Teens in Lathrop 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 Manteca office at 955 Davis Street, Manteca, 4.4 to 6.7 miles in a straight line from Lathrop's public high schools.
Where do Lathrop 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manteca DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 955 Davis Street, Manteca 95336 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 5.5 mi |
| Tracy DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 2785 Auto Plaza Drive, Tracy 95304 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 8.4 mi |
| Stockton DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 55 South Lincoln Street, Stockton 95203 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 9.4 mi |
Public high schools in Lathrop
Lathrop has 2 active public high schools inside city limits or with a Lathrop mailing address (1 traditional, 1 charter) in 2 districts, with 2,329 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.
| District | High schools | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Manteca Unified (opens in a new tab) | 1 | 1,492 |
| Banta Unified (opens in a new tab) | 1 | 837 |
| School | District | Type | Students | Nearest DMV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lathrop High (opens in a new tab) | Manteca Unified | Traditional | 1,492 | Manteca (4.4 mi) |
| River Islands High (opens in a new tab) | Banta Unified | Charter | 837 | Manteca (6.7 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 Lathrop. 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 Lathrop: the Louise Avenue interchange and a wider River Islands Parkway
The Interstate 5 interchange at Louise Avenue is a tight diamond with single-lane ramps. Lathrop and Caltrans plan to rebuild it (opens in a new tab), and one option under study is a diverging diamond. The city's project page (opens in a new tab) says Caltrans released a draft environmental study. The public comment period was set for September 28 to October 27, 2026. Planned growth in Lathrop is behind the change. Learn today's ramps well, and when a new layout opens, follow its lane arrows exactly.
River Islands Parkway was widened from two lanes to five between Golden Valley Parkway and Manthey Road. The city accepted that work in May 2021 (opens in a new tab) and planned a second phase from Manthey Road to I-5. That phase also changes the signal at the southbound I-5 ramps. The project page now lists the work as completed. On a road that grew this much, pick your lane early and check your blind spot before every lane change.
The path to a license in Lathrop
- 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 Manteca 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: Manteca (6.1 mi) and Tracy (8.0 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 District 10: I-5/Louise Avenue interchange improvement (opens in a new tab)
- City of Lathrop: Louise Ave and I-5 Interchange Improvements (opens in a new tab)
- City of Lathrop: River Islands Parkway Widening Project, Phase 2 (opens in a new tab)
Checked: October 6, 2026. Rules and forms can change; recheck the official page before acting.
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