Teens in Redwood City 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 Redwood City office at 300 Brewster Avenue, Redwood City, 0.7 to 3.4 miles in a straight line from Redwood City's public high schools.
Where do Redwood City 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redwood City DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 300 Brewster Avenue, Redwood City 94063 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 1.1 mi |
| San Mateo DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 425 N Amphlett Boulevard, San Mateo 94401 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 7.2 mi |
| Fremont DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 4287 Central Avenue, Fremont 94536 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 14 mi |
Public high schools in Redwood City
Redwood City has 5 active public high schools inside city limits or with a Redwood City mailing address (2 traditional, 2 charter, 1 continuation) in 3 districts, with 2,944 students enrolled in the 2025-26 school year. That is about 2,944 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Sequoia Union High (opens in a new tab) | 3 | 2,376 |
| San Mateo Union High (opens in a new tab) | 1 | 563 |
| San Mateo County Office of Education (opens in a new tab) | 1 | 5 |
| School | District | Type | Students | Nearest DMV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sequoia High | Sequoia Union High | Traditional | 1,839 | Redwood City (0.7 mi) |
| Summit Preparatory Charter High (opens in a new tab) | Sequoia Union High | Charter | 380 | Redwood City (1.1 mi) |
| Redwood High | Sequoia Union High | Continuation | 157 | Redwood City (0.9 mi) |
| Design Tech High (opens in a new tab) | San Mateo Union High | Charter | 563 | Redwood City (3.4 mi) |
| Canyon Oaks Youth Center (opens in a new tab) | San Mateo County Office of Education | Traditional | 5 | Redwood City (3.4 mi) |
Licensed driving schools for the 6 hours of training
4 driving schools hold an Active California DMV license at an address inside Redwood City city limits or with a Redwood City 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annex Driving School | E2010 | 303 Twin Dolphin Drive Ste 600, Redwood City | (650) 576-3357 |
| Bay 1 Driving School Inc | E0276 | 795 Fourth Ave Suite 204, Redwood City | (650) 384-5104 |
| Jin Pai Driving School | E2217 | 260 Main St Suite 200, Redwood City | (415) 866-3536 |
| Sequoia Driving School LLC | E0757 | 1775 Broadway St Ste 300, Redwood City | (415) 658-1066 |
Learning to drive in Redwood City: the Woodside Road interchange and calmer side streets
Woodside Road, State Route 84, meets US 101 in Redwood City at an interchange built in 1959. Caltrans and the city plan to reconstruct that interchange (opens in a new tab), which saw 195 collisions from 2018 to 2022. Today, traffic merges awkwardly and backs up onto the freeway. The plan removes the five-way junction of Woodside Road and Broadway and adds flyover ramps at Veterans Boulevard. Until then, pick your lane well before the ramps, and watch for cars cutting across to reach the freeway.
West of the freeway, Caltrans repaved SR 84 (opens in a new tab) between I-280 and US 101, starting in spring 2024. In neighborhoods, the city follows a traffic calming policy (opens in a new tab) adopted on September 12, 2016. Residents can ask for calming on streets with proven speeding problems. A project often takes 2 to 3 years, with a neighborhood vote along the way. On residential streets, drive at a speed that lets you stop for a child darting out.
The path to a license in Redwood City
- 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 Redwood City 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: San Mateo (5.6 mi) and Palo Alto (7.7 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: SR-84 - U.S. 101 Interchange Reimagined (opens in a new tab)
- Caltrans: State Route 84 Capital Preventive Maintenance (I-280 to US 101) (opens in a new tab)
- City of Redwood City: Traffic Calming Projects (opens in a new tab)
Checked: October 5, 2026. Rules and forms can change; recheck the official page before acting.
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