California Driver Handbook

Obtaining a Driver License

When you apply for an original DL/ID card, you must present an acceptable birth date/legal presence document and provide your Social Security Number (SSN). Depending on the birth date/legal presence document you present, your first California DL/ID card may expire on the same date as your legal presence document. If the name on your birth date/legal presence document is different from the name on your DL/ID card application, you must also bring an acceptable true full name document. Your thumb print, signature, and picture will also be taken. For any other DL/ID card transaction, you must present photo identification.

Acceptable Documents

An acceptable birth date/legal presence or true full name document is issued by a county or state. This document is a certified copy of the original (the original is retained by the county or state) and contains an impressed seal or an original stamped impression. The certified copy will be returned to you. If you make a copy of the certified copy, the DMV will not accept it for birth date/legal presence or true full name verification.

Examples of acceptable birth date/legal presence documents are: U.S. Birth Certificate, Proof of Indian Blood Degree, U.S. Passport, U.S. Armed Forces ID Cards, Certificate of Naturalization, Permanent Resident Card, or a foreign passport or Mexican Border Crossing Card with a valid I-94. A complete list of birth date/legal presence documents is available online at www.dmv.ca.gov or in Fast Facts brochure Birth Date and Legal Presence Requirements (FFDL 05).

Examples of true full name verification documents are:

• Adoption documents containing your legal name as a result of the adoption.
• Name change documents containing your legal name both before and after the name change.
• Marriage Certificate.
• A certificate, declaration, or registration document verifying the information of a domestic partnership.
• Dissolution of marriage document containing your legal name, as a result of the court order.

Application Requirements For A Basic Class C Driver License

To apply for a driver license, you must:

• Submit a completed and signed DMV Driver or Identification Card application (DL 44) form. Signing this form means you agree to submit to a chemical test to determine the alcohol or drug content of your blood when required by a police officer. If you refuse to sign this statement, the DMV will not issue a permit or license.
• Present an acceptable birth date/legal presence document.
• Provide your true full name.
• Provide your SSN, which will be electronically verified with the Social Security Administration.
• Pay a nonrefundable application fee when you apply for any new or change of class permit or license. This fee will not be returned. The fee is good for 12 months and allows you to take the appropriate law test(s) three times. If you fail the law test and/or drive test three times your application is void. A new application and fee is needed. This fee pays for both the instruction permit and driver license, if you qualify for both documents within the 12-month period. If the application expires, you must resubmit documents, repay the application fee, and retake the required tests.
• Pass a vision test. You must be able to pass a vision test, with or without corrective lenses, with visual acuity better than 20/200 in at least one eye without the use of a bioptic telescopic lens or similar bioptic device to meet the minimum vision acuity standard. You are allowed to use a bioptic lens for the behind-the-wheel road test. A bioptic lens restriction and daytime driving only restriction will be added to your driver record.
• Have your picture taken.
• Give a thumb print.*
• Sign your name.

* The term thumb print means a thumb print or fingerprint, if you have no thumbs.

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