Reviewed and updated October 12, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every fact on this page was read from the California DMV's own pages that day, and the DMV page each fact came from is linked where it appears.
What California requires of a driver training school and of a new driver who attends one: the hours of driver education and driver training, how the permit for a driver under 18 depends on them, the DMV's checklist for choosing a school and what the training car must carry, the policies a school sets for itself, the three certificates the school issues and when each is presented to the DMV, how the DMV licenses schools and instructors and what those licenses cost, and where a complaint goes. The permit and the teen license rules the school feeds into are on the learner's permit guide and the teen drivers guide.
In this guide: Driver education: 30 hours in a classroom, or the same at home, Driver training: six hours behind the wheel, two a day at most, How the school fits the permit for a driver under 18, The DMV's checklist for choosing a school, What each school decides for itself, The three certificates and when each is presented, How the DMV licenses schools and instructors, and what it costs, Complaints, Questions about driving schools in California
Driver education: 30 hours in a classroom, or the same at home
Driver education and driver training are offered at public and private high schools and at state-licensed driving schools, per the DMV's driver training schools page, which links the DMV's list of licensed driving schools. Driver education teaches traffic laws, road safety, driver responsibilities and avoiding accidents, and the DMV sets its length: 30 hours or 2.5 semester periods of professional classroom instruction, not including breaks or meal times, or a home study or internet training program that meets the same requirements as classroom instruction. The DMV points new drivers to the California Driver's Handbook for the first-time driver requirements.
Driver training: six hours behind the wheel, two a day at most
Driver training is practice in real-world situations with a professional driving instructor, and the DMV sets it at a minimum of six hours behind the wheel. It cannot exceed two hours a day, and time spent in the car observing another driver does not count toward the six hours. The DMV describes the training as the foundational skills, experience and confidence needed to pass the driving test.
How the school fits the permit for a driver under 18
A driver under 18 must complete classroom driver education at a licensed driver training school before getting an instruction permit, per the DMV. The permit becomes valid once a professional driving instructor signs it, after at least one hour of behind-the-wheel training. From there the DMV's rules for minors apply: the permit is held for at least six months before the driving test, and a parent or guardian signs the permit to certify 50 hours of supervised practice, 10 of them at night, with a parent, guardian, licensed driver 25 or older, or a licensed or certified driving instructor. The permit visit and the provisional license are on the learner's permit guide and the teen drivers guide; the tests on the knowledge and driving tests guide.
The DMV's checklist for choosing a school
Students can take driver education and training in a California secondary school or in a state-licensed professional driving school, and the DMV's page is written to parents choosing one. Its tips: check the school's license status on the DMV's Occupational License Lookup, because the school must be licensed and bonded by the DMV; check the Better Business Bureau, which schools need not belong to but which the DMV calls a good source for customer complaints; compare tuition and ask about additional fees and charges; keep copies of every receipt, contract and school document; make sure the instructors are licensed, which can be checked by calling the DMV at (916) 229-3126, and know that instructors pass qualifying examinations every three years or show continuing traffic safety education; ask about the training vehicles, which must have an instructor foot brake and an additional rear view mirror, carry the required bodily injury and property damage liability insurance, be inspected yearly for safe and proper mechanical condition, and be used for instruction only, with no breaks or personal business during behind-the-wheel training; ask for an emergency telephone number, because training often happens when the school is closed; ask about the policy for cancelling or rescheduling a behind-the-wheel session; choose a school in an area you know, because it is easier to learn on familiar streets; and expect school personnel to avoid any physical contact with the teenager except in an emergency.
What each school decides for itself
The DMV says driver training schools set their own policies on program length and schedule; on the videos and films showing graphic traffic accident scenes, of which a licensed school must show at least 100 minutes; on behind-the-wheel time requirements beyond the minimum; on training routes; on the make and model of the training vehicles; and on drop-off and pickup locations for sessions. The school is the place to ask about them.
The three certificates and when each is presented
A DMV-licensed school issues a Certificate of Completion of Driver Education as proof of participation and completion; a minor may instead present a Certificate of Enrollment in an Integrated (Classroom) Driver Education and Driver Training Program. Either one goes to the DMV office with the permit application. After the six hours behind the wheel the school issues a Certificate of Completion of Driver Training, which the DMV says to bring to the driving test, along with, for a minor, the permit signed by the parent or guardian for the 50 practice hours after at least six months on the permit.
How the DMV licenses schools and instructors, and what it costs
The DMV's Occupational Licensing Division enforces the laws and regulations that apply to driving schools, traffic violator schools and ignition interlock device providers, per the DMV's customer support page; a licensed driving or traffic violator school that violates DMV regulations is a licensed business violation on the DMV's complaints page, whose examples include overcharging DMV fees. A traffic violator school can be looked up through the DMV's online traffic school lookup. The instructor licenses on the DMV's licensing fees page:
| Occupational license | Application | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Class C driving school instructor | Original, renewal, additional license or reinstatement | $31 |
| Class C driving school instructor | Original with fingerprints | $73 |
| Class C driving school instructor | Duplicate, transfer or replacement | $15 |
| Class C driving school instructor | Correction | No fee |
| Traffic violator school instructor | Original, renewal, additional license or reinstatement | $51 |
| Traffic violator school instructor | Duplicate, transfer, name change of school or name change of instructor | $15 |
| Traffic violator school instructor | Correction | No fee |
A refund of a driving or traffic violator school owner, operator or instructor license fee starts with a call to the DMV at 1-916-229-3126, weekdays 8 am to 5 pm Pacific, per the DMV's payments and refunds page; the refund rules are on the payments and refunds guide. The rest of the DMV's fee schedule is on the fees page.
Complaints
The DMV says it will assist with any complaint against a DMV-licensed driver training school, and driving school and traffic violator school complaints are filed online through the DMV's complaint system. A complaint against a public or private secondary school's program goes to the local school district administration, with additional information on the Department of Education's site. The DMV's complaint categories, and where fraud reports go, are on the online services guide.
Questions about driving schools in California
Do I have to take driver education if I am over 18?
The DMV's driver training schools page puts the requirement on drivers under 18, who must complete classroom driver education at a licensed school before the instruction permit, and says nothing about adults; the adult permit rules are on the learner's permit guide.
How many hours are required?
Driver education is 30 hours or 2.5 semester periods of professional classroom instruction, not counting breaks and meals, or a home study or internet program that meets the same requirements. Driver training is at least six hours behind the wheel with a professional instructor, no more than two hours a day.
Can I take driver education online?
Yes. The DMV says a home study or internet training program may replace the classroom as long as it meets the same requirements as classroom instruction.
Does riding along while another student drives count?
No. The DMV says time spent in the car observing another driver does not count toward the six hours.
How do I check that a school is legitimate?
Look the school up on the DMV's Occupational License Lookup; the DMV says the school must be licensed and bonded by the DMV. The instructor's license can be checked by calling the DMV at (916) 229-3126, and the DMV says instructors must pass qualifying examinations every three years or show proof of continuing traffic safety education.
What must the training car have?
An instructor foot brake and an additional rear view mirror, the required bodily injury and property damage liability insurance, a yearly inspection for safe and proper mechanical condition, and use for instruction only; the DMV says instructors may not take breaks or conduct personal business during behind-the-wheel training.
Where do complaints go?
Complaints against a DMV-licensed driving school or traffic violator school are filed online with the DMV, which says it will assist. Complaints about a public or private secondary school's program go to the local school district, with more on the Department of Education's site.
Written by SearchSystems.net from the California DMV's driver training schools page, customer support page, complaints page, licensing fees page and payments and refunds page, read on October 12, 2026.