Getting your first permit
In California, the minimum permit age is 15 1/2 years old for minors (under 18); 18 for adult applicants. When you apply for a permit or license, bring: proof of identity and residency (or REAL ID/AB60-compliant documents); minors also need a Driver Education Certificate of Completion and parent/guardian-signed DL 44 application. CA DMV 'Service Locations and Offices' locator plus 'Schedule an Appointment' tool. Many transactions require online/kiosk/mail/appointment; no walk-in counter for those.
Fees, retakes, and practice hours
No separate fee; covered by the original driver license/permit application fee of $46 for a Class C license. If you fail the knowledge test: no mandatory wait between knowledge test attempts (3 attempts allowed before reapplying with new fee); a 14-day wait DOES apply before retaking the behind-the-wheel drive test after failing it. Before the road test, the state requires 50 hours supervised practice driving with a parent/guardian or licensed driver 25+, including at least 10 hours at night, for first-time teen (under 18) applicants.
REAL ID, motorcycle, and CDL
REAL ID available via REALID.dmv.ca.gov; needs one identity document plus two CA residency proofs. Federal enforcement May 7, 2025; no distinct CA-specific deadline. For a motorcycle license: minimum age 16 for full M1/M2 license (instruction permit at 15.5). Under-21 riders must complete a CHP-approved rider training course (DL 389 certificate) and hold permit 6+ months; 21+ can do the course or pass DMV knowledge and skills test. For a commercial license (CDL): minimum age 18 for intrastate-only CDL; 21 for interstate commerce or hazmat. Requires Commercial Learner's Permit held 14+ days, Entry Level Driver Training (ELDT), knowledge and skills tests, and medical exam.
A note on memorized answer dumps
The practice bank here is written from the California Driver Handbook, not copied from a leaked exam, because the DMV does not publish its actual question bank. Treat any site claiming to have "the real 2026 questions" with suspicion. What actually transfers to the real test is understanding why an answer is correct, which is why every question here comes with an explanation, not just a checkmark.
Studying in Vietnamese, or helping a family member who is? BaoHiemXe has the same 191 question bank in Vietnamese at baohiemxe.com/dmv/bang/california.