Teens in Cerritos take the same 30-hour online driver education course as everywhere in California, then the permit test at a DMV office. The nearest DMV field office is the Bellflower office at 9520 Artesia Blvd, Bellflower, 2.1 to 4.4 miles in a straight line from Cerritos's public high schools.
Where do Cerritos teens take the permit and drive tests?
These offices are closed on weekends and open at 9 a.m. on Wednesdays. Book an appointment on the DMV appointments page (opens in a new tab), and arrive well before 4:30 p.m.: knowledge tests are not given after that. What to bring is on our permit visit checklist.
| Office | Address | Hours | Phone | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellflower DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 9520 Artesia Blvd, Bellflower 90706 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 3.4 mi |
| Whittier DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 9338 S Painter Avenue, Whittier 90605 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 5.7 mi |
| Long Beach DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 3700 East Willow Street, Long Beach 90815 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 6.6 mi |
Public high schools in Cerritos
Cerritos has 4 active public high schools inside city limits or with a Cerritos mailing address (3 traditional, 1 continuation) in 1 district, with 4,694 students enrolled in the 2025-26 school year. Most teens reach 15½, the earliest permit age, in 9th or 10th grade (Education Code 48000 (opens in a new tab) sets the school entry age). Finish the online course before then: the permit application needs the DL 400C.
| School | District | Type | Students | Nearest DMV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cerritos High (opens in a new tab) | ABC Unified (opens in a new tab) | Traditional | 1,954 | Bellflower (3.8 mi) |
| Gahr (Richard) High (opens in a new tab) | ABC Unified (opens in a new tab) | Traditional | 1,648 | Bellflower (2.1 mi) |
| Whitney (Gretchen) High (opens in a new tab) | ABC Unified (opens in a new tab) | Traditional | 1,009 | Bellflower (4.4 mi) |
| Tracy (Wilbur) High (Continuation) (opens in a new tab) | ABC Unified (opens in a new tab) | Continuation | 83 | Bellflower (3.4 mi) |
Licensed driving schools for the 6 hours of training
The DMV license list (checked 2026-10-04) shows no driving school with an Active license at an address in Cerritos. Schools in nearby cities often pick students up across the area; check each school's service area and license on the DMV lookup (opens in a new tab).
Learning to drive in Cerritos: crossing guards and city-maintained signals
Cerritos runs its own crossing guard program, with 26 part-time guards and a pedestrian safety coordinator (crossing guard program (opens in a new tab)). The guards cover nine elementary schools and two middle schools in the ABC Unified School District. They also cover one Bellflower School District elementary school that sits inside Cerritos. Guards help children cross at key spots and remind drivers that young walkers are near. When a guard steps into the street with a sign, stop well back and wait until every child reaches the curb.
The city's Maintenance Division keeps more than 80 traffic signals working across Cerritos (signals and streetlights (opens in a new tab)). Residents can report dark lights or signals flashing red through GoRequest or by phone on weekdays. After hours, those calls go to the Cerritos Sheriff Station. Streetlights are a separate job handled by Southern California Edison. At a dark or red-flashing signal, stop fully and take turns with other drivers.
The path to a license in Cerritos
- Finish the online driver education course (30 hours, $49.95 with Traffic Tutors) and wait for the mailed DL 400C.
- At 15½, apply for the permit at the Bellflower DMV office or any other, with the DL 400C and a parent's signature.
- Book the first behind-the-wheel lesson; the instructor validates the permit.
- Practice 50 hours with a licensed driver 25 or older, 10 at night, while finishing the 6 training hours.
- After 6 months with the permit and at 16 or older, take the drive test. Dates: age date tool.
Nearest other city guides: Norwalk (2.4 mi) and Lakewood (3.3 mi). Every county is listed on drivers ed by county.
Quick answers
Sources
- California DMV field office list (fetched 2026-10-05) (opens in a new tab)
- California Department of Education: public schools directory, 2025-26 (fetched 2026-10-05) (opens in a new tab)
- California Department of Finance: E-1 population estimates, January 1, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- California DMV: Teen drivers (opens in a new tab)
- California DMV Occupational License Lookup: driving schools (checked 2026-10-04) (opens in a new tab)
- California Education Code section 48000: kindergarten admission age (opens in a new tab)
- California Department of Education School Directory: district offices (checked 2026-10-04) (opens in a new tab)
- City of Cerritos: Crossing Guards (opens in a new tab)
- City of Cerritos: Traffic Signals and Streetlights (opens in a new tab)
Checked: October 6, 2026. Rules and forms can change; recheck the official page before acting.
See something wrong or out of date? Report a mistake on this page. We read every report and fix confirmed mistakes.