Teens in Lafayette 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 Concord office at 2070 Diamond Boulevard, Concord, about 5.4 miles in a straight line from Lafayette's public high schools.
Where do Lafayette 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Concord DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 2070 Diamond Boulevard, Concord 94520 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 5.4 mi |
| Oakland DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 5300 Claremont Avenue, Oakland 94618 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 9.9 mi |
| El Cerrito DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 6400 Manila Avenue, El Cerrito 94530 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 12 mi |
Public high schools in Lafayette
Lafayette has 1 active public high school inside city limits or with a Lafayette mailing address (1 traditional) in 1 district, with 1,246 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acalanes High | Acalanes Union High (opens in a new tab) | Traditional | 1,246 | Concord (5.4 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 Lafayette. 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 Lafayette: school-street safety and a new Mt. Diablo Boulevard crossing
A big local driving focus in Lafayette is traffic around its seven public schools. The city's school traffic safety page (opens in a new tab) lists finished upgrades on School Street near Stanley Middle School and Lafayette Elementary. They include speed humps, red curbs at corners, flashing beacons and a curb bulb-out at Paradise Court. Temporary bike lanes also replaced some parking on the north side of School Street. At drop-off time, drive slowly, expect children between parked cars, and never pass a car stopped at a crosswalk.
Downtown, Mt. Diablo Boulevard is getting a new crossing at Hampton Road. The council awarded the contract (opens in a new tab) on August 10, 2026, and the work includes a solar-powered flashing beacon crossing system. State Route 24 carries freeway traffic through town. Caltrans scheduled a daytime lane closure on eastbound SR 24 (opens in a new tab) near Acalanes Road for bridge deck repairs in May 2026. When a crossing beacon begins to flash, slow down and let every walker finish crossing before you go.
The path to a license in Lafayette
- 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 Concord 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: Walnut Creek (2.9 mi) and Pleasant Hill (3.6 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 Lafayette: Traffic Safety Around Schools (opens in a new tab)
- City of Lafayette: Mt. Diablo Boulevard and Hampton Road Crossing Project (opens in a new tab)
- Caltrans District 4: Daytime Lane Closure on Eastbound SR-24 at Acalanes Road in Lafayette (May 2026) (opens in a new tab)
Checked: October 6, 2026. Rules and forms can change; recheck the official page before acting.
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