Teens in Riverside take the same 30-hour online driver education course as everywhere in California, then the permit test at a DMV office. Riverside has 2 DMV field offices; the one closest to the middle of town is the Riverside office at 6280 Brockton Avenue.
Where do Riverside 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 6280 Brockton Avenue, Riverside 92506 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 1.5 mi |
| Riverside East DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 6425 Sycamore Canyon Blvd, Riverside 92507 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 6.4 mi |
| Norco DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 3201 Horseless Carriage Drive, Norco 92860 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 8.7 mi |
Public high schools in Riverside
Riverside has 16 active public high schools inside city limits or with a Riverside mailing address (9 traditional, 4 continuation, 2 charter, 1 alternative) in 3 districts, with 17,570 students enrolled in the 2025-26 school year. That is about 8,785 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Riverside Unified (opens in a new tab) | 8 | 11,316 |
| Alvord Unified (opens in a new tab) | 5 | 5,295 |
| Riverside County Office of Education (opens in a new tab) | 3 | 959 |
| School | District | Type | Students | Nearest DMV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martin Luther King Jr. High (opens in a new tab) | Riverside Unified | Traditional | 2,650 | Riverside East (4.0 mi) |
| Polytechnic High (opens in a new tab) | Riverside Unified | Traditional | 2,497 | Riverside (1.7 mi) |
| Ramona High (opens in a new tab) | Riverside Unified | Traditional | 2,096 | Riverside (1.6 mi) |
| John W. North High (opens in a new tab) | Riverside Unified | Traditional | 1,989 | Riverside (3.4 mi) |
| Arlington High (opens in a new tab) | Riverside Unified | Traditional | 1,877 | Riverside (3.6 mi) |
| Abraham Lincoln Continuation (opens in a new tab) | Riverside Unified | Continuation | 99 | Riverside (2.0 mi) |
| Raincross High (Continuation) (opens in a new tab) | Riverside Unified | Continuation | 92 | Riverside (1.5 mi) |
| Opportunity Program (opens in a new tab) | Riverside Unified | Traditional | 16 | Riverside (1.5 mi) |
| Norte Vista High (opens in a new tab) | Alvord Unified | Traditional | 1,844 | Riverside (4.4 mi) |
| Hillcrest High (opens in a new tab) | Alvord Unified | Traditional | 1,798 | Norco (5.1 mi) |
| La Sierra High (opens in a new tab) | Alvord Unified | Traditional | 1,458 | Norco (4.9 mi) |
| Alvord High (opens in a new tab) | Alvord Unified | Continuation | 105 | Norco (4.9 mi) |
| Mission View High | Alvord Unified | Continuation | 90 | Norco (4.6 mi) |
| CBK Charter (opens in a new tab) | Riverside County Office of Education | Charter | 485 | Riverside (1.7 mi) |
| Gateway College and Career Academy (opens in a new tab) | Riverside County Office of Education | Charter | 395 | Riverside (1.4 mi) |
| Riverside County Juvenile Court (opens in a new tab) | Riverside County Office of Education | Alternative | 79 | Riverside (1.7 mi) |
Licensed driving schools for the 6 hours of training
4 driving schools hold an Active California DMV license at an address inside Riverside city limits or with a Riverside 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aery Driving School | E4650 | 5750 Division St 202A, Riverside | (951) 201-7780 |
| Freeway Driving School | E4481 | 9980 Indiana Ave 12, Riverside | (951) 688-7077 |
| Icon Driving School | E0672 | 4505 Allstate Dr Suite 2, Riverside | (951) 391-9484 |
| National Highway Safety Administration LLC | E2250 | 11801 Pierce St Ste 200, Riverside | (800) 829-3727 |
Learning to drive in Riverside: SR 91 work zones and lower city speed limits
State Route 91 cuts across Riverside, and part of it is a work zone. In February 2026, Caltrans began a $31 million pavement project (opens in a new tab) there. It runs between Van Buren Boulevard and Madison Street. Crews are replacing outside lanes and fixing broken slabs, and 55-hour closures of lanes and ramps may be needed. Caltrans expects to finish in summer 2027. In the work zone, slow to the posted limit and follow the cones smoothly.
Riverside is also cutting speeds on city streets. Its speed limit reduction program (opens in a new tab) lowers limits by 5 to 10 mph on 135 road segments. The city counted 2,806 crashes from unsafe speeding from 2021 through 2025. About 100 trains a day also cross Third Street at the BNSF tracks. The city plans an underpass (opens in a new tab) there. Watch for new speed signs, and never stop on the tracks while waiting in traffic.
The path to a license in Riverside
- 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 Riverside 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: Jurupa Valley (5.4 mi) and Corona (10 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 8: SR-91 Pavement Rehab Riverside (opens in a new tab)
- City of Riverside: Slow Down Safe Speeds Save Lives (citywide speed limit reduction) (opens in a new tab)
- City of Riverside: Third Street Grade Separation Project (BNSF crossing) (opens in a new tab)
Checked: October 5, 2026. Rules and forms can change; recheck the official page before acting.
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