Teens in Hayward 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 Hayward office at 150 Jackson Street, Hayward, 0.6 to 4.5 miles in a straight line from Hayward's public high schools.
Where do Hayward 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hayward DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 150 Jackson Street, Hayward 94544 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 1.1 mi |
| Fremont DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 4287 Central Avenue, Fremont 94536 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 7.4 mi |
| Pleasanton Stoneridge DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 2621 Stoneridge Mall, Unit G225B, Pleasanton 94588 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 9.0 mi |
Public high schools in Hayward
Hayward has 10 active public high schools inside city limits or with a Hayward mailing address (4 traditional, 3 continuation, 2 charter, 1 alternative) in 4 districts, with 6,011 students enrolled in the 2025-26 school year. That is about 6,011 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hayward Unified (opens in a new tab) | 5 | 5,498 |
| Alameda County Office of Education (opens in a new tab) | 2 | 291 |
| New Haven Unified (opens in a new tab) | 2 | 123 |
| San Lorenzo Unified (opens in a new tab) | 1 | 99 |
| School | District | Type | Students | Nearest DMV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mt. Eden High | Hayward Unified | Traditional | 1,868 | Hayward (2.4 mi) |
| Hayward High | Hayward Unified | Traditional | 1,544 | Hayward (1.4 mi) |
| Tennyson High | Hayward Unified | Traditional | 1,367 | Hayward (1.7 mi) |
| Leadership Public Schools - Hayward (opens in a new tab) | Hayward Unified | Charter | 580 | Hayward (2.5 mi) |
| Brenkwitz High | Hayward Unified | Continuation | 139 | Hayward (1.1 mi) |
| Opportunity Academy (opens in a new tab) | Alameda County Office of Education | Charter | 202 | Hayward (0.6 mi) |
| Alameda County Community (opens in a new tab) | Alameda County Office of Education | Traditional | 89 | Hayward (0.6 mi) |
| Core Learning Academy at Conley-Caraballo High | New Haven Unified | Continuation | 111 | Fremont (4.4 mi) |
| Alternative Learning Academy at Conley-Caraballo High (opens in a new tab) | New Haven Unified | Alternative | 12 | Fremont (4.4 mi) |
| Royal Sunset (Continuation) | San Lorenzo Unified | Continuation | 99 | Hayward (1.6 mi) |
Licensed driving schools for the 6 hours of training
6 driving schools hold an Active California DMV license at an address inside Hayward city limits or with a Hayward 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| A California Driving School | E2027 | 1090 La Playa Drive Suite 100, Hayward | (510) 481-6666 |
| A Plaza Driving School LLC | E0359 | 926 E Lewelling Blvd, Hayward | (510) 276-8311 |
| Bay Area Driving School | E2125 | 1070 A Street, Hayward | (510) 886-1016 |
| Bobbys Driving School | E3494 | 1197 A Street 11, Hayward | (510) 813-8631 |
| Safety 1st Driving School | E4325 | 26250 Industrial Blvd 25, Hayward | (510) 432-8227 |
| Wheel Master Driving School | E0782 | 22762 Main Street #f, Hayward | (510) 935-9715 |
Learning to drive in Hayward: high-injury streets and the SR 92 reliever route
Hayward's worst crashes cluster on a handful of big streets. Safe Streets Hayward (opens in a new tab) says over 75% of the city's serious and fatal crashes happen on only 14% of its streets. That high-injury network includes Mission Boulevard from Jackson Street to Industrial Parkway. It also covers Tennyson Road, Hesperian Boulevard and A and B streets. The city is drawing up safety plans for each one. On these streets, keep speeds low and scan side streets for cars pulling out.
Hayward's industrial area sits north of State Route 92 and west of Interstate 880. Long backups on Winton Avenue, Clawiter Road and Depot Road slow truck trips there. The city's SR 92/Clawiter-Whitesell project (opens in a new tab) would create a reliever road linking SR 92 and I-880. Completion is expected in 2033 if funding comes through. In 2026, the state also set aside money to repave I-238 (opens in a new tab) from Apple Avenue to I-880. Give big rigs extra room, since they swing wide on turns.
The path to a license in Hayward
- 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 Hayward 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: Fremont (9.3 mi) and Oakland (13 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 Hayward: Safe Streets Hayward (High-Injury Network) (opens in a new tab)
- City of Hayward: State Route 92/Clawiter-Whitesell Interchange, Phase 2 (opens in a new tab)
- Caltrans District 4: California Invests Nearly $1 Billion (I-238 allocation) (opens in a new tab)
Checked: October 5, 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.