Teens in Martinez 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, 2.0 to 5.0 miles in a straight line from Martinez's public high schools.
Where do Martinez 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 | 3.8 mi |
| Vallejo DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 200 Couch Street, Vallejo 94590 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 11 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 Martinez
Martinez has 3 active public high schools inside city limits or with a Martinez mailing address (1 traditional, 1 alternative, 1 continuation) in 2 districts, with 1,134 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Martinez Unified (opens in a new tab) | 2 | 1,073 |
| Contra Costa County Office of Education (opens in a new tab) | 1 | 61 |
| School | District | Type | Students | Nearest DMV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alhambra Senior High (opens in a new tab) | Martinez Unified | Traditional | 1,020 | Concord (4.6 mi) |
| Vicente Martinez High | Martinez Unified | Continuation | 53 | Concord (5.0 mi) |
| Mt. McKinley | Contra Costa County Office of Education | Alternative | 61 | Concord (2.0 mi) |
Licensed driving schools for the 6 hours of training
One driving school holds an Active California DMV license at an address inside Martinez city limits or with a Martinez 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karki Drive Academy LLC | E0806 | 535 Main St # 318, Martinez | (510) 620-4181 |
Learning to drive in Martinez: Highway 4 night closures and chip-sealed streets
State Route 4 crosses Martinez, and Caltrans has closed it at night for paving. In November 2025, Caltrans scheduled overnight full closures of SR 4 (opens in a new tab) between Alhambra Avenue and the Cummings Skyway area. Each closure was set to start at 7 p.m. and lift by 5 a.m. Eastbound drivers were detoured along Franklin Canyon Road and Alhambra Avenue, then back onto the highway. Near I-80, a temporary signal ran one-way traffic over an overpass. On a detour, follow the orange signs rather than your phone, which may not know about the closure.
City streets get their turn too. Martinez repaves by zone on a five-year rolling schedule (opens in a new tab), so each part of town gets regular work. Summer 2026 paving included Alhambra Avenue from Bertola to Highway 4 and Pine Street up to Highway 4. Zone 5 is next, in 2027. Some streets get a chip seal, where small rocks are pressed into a thin layer of asphalt. On a freshly chip-sealed street, slow down and drop back so stones thrown by the car ahead miss your windshield.
The path to a license in Martinez
- 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: Pleasant Hill (4.4 mi) and Benicia (4.6 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)
- Caltrans District 4: Overnight Full Closures on State Route 4 in the Martinez Area (November 2025) (opens in a new tab)
- City of Martinez: Pavement Projects (opens in a new tab)
Checked: October 6, 2026. Rules and forms can change; recheck the official page before acting.
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