Driver Education
The classroom or online course you need before the written permit test — and a straight answer about which online provider is worth paying for.
Driver education comes first: an online course or one taught by a licensed instructor. When it is finished a certificate of completion is posted to you, and you need it — along with a birth certificate, proof of legal presence, a document showing your name and address, and the application fee — to sit the written test for a provisional permit.
There are a great many online driver education courses. After watching which ones actually produce a pass on the written exam, Turlock Driving School endorses one of them.
- Required before the written permit test
- You must be at least 15½ to be issued a permit
- Certificate posted — allow five to seven days
- Complete the DL44 application at dmv.ca.gov beforehand
- A parent must show a California licence and a matching utility bill
Three requirements, not two.
California asks for three things before an under-18 driver can take the test. Most schools only mention two.
- 130hours
Driver education
Classroom or online. Taken before the permit test.
- 26hours
Behind-the-wheel training
With a DMV-licensed professional instructor. Three 2-hour lessons minimum.
- 350hours
Supervised practice
With a parent or guardian — 10 of them after dark.
The 6 hours of professional training and the 50 hours of practice are separate requirements — one does not count toward the other.