Drivers License

DMV Offices
To find a local DMV Office, call 1-800-368-4327, or go to http://dmv.ca.gov

How to apply for a driver license:

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 if you are over 18, you will need to do the following:

• Visit a DMV office
• Complete application form DL 44 (An original DL 44 form must be submitted. Copies will not be accepted.)
• Give a thumb print
• Have your picture taken
• Provide your social security number. It will be verified with the Social Security Administration while you are in the office.
• Verify your birth date and legal presence
• Provide your true full name
• Pay the application fee
• Pass a vision exam
• Pass a traffic laws and sign test. There are 36 questions on the test. You have three chances to pass.

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 18 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.

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. Call 1-800-777-0133 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday – Friday, to make a driving test appointment.)
• Provide proof of financial responsibility
• California Insurance Requirements must be met.

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 and they can check on the status for you. 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 also need to provide an additional acceptable document to establish your true full name, such as; a marriage certificate, dissolution of marriage, adoption or name change document that shows your current name.

 Vehicle Registration
The following is required to register a nonresident vehicle:

• An Application for Title or Registration (REG 343) signed by all registered owners, showing the name and address of the lienholder (legal owner), if any.
• Last issued out-of-state title, unless held by the lienholder/legal owner.
• Last issued registration certificate, if the applicant is the same as the registered owner shown on the out-of-state title and the vehicle entered California with valid out-of-state registration, or if the title has been lost.
• A Bill of Sale, Vehicle/ Vessel Transfer and Reassignment Form (REG 262), if you purchased the vehicle from someone other than the registered owner shown on the title.
• Odometer disclosure statement on the REG 262, signed by the seller and buyer, if the vehicle is less than ten model years old.
• A vehicle verification. The vehicle must be inspected by an authorized DMV employee, law enforcement officer, or a licensed vehicle verifier employed by a registration service or dealership. These inspections require no additional fee and are most easily obtained by bringing the vehicle to the nearest DMV.
• Smog Certification, if applicable.
• Surrender the valid out-of-state license plates if they do not have to be returned to the home state.
• Pay appropriate fees and any use tax due.