Teens in Long Beach 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 Long Beach office at 3700 East Willow Street, Long Beach, 0.1 to 5.2 miles in a straight line from Long Beach's public high schools.
Where do Long Beach 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 0.7 mi |
| 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 | 5.1 mi |
| Compton DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 2111 South Santa Fe Avenue, Compton 90221 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 5.9 mi |
Public high schools in Long Beach
Long Beach has 15 active public high schools inside city limits or with a Long Beach mailing address (9 traditional, 4 charter, 1 alternative, 1 continuation) in 3 districts, with 17,266 students enrolled in the 2025-26 school year. That is about 17,266 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Long Beach Unified (opens in a new tab) | 12 | 16,691 |
| Inyo County Office of Education (opens in a new tab) | 2 | 473 |
| Los Angeles County Office of Education (opens in a new tab) | 1 | 102 |
| School | District | Type | Students | Nearest DMV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polytechnic High | Long Beach Unified | Traditional | 3,835 | Long Beach (2.3 mi) |
| Millikan High | Long Beach Unified | Traditional | 3,358 | Long Beach (2.3 mi) |
| Wilson High | Long Beach Unified | Traditional | 3,334 | Long Beach (1.9 mi) |
| Jordan High | Long Beach Unified | Traditional | 2,258 | Compton (1.8 mi) |
| Cabrillo High | Long Beach Unified | Traditional | 1,489 | Long Beach (3.9 mi) |
| Ernest S. McBride, Sr. High | Long Beach Unified | Traditional | 649 | Long Beach (3.5 mi) |
| Eunice Sato Academy of Math & Science | Long Beach Unified | Traditional | 576 | Long Beach (3.0 mi) |
| Renaissance High School for the Arts | Long Beach Unified | Traditional | 404 | Long Beach (3.0 mi) |
| Richard D. Browning High | Long Beach Unified | Traditional | 336 | Long Beach (0.6 mi) |
| Educational Partnership High | Long Beach Unified | Alternative | 311 | Long Beach (0.1 mi) |
| Reid High (opens in a new tab) | Long Beach Unified | Continuation | 102 | Long Beach (0.1 mi) |
| Clear Passage Educational Center | Long Beach Unified | Charter | 39 | Long Beach (2.2 mi) |
| The Education Corps (opens in a new tab) | Inyo County Office of Education | Charter | 265 | Long Beach (2.5 mi) |
| College Bridge Academy | Inyo County Office of Education | Charter | 208 | Long Beach (2.5 mi) |
| Intellectual Virtues Academy (opens in a new tab) | Los Angeles County Office of Education | Charter | 102 | Long Beach (2.6 mi) |
Licensed driving schools for the 6 hours of training
4 driving schools hold an Active California DMV license at an address inside Long Beach city limits or with a Long Beach 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freeway Easy Traffic/Driving School Inc | E4312 | 4201 Long Beach Blvd Ste 405, Long Beach | (562) 425-7665 |
| Gonzalez Driving School | E3378 | 6680 N Long Beach Blvd, Long Beach | (310) 537-2432 |
| Kay 1 Driving School | E2929 | 2015 Palo Verde Ave, Long Beach | (562) 596-3989 |
| U Drive Driving School | E4489 | 711 E Wardlow Road Ste 101, Long Beach | (562) 424-8885 |
Learning to drive in Long Beach: speed cameras and a rebuilt I-405
Long Beach is launching speed cameras on some city streets. State law allows the city's Speed Safety System (opens in a new tab) to run up to 18 devices in school zones and on high-injury streets. Its trigger point is 11 mph or more above the posted limit. The city expected a 60-day warning period to begin in early October. By law, "Photo Enforced" signs must stand within 500 feet of each device. Glance at your speedometer every few seconds on city streets, and keep it at or under the limit.
Interstate 405 through Long Beach is also under repair. Caltrans set a multi-asset project (opens in a new tab) to start in July 2026, running from the Orange County line to the I-110 interchange. It includes 118 lane miles of concrete pavement work, 34 ramp meters and new guardrail, with completion expected in 2031. On Pacific Coast Highway, Caltrans plans to widen the San Gabriel River Bridge (opens in a new tab), with construction anticipated to begin summer 2027. At a metered on-ramp, wait at the limit line, go when the light turns green, and then speed up to merge.
The path to a license in Long Beach
- 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 Long Beach 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 (8.8 mi) and Downey (8.9 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 Long Beach Public Works: Speed Safety System (opens in a new tab)
- Caltrans District 7: I-405 Multi-Asset Project in Gateway Cities (I-405) (opens in a new tab)
- Caltrans District 7: San Gabriel River Bridge Rail Upgrade and Widening Project (SR-1) (opens in a new tab)
Checked: October 5, 2026. Rules and forms can change; recheck the official page before acting.
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