to nonresidents. 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 for faster service)
- Complete application form DL 44 (An original DL 44 form must be submitted. Copies obtained by xeroxing, faxing or other methods will not be accepted.)
- Give a thumb print
- Have your picture taken
- Provide your
social security number
- Verify your
birth date and legal presence
- Pay the $12 application fee (the application fee for a
commercial driver license is $57)
- Pass a
vision exam
- Pass a
traffic laws and sign test. There are 36 questions on the
test. A passing score is at least 31 correct answers. You have three chances to pass.
You will then be issued a permit if you have never been licensed before. You may use the permit to practice driving with an accompanying adult who is 18 years of age or older, with a valid California
license and close enough 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 drive test. If you have a license from another state, the drive test can be waived. To take your drive test, you will need to:
- Call a DMV office to set up an appointment. (Drive tests are not given without an appointment.)
- Provide proof of financial responsibility
After you pass your drive test you will be issued an interim license valid for 60 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. You have three chances to pass the drive test. If you fail,
you may practice for a while, then call DMV to set up another appointment. There is no waiting period, but you must make an appointment. If your name is different on your birth date and/or legal presence document
than the one you are currently using, you will need to provide an additional document, such as; a marriage certificate, dissolution of marriage, adoption or name change document that shows your current name. How to apply for a motorcycle or moped driver license if you are over 18:
There are two classes of motorcycle licenses, Class M1 and Class M2,
- With a Class M1, you can operate any 2-wheel motorcycle and any motorized vehicle in Class M2.
- With a Class M2, you can only operate any motorized bicycle or moped or any bicycle with an attached motor.
To apply for a motorcycle Class 1 or 2 permit, you will need to:
- Visit a
DMV office
(make an appointment for faster service)
- Complete application form DL 44 (An original DL 44 form must be submitted. Copies obtained by xeroxing, faxing or other methods will not be accepted.)
- Give a thumb print
- Have your picture taken
- Pay a $15 application fee
- Pass a
vision exam
- Pass a
traffic lawsand
signs test. You have three chances to pass the test.
After passing the traffic laws and signs test, you will be issued an instruction permit to allow you to practice driving a motorcycle.
You may not drive at night, on the freeway, or have any passengers with you. To apply for your motorcycle Class 1 or 2 license, you must do one of the following:
- If you are under 21, you must complete a motorcycle rider training course given by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and provide the completion certificate to DMV to be issued your license. You will not
be required to take the motorcycle driving test at DMV.
- If you are over 21, you may either choose to complete the course by CHP and provide the certificate OR
schedule an appointment at DMV to take the driving test. You have three chances to pass the test.
After you have submitted your CHP certificate or passed your drive test, you will be issued an interim license valid for 60 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. |
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