DMV learner's permit checklist:
https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/dl/checklists/permit_under18
Notes:
* I've updated some of this on 10/30/2020 (time of Covid, so this may not all apply when this pandemic is over), based on my son just getting his license.
* DMV's now take credit cards! Bring cash, check, credit or debit card for all transactions that require money. However, just getting your driver's license didn't seem to require any payment or application, if you have gotten a learner's permit.
Step 1: Fill Out Application Form
Step 2: Make Written Test / Learner's Permit Appointment
* We made an appointment for the learner's permit in San Mateo. These schedule out a
couple months, so do this asap. The DMV checklist says you can't
get a learner's permit without an appointment (except in San Jose,
for this area), but it appears they don't enforce this, as I know two people who took their permit test as walk-ins. However this required hours of waiting - an appointment will greatly reduce wasted time and maybe they do sometimes enforce the rule that you need one.
* At this time, you should also make your in-car driving lesson appointment for as soon after your written test as possible, since your learner's permit won't be valid until you start the in-car lessons.
Step 3: Complete On-Line Driver's Ed Course
* You have to complete and pass the on-line course (e.g. we used driversed.com) before getting your learner's permit. They send you a physical certificate of completion in the USPS mail that you have to bring to the DMV to get your learner's permit. So you need to finish the on-line class maybe a week or more before your permit appointment...
Step 4: Take Written Test, with Required Docs, to Get Learner's Permit
* I wasn't sure based on the DMV info whether you need the learner's social security card. The answer seems to be you do not. They asked us if we had it, but when we said no, that didn't present a problem.
* You have to have proof of address, but it can be proof of the
parent's address, as long as you have a birth certificate for the
kid which shows that the parent is related to the kid.
Step 5: Start In-Car Driving Lessons
* Your permit is not valid until you take the first of the in-car
driving lessons. These can take a month or more to schedule as well, so you should schedule this around the same time you schedule learner's permit appt. DriversEd.com doesn't do in-car lessons any more, and they have switched us to CoastlineAcademy.com - my son was especially happy with the driving instructor Sam and his driving seemed to get better quickly after two lessons w Sam.
Others have used Olympic driving school with Mohammed (Mo) and Jaime (650-777-0003) and been happy. You can schedule the
lesson before you get the permit, so you should schedule the first in-car lesson for as
close to the permit date as possible. If somehow you fail the
permit written test, you can still do the in-car lesson as you can actually drive with them even before you get your permit - they just have to know in advance if you don't have your permit as they do some other kind of paperwork or something.
After you get your learner's permit
========================
* Our insurance company (USAA) wanted to be notified we had a driver in the household on a learner's permit and they added her to our policy. There was no charge for this, so no reason not to do it.
* For what it is worth, our auto insurance was an additional $1200/yr to add a 16 yr old girl in 2018 with a new driver's license to our policy (includes drivers ed and good student discounts). A medium nice new car (e.g. Rav4) will add another $1000/yr to our policy. We saved a significant amount of money by taking collision off our 16yr old BMW and assigning it as the primary car for the new driver.
In Oct 2020, we added our 16yr old son to our policy, with the same older car assignment and good student discounts, that added $1000 to our annual policy costs.
YMMV...
Preparing for your driver's test
=========================
Step 6: Schedule the In-car Driver's Test
* There is a big difference in the difficulty in passing the actual driving test. San Mateo is one of the hardest, and Daly City and Redwood City much easier, e.g. see:
http://roadtestpassrates.com/
* Make your DMV driving test appointment as soon as possible as things are a mess with the RealID requirements and Covid right now. You can theoretically book online at
https://www.dmv.ca.gov/wasapp/foa/driveTest.do or call (800.777.0133). Also, fyi, I made an appointment for me (Dad) to get my CA RealID at the same time as my daughter was getting her driver's license. This worked out pretty well.
* If you are taking your test at the Daly City DMV, here are a couple practice routes to prepare for your test. Note that my son just got his license Oct 2020 and the route they took him on was very different. We don't have that one, but it was 9 mins total driving, so pretty quick.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hPFIrNl4_HX6xFGU7F7qjEcEM2rkDhcIb0lAsRt2WfE/edit?usp=sharing
* You will need to finish your last in-car driving lesson before taking the test. The driving schools will not take you on the DMV route (though, per above, you can do that yourself for Daly City) as they say it is illegal for them to do, or even drive right around the DMV. However, they will drive in the vicinity of the DMV where you are taking the test, which for us was a good idea.
* We had always wondered a few things:
- Do you HAVE to take a right on red during your test, or can you choose not to? I asked the Daly City DMV person who administered my son's test and she said you don't have to, but if you do, it must be safely executed. Seems like you should do it, if you are very confident it will be safe, and skip it otherwise.
- My son's driving instructor said he should look both ways and ahead when approaching EVERY intersection. This is something adult drivers rarely do, but it does seem to be part of the DMV test requirement. My son got docked 3 errors for this during his test (see test results below). Not a big deal, as you can have up to 15 of these minor errors, but this is a thing to note.
- What exactly do they make you do in the pre-drive checklist? See below as well. In my son's case, they just made him point at things like windshield wiper control, defroster, etc.
Step 7: Take the Driver's Test
* You need to bring with you into the DMV:
- your learner's permit with the certification from the driver's ed person that the in-car lessons have been completed
- registration and current proof of insurance document
* Both my kids took the test in Daly City and found the examiner nice and friendly. They passed on the first try, for what it's worth. The whole process took about 3 hours w my daughter, pre-Covid on a Tues afternoon, and 90 mins w my son in Oct 2020.
* Optional: your learner can get their CA RealId at the same time, assuming they pass the test, but to do this, you will need to bring those docs as well (soc sec card, passport, proof of residency like a bank statement - either in the learner's name, or in the parent's name, if you also bring a birth certificate for the learner which shows the parental relationship). Also, in the current time of Covid, it seems you have to do that as a separate process - fill out an application on a computer when you arrive and start a separate flow. This was different than it was 2 years ago, so we didn't do it and can't comment on how well it works to do this at the same time as the driver's license test.
* Once passed, call your insurance company to add the new driver
OK, that's all - good luck!!!
