Teens in Fresno take the same 30-hour online driver education course as everywhere in California, then the permit test at a DMV office. Fresno has 2 DMV field offices; the one closest to the middle of town is the Fresno office at 655 W Olive Avenue.
Where do Fresno 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fresno DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 655 W Olive Avenue, Fresno 93728 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 2.0 mi |
| Fresno North DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 6420 N Blackstone Avenue, Fresno 93710 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 4.8 mi |
| Clovis DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 2103 Shaw Avenue, Clovis 93611 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 6.8 mi |
Public high schools in Fresno
Fresno has 36 active public high schools inside city limits or with a Fresno mailing address (20 traditional, 8 charter, 5 alternative, 3 continuation) in 8 districts, with 35,385 students enrolled in the 2025-26 school year. That is about 17,693 high-school students for each DMV office in the city. Under California's kindergarten age rule (age 5 by September 1, Education Code 48000 (opens in a new tab)), most students reach 15½, the earliest permit age, between the spring of 9th grade and the spring of 10th grade. The permit application needs the DL 400C, so finish the online course before then.
| District | High schools | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Fresno Unified (opens in a new tab) | 19 | 19,668 |
| Clovis Unified (opens in a new tab) | 3 | 4,943 |
| Central Unified (opens in a new tab) | 4 | 4,477 |
| Fresno County Office of Education (opens in a new tab) | 4 | 2,085 |
| Sanger Unified (opens in a new tab) | 1 | 1,492 |
| Westside Elementary (opens in a new tab) | 1 | 1,336 |
| Washington Unified (opens in a new tab) | 3 | 1,130 |
| Raisin City Elementary (opens in a new tab) | 1 | 254 |
| School | District | Type | Students | Nearest DMV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunnyside High (opens in a new tab) | Fresno Unified | Traditional | 2,833 | Clovis (5.7 mi) |
| Bullard High (opens in a new tab) | Fresno Unified | Traditional | 2,498 | Fresno North (1.4 mi) |
| Edison High (opens in a new tab) | Fresno Unified | Traditional | 2,393 | Fresno (2.7 mi) |
| Roosevelt High (opens in a new tab) | Fresno Unified | Traditional | 2,154 | Fresno (3.8 mi) |
| McLane High (opens in a new tab) | Fresno Unified | Traditional | 2,037 | Fresno (3.8 mi) |
| Herbert Hoover High (opens in a new tab) | Fresno Unified | Traditional | 2,035 | Fresno North (1.4 mi) |
| Fresno High (opens in a new tab) | Fresno Unified | Traditional | 1,857 | Fresno (1.0 mi) |
| Erma Duncan Polytechnical High (opens in a new tab) | Fresno Unified | Traditional | 1,189 | Fresno North (3.9 mi) |
| University High (opens in a new tab) | Fresno Unified | Charter | 501 | Fresno North (2.9 mi) |
| Farber School of Credit Attainment (opens in a new tab) | Fresno Unified | Continuation | 447 | Fresno (3.7 mi) |
| Carter G. Woodson Public Charter (opens in a new tab) | Fresno Unified | Charter | 369 | Fresno (3.3 mi) |
| Phillip J Patino School of Entrepreneurship (opens in a new tab) | Fresno Unified | Traditional | 314 | Fresno (2.0 mi) |
| Aspen Ridge Public (opens in a new tab) | Fresno Unified | Charter | 301 | Fresno (2.8 mi) |
| Design Science Middle College High (opens in a new tab) | Fresno Unified | Alternative | 256 | Fresno (1.5 mi) |
| Clovis North High | Clovis Unified | Traditional | 2,380 | Fresno North (5.2 mi) |
| Clovis West High | Clovis Unified | Traditional | 2,210 | Fresno North (2.5 mi) |
| Clovis South High (opens in a new tab) | Clovis Unified | Traditional | 353 | Clovis (3.7 mi) |
| Justin Garza High (opens in a new tab) | Central Unified | Traditional | 1,818 | Fresno (5.8 mi) |
| Central East High | Central Unified | Traditional | 1,729 | Fresno (4.1 mi) |
| Central High (opens in a new tab) | Central Unified | Traditional | 908 | Fresno (8.4 mi) |
| Crescent View West Public Charter (opens in a new tab) | Fresno County Office of Education | Charter | 1,624 | Fresno (2.3 mi) |
| Career Technical Education Charter (opens in a new tab) | Fresno County Office of Education | Charter | 339 | Fresno (2.3 mi) |
| Sanger West High | Sanger Unified | Traditional | 1,492 | Clovis (6.9 mi) |
| Crescent View South II (opens in a new tab) | Westside Elementary | Charter | 1,336 | Fresno (4.6 mi) |
| Washington High (opens in a new tab) | Washington Unified | Traditional | 1,065 | Fresno (7.8 mi) |
The table shows the 25 largest of 36 schools, grouped by district. Every school is in the California Department of Education school directory (opens in a new tab).
Licensed driving schools for the 6 hours of training
8 driving schools hold an Active California DMV license at an address inside Fresno city limits or with a Fresno mailing address (DMV list checked 2026-10-04). The list is alphabetical; we do not rank schools. Confirm a license on the DMV lookup (opens in a new tab) before you pay.
| Driving school | DMV license | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Driving School | E2182 | 63 W North Ave Unit 1, Fresno | (559) 900-6500 |
| Drive 101 | E4593 | 4763 W Spruce Ave Ste 101, Fresno | (559) 272-7243 |
| Drive Academy Driving School | E0304 | 3003 N Blackstone Ave Ste 104, Fresno | (559) 944-3344 |
| Elite Driver Training Services | E3633 | 1305 W Bullard Ave Ste 4, Fresno | (559) 435-3865 |
| Express Learning Driving School LLC | E2180 | 7944 N Maple Ave Suite 117, Fresno | (559) 940-7604 |
| Grizzly Driving Academy | E0816 | 5150 N 6th St Ste 179A, Fresno | (562) 682-7597 |
| Learn 2 Drive Center LLC | E2135 | 5588 N Palm Ave Ste Q1, Fresno | (559) 492-2935 |
| Mid Valley Driving School | E4753 | 4757 W Spruce Ave Ste 103, Fresno | (559) 892-5656 |
Learning to drive in Fresno: SR 41, SR 99 and fog lights
Caltrans has studied northbound State Route 41 from the Ashlan Avenue on-ramp to the Shaw Avenue off-ramp. It cites increasing congestion and rear-end collisions (opens in a new tab) there, with 91 collisions from 2013 to 2015. Fatal-plus-injury and total crash rates were higher than the statewide average for similar roads. Its fix is an added auxiliary lane and a two-lane Shaw off-ramp. On SR 41 at rush hour, keep a long gap ahead, and rehearse the Shaw exit before the drive test.
Older parts of State Route 99 can surprise a driver who expects every ramp. Caltrans built the South Fresno alignment in 1965 with half interchanges (opens in a new tab) and plans full interchanges at American and North avenues, closing the Cedar Avenue ramps. In fog, the National Weather Service says to use low beams and never high beams (opens in a new tab), and to leave plenty of distance. Map your on-ramp before you leave, and switch to low beams as soon as visibility drops.
The path to a license in Fresno
- 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 Fresno 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: Bakersfield (106 mi) and San Jose (121 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)
- Caltrans: State Route 41 Ashlan to Shaw Auxiliary Lane (opens in a new tab)
- Caltrans: South Fresno State Route 99 Corridor (opens in a new tab)
- National Weather Service: Fog driving safety (opens in a new tab)
Checked: October 5, 2026. Rules and forms can change; recheck the official page before acting.
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