Do you need a learner’s permit to drive in California if you’re over 18? What state law says

For eager teenagers in California, getting a learner’s permit is the first step to eventually earning a driver’s license.

What about people over age 18?

Do older California residents have to go through the same steps before they’re allowed to get behind the wheel?

The California Department of Motor Vehicles has different driver’s license requirements depending on how old you are.

Here’s what to know:

What is a learner’s permit in California?

“The first milestone on the road to getting your California driver’s license is to obtain your provisional instruction permit, sometimes called a ‘learner’s permit,’ ” the DMV said on its website.

A learner’s permit lets you practice driving while you learn how to legally operate a motor vehicle.

Do I need a learner’s permit to drive in California?

If you do not have a California-issued driver’s license, you must apply for a learner’s permit before taking your behind-the-wheel driving test as required by state law, according to the California Driver’s Handbook.

Anyone at least 15 1/2 years of age can get a learner’s permit in California, according to the California Department of Motor Vehicles.

If you’re at least 18, you can begin the process of getting your learner’s permit by completing a California driver’s license or identification card application.

You should then schedule an appointment to visit a DMV office, where you will:

• Bring your California identification card or proof of identity and residency. This can include a passport or a REAL ID, a form of identification that’s used for domestic air travel or entering federal buildings.
• Pay the $45 application fee.
• Pass a vision exam.
• Take a photo.
• Take a multiple-choice knowledge test based on the California Driver’s Handbook.

However, you can only make three attempts to pass the California DMV permit test within a year, according to Aceable, an online driver’s education hub.

If you fail the knowledge test, you must wait at least seven days before retesting.

What are the requirements to get a California driver’s license?

You can get your official California driver’s license after you’ve had your learner’s permit for six months, provided you are at least 16 years old, according to the California Drivers Handbook.

You must also:

• Provide proof that you took and passed a driving education or training course

• Schedule and pass a knowledge test

• Schedule and a behind-the-wheel driving test

What are the requirements if you are under 18?

If you’re under 18, you’ll have to follow some additional steps before you get your driver’s license.

You’ll need to have an instructional permit from California or another state for at least six months — or turn 18 years old — before scheduling your behind-the-wheel driving test.

You also need to complete both a driver education course and road driver training.

Younger drivers are required to practice driving for at least 50 hours with a California-licensed driver who is at least 25 years old, with 10 of those hours completed at night.

Young drivers also need a parent or guardian — and driving instructors — to sign a form verifying they have completed 50 hours of driving practice.

This story was originally published February 23, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Do you need a learner’s permit to drive in California if you’re over 18? What state law says."