Teens in Manhattan 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 Hawthorne office at 3700 W El Segundo Boulevard, Hawthorne, about 4.2 miles in a straight line from Manhattan Beach's public high schools.
Where do Manhattan Beach teens take the permit and drive tests?
The DMV lists the Inglewood office as closed every day of the week (checked 2026-10-05), so it is not in this table. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawthorne DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 3700 W El Segundo Boulevard, Hawthorne 90250 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 4.2 mi |
| Torrance DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 1785 W 220th Street, Torrance 90501 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 5.5 mi |
| Culver City DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 11400 W Washington Blvd, Culver City 90066 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 8.9 mi |
Public high schools in Manhattan Beach
Manhattan Beach has 1 active public high school inside city limits or with a Manhattan Beach mailing address (1 traditional) in 1 district, with 2,492 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mira Costa High | Manhattan Beach Unified (opens in a new tab) | Traditional | 2,492 | Hawthorne (4.2 mi) |
Licensed driving schools for the 6 hours of training
One driving school holds an Active California DMV license at an address inside Manhattan Beach city limits or with a Manhattan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Behind the Wheel Driving School | E2148 | 500 S Sepulveda Blvd Ste 211, Manhattan Beach | (310) 318-2298 |
Learning to drive in Manhattan Beach: Sepulveda Boulevard and smarter signals
In Manhattan Beach, Caltrans runs the signals on Sepulveda Boulevard, not the city (traffic engineering (opens in a new tab)). The city is designing a wider crossing of Manhattan Beach Boulevard and Sepulveda to ease jams (street projects (opens in a new tab)). Another design reshapes the merging area at Manhattan Beach Boulevard and Pacific Avenue. A new citywide signal system is listed as starting soon or under way. Where two lanes become one, signal early and merge smoothly into a gap.
The city's road safety plan points to tools such as leading pedestrian intervals (Local Roadway Safety Plan (opens in a new tab)). These signals give walkers a head start before cars get the green. It also names better mid-block crossings and signal sensors for fast approaches. Since 2002, neighbors have been able to ask for traffic calming by petition. When your light turns green, scan for walkers already in the crosswalk before you roll forward.
The path to a license in Manhattan 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 Hawthorne 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: Redondo Beach (2.0 mi) and Lawndale (2.2 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 Manhattan Beach: Traffic Engineering and Parking (opens in a new tab)
- City of Manhattan Beach: CIP Street Projects (opens in a new tab)
- City of Manhattan Beach: Local Roadway Safety Plan (LRSP) (opens in a new tab)
Checked: October 6, 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.