California
What California asks of a teen driver before the first license, from the practice hours to the road test.
50hours
of supervised practice, including 10 at night
- Permit
- Instruction Permit
- License
- Provisional Driver’s License
- Practice can start at
- 15 years, 6 months
Depends on your answer
Has an instructor signed the permit?
- Not yetFamily drives stay blocked until the permit is signed.
Before the road test
- Cumulative permit historyA replacement or reissued permit does not silently restart the history; the hold ends when the learner turns 18.
- Minimum age16 years old
- 6 instructor hoursFinish 6 hours. At most 2 hours can count in one day.
Where this comes from
- Instruction and learner’s permits
- Driver Handbook permit section
- Driver Training Schools
- Current Supervised Driving Log
- Vehicle Code Section 12509
- Vehicle Code Section 12814.6
- Vehicle Code Section 280 — darkness
Moonroof checked these sources on October 9, 2026. Rules change, so check with the California Department of Motor Vehicles before booking the road test.