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DRIVERS
LICENSE:
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 a homeowner's property tax exemption, or any
other privilege or benefit not ordinarily extended to nonresidents.
To apply for an
original driver license you will need to do the following:
 | Visit a DMV office (make an appointment for faster service)
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| Complete application form DL 44 (An original DL 44 form must be
submitted. Copies will not be accepted.)
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| Give a thumb print
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| Have your picture taken
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| Provide your social security number
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| Verify your birth date and legal presence
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| Provide your true full name
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| Pay the $24 application fee
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| Pass a vision exam
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| 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.
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You will then be issued a permit if you have never been
licensed before. When you practice, you must have an accompanying adult
who is 25 years of age or older, with a valid California license. This
person must be close enough to you 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 driving test. If you have a license from another state,
the driving test can be waived.
To take your driving test, you will need to:
| Call a DMV office to set up an appointment. (Driving tests are not
given without an appointment.)
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| Provide proof of financial responsibility
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You have three chances to pass the driving test. If you fail,
you may practice for a while, then make another appointment. There is no
waiting period, but you must make an appointment. If you fail to
successfully complete the driving test on the first attempt, you must pay
a $5 fee for each additional driving test that is administered under an
application for an original or renewal driver license.
After you pass your driving 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.
If you
have not received your license after 60 days, call 1-800-777-0133
Have your interim license with you to
provide information when requested.
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
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.
How to renew your
driver license in person:
If you already have
a California license and are due to renew, you will need to:
| Visit a DMV office (make an appointment for faster service)
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| Complete application form DL 44. (An original DL 44 form must be
submitted. Copies will not be accepted.) OR bring in the
renewal notice DMV mailed to you (Cross out any old information and
write in current information)
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| Give a thumb print
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| Have your picture taken
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| Pay the $24 application fee
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| Pass an vision exam
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| Pass a traffic laws and sign test. You will only need to answer the
first 18 questions of the 36 question exam. A passing score is at
least 15 correct answers. You have three chances to pass.
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After you complete the requirements you will be issued an
interim license valid for 60 days until you receive your new photo license
in the mail. Check your address before you leave DMV and tell the DMV
representative if your address is incorrect.
If you have not received your
license after 60 days, call 1-800-777-0133
Have your
interim license with you to provide information when requested.
If your license has expired, it is illegal for you to drive.
There are no penalties or late fees to renew your license. If you are a
commercial driver and your license has expired more than a year, you will
need to also take a driving test in the type of commercial vehicle you
will be driving.
How to renew your
driver license by mail:
You may be eligible to
renew your license by mail if you can answer No to all of the
following questions:
| Does your driver license expire more than 60 days from today's date?
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| Will you be 70 years of age or older when your current driver
license expires?
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| Are you currently on any type of driving probation or suspension?
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| Did you violate a written promise to appear in court within the last
two years?
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| Have you already received two consecutive four year extensions by
mail?
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If you qualify and have not received a notice to renew by
mail, complete a Renewal By Mail Eligibility Information form DL 410FO and
send it along with a check for the $24 renewal fee to:
Department of
Motor Vehicles
ATTN: Renewal By Mail Unit
P.O. Box 942890
Sacramento, CA 94290-0001
If you need further information, please call 1-800-777-0133.
How to change your
name on your driver license and/or identification (ID) card:
To apply for a name
change you will need to:
| Visit a DMV office (make an appointment for faster service)
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| Complete application form DL 44 with your new information. (An
original DL 44 form must be submitted. Copies will not be accepted.)
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| Give a thumb print
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| Have your picture taken
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| Pay the application fee ($19 license or $20 ID card or no fee senior
citizen ID card)
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Acceptable evidence of your new name may be provided by
showing an original or certified copy of a Birth Date/Legal Presence
document or one of the following name change documents:
| Adoption (containing your legal name as a result of an adoption)
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| Name change (containing your legal name before and after the name
change)
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| Marriage Certificate (issued from a local or state Office of Vital
Statistics)
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| Dissolution of marriage
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| Certified declaration or registration document verifying the
formation of a domestic partnership
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| Out-of-state driver license or identification card
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The document must be issued by a governmental agency within
the United States or a foreign jurisdiction that is authorized to issue
such documents. The document must be a legible and unaltered original or
certified copy with a government seal, stamp or other official imprint.
You will need to surrender your current driver license and/or ID card.
Please contact the Social Security Administration (SSA) to
change your name on SSA records, if you have not already done so. DMV
electronically verifies your name, birth date and social security number
with the SSA.
If your information does not verify, you will not receive your
new California driver license or identification card. You will receive a
Request for Verification of Information letter from DMV informing you that
the information you provided (name, birth date, and/or SSN) does not match
SSA's records.
You will be issued an interim license valid for 60 days and/or
a receipt for your ID card until you receive your new photo license and/or
photo ID card in the mail. Check your address before you leave DMV and
tell the DMV representative if your address is incorrect. Your new license
and/or ID card will be mailed to you within 60 days.
If you do not receive
your license and/or ID card after 60 days, call 1 (800) 777-0133
Have your interim license and/or ID card receipt with you
to provide information when requested.
Vision exam
requirement:
A 20/40 visual acuity
with or without glasses is the department's vision guideline. Customers
applying for a Class A, B, or commercial C license must see 20/40 with
both eyes and each eye individually.
Visual acuity
measurements are obtained for both eyes together and for each eye
separately while both eyes remain open, as in normal driving. There are
two methods of testing, a Snellen chart or Optec 1000 Vision Tester.
The Snellen chart
contains five lines of letters and measures the portion of an applicant's
general seeing ability, known as visual acuity or keenness of vision. The
Optec 1000 Vision Tester obtains a more precise vision score by providing
a test situation, which is equivalent to placing the applicant at one end
of a room 26 feet long to read a test target at the opposite end of the
room.
Applicants who do not
pass either exams may, depending on the circumstances, be referred to a
vision specialist. The vision specialist may prescribe eye glasses or a
stronger prescription for the current eye glasses worn.
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