Teens in Madera 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 Madera office at 1206 Maple Street, Madera, 0.5 to 9.8 miles in a straight line from Madera's public high schools.
Where do Madera 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madera DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 1206 Maple Street, Madera 93637 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 3.0 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 | 15 mi |
| 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 | 17 mi |
Public high schools in Madera
Madera has 12 active public high schools inside city limits or with a Madera mailing address (5 traditional, 3 alternative, 2 continuation, 2 charter) in 3 districts, with 7,026 students enrolled in the 2025-26 school year. That is about 7,026 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Madera Unified (opens in a new tab) | 7 | 5,959 |
| Golden Valley Unified (opens in a new tab) | 3 | 843 |
| Madera County Superintendent of Schools (opens in a new tab) | 2 | 224 |
| School | District | Type | Students | Nearest DMV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matilda Torres High (opens in a new tab) | Madera Unified | Traditional | 1,957 | Madera (2.8 mi) |
| Madera High (opens in a new tab) | Madera Unified | Traditional | 1,923 | Madera (0.5 mi) |
| Madera South High (opens in a new tab) | Madera Unified | Traditional | 1,810 | Madera (0.7 mi) |
| Mountain Vista High (opens in a new tab) | Madera Unified | Continuation | 123 | Madera (2.4 mi) |
| Sherman Thomas Charter High (opens in a new tab) | Madera Unified | Charter | 78 | Madera (2.3 mi) |
| Ripperdan Community Day (opens in a new tab) | Madera Unified | Alternative | 52 | Madera (6.8 mi) |
| Madera Unified Adult Transition Program (opens in a new tab) | Madera Unified | Traditional | 16 | Madera (0.8 mi) |
| Liberty High | Golden Valley Unified | Traditional | 775 | Fresno North (8.8 mi) |
| Independence Continuation High (opens in a new tab) | Golden Valley Unified | Continuation | 50 | Fresno North (8.8 mi) |
| Centennial Independent Study (opens in a new tab) | Golden Valley Unified | Alternative | 18 | Fresno North (8.8 mi) |
| Pioneer Technical Center (opens in a new tab) | Madera County Superintendent of Schools | Charter | 194 | Madera (2.1 mi) |
| Juvenile Hall (Endeavor/Voyager Secondary) (opens in a new tab) | Madera County Superintendent of Schools | Alternative | 30 | Madera (2.0 mi) |
Licensed driving schools for the 6 hours of training
2 driving schools hold an Active California DMV license at an address inside Madera city limits or with a Madera 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aasaan Driving School | E2181 | 286SOLANO St, Madera | (559) 479-4676 |
| Superior Driving School of Madera LLC | E0019 | 1625 Howard Rd, Madera | (559) 673-4044 |
Learning to drive in Madera: a downtown road diet and the SR 99 lane gap
Downtown Madera's main street is changing shape. On State Route 145, Yosemite Avenue, Caltrans plans a road diet (opens in a new tab) from E Street to Fig Street. Four lanes would become two, with a two-way left-turn lane in the middle and bike lanes on both sides. Caltrans lists a summer 2026 start and a summer 2027 finish. Use the center lane only to turn left, never to pass. Enter it shortly before your turn, and watch for drivers turning from the other side.
North of town, State Route 99 drops from six lanes to four between Avenue 17 and Avenue 21½. Caltrans calls this gap a bottleneck in its North Madera 6 Lane plan (opens in a new tab). The plan would build a new lane each way in the median, rework two creek bridges and add a median barrier. A draft environmental document is expected in spring 2027. Where a lane ends, merge early and smoothly. Signal, find your gap, and never wait until the last moment.
The path to a license in Madera
- 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 Madera 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: Fresno (18 mi) and Clovis (20 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 6: Downtown Madera Capital Preventative Maintenance and Road Diet (SR 145) (opens in a new tab)
- Caltrans District 6: North Madera 6 Lane (SR 99) (opens in a new tab)
Checked: October 5, 2026. Rules and forms can change; recheck the official page before acting.
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