Teens in Sacramento take the same 30-hour online driver education course as everywhere in California, then the permit test at a DMV office. Sacramento has 2 DMV field offices; the one closest to the middle of town is the Sacramento office at 4700 Broadway.
Where do Sacramento 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 4700 Broadway, Sacramento 95820 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 2.0 mi |
| Carmichael DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 5209 North Ave, Carmichael 95608 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 6.0 mi |
| Sacramento South DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 7775 La Mancha Way, Sacramento 95823 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 6.5 mi |
Public high schools in Sacramento
Sacramento has 43 active public high schools inside city limits or with a Sacramento mailing address (22 traditional, 12 charter, 7 continuation, 2 alternative) in 7 districts, with 34,589 students enrolled in the 2025-26 school year. That is about 17,295 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Sacramento City Unified (opens in a new tab) | 15 | 12,421 |
| Elk Grove Unified (opens in a new tab) | 6 | 5,888 |
| San Juan Unified (opens in a new tab) | 6 | 5,875 |
| Twin Rivers Unified (opens in a new tab) | 7 | 5,589 |
| Natomas Unified (opens in a new tab) | 4 | 4,001 |
| Robla Elementary (opens in a new tab) | 1 | 438 |
| Sacramento County Office of Education (opens in a new tab) | 4 | 377 |
| School | District | Type | Students | Nearest DMV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C. K. McClatchy High | Sacramento City Unified | Traditional | 2,617 | Sacramento (2.2 mi) |
| John F. Kennedy High | Sacramento City Unified | Traditional | 1,663 | Sacramento (5.3 mi) |
| Hiram W. Johnson High | Sacramento City Unified | Traditional | 1,637 | Sacramento (1.4 mi) |
| Luther Burbank High | Sacramento City Unified | Traditional | 1,512 | Sacramento South (2.5 mi) |
| Rosemont High (opens in a new tab) | Sacramento City Unified | Traditional | 1,426 | Carmichael (5.6 mi) |
| West Campus | Sacramento City Unified | Traditional | 904 | Sacramento (1.3 mi) |
| SAVA - Sacramento Academic and Vocational Academy - SCUSD (opens in a new tab) | Sacramento City Unified | Charter | 616 | Sacramento (2.6 mi) |
| School of Engineering & Sciences | Sacramento City Unified | Alternative | 500 | Sacramento (5.8 mi) |
| Umoja International Academy | Sacramento City Unified | Traditional | 376 | Sacramento (1.2 mi) |
| Sheldon High | Elk Grove Unified | Traditional | 2,357 | Sacramento South (4.5 mi) |
| Florin High | Elk Grove Unified | Traditional | 1,616 | Sacramento South (2.0 mi) |
| Valley High | Elk Grove Unified | Traditional | 1,539 | Sacramento South (1.6 mi) |
| Rio Americano High (opens in a new tab) | San Juan Unified | Traditional | 1,930 | Carmichael (3.4 mi) |
| Mira Loma High (opens in a new tab) | San Juan Unified | Traditional | 1,679 | Carmichael (1.6 mi) |
| El Camino Fundamental High (opens in a new tab) | San Juan Unified | Traditional | 1,171 | Carmichael (1.5 mi) |
| Encina High (opens in a new tab) | San Juan Unified | Traditional | 879 | Sacramento (4.0 mi) |
| Grant Union High (opens in a new tab) | Twin Rivers Unified | Traditional | 2,124 | Carmichael (5.0 mi) |
| Foothill High (opens in a new tab) | Twin Rivers Unified | Traditional | 1,432 | Carmichael (3.8 mi) |
| California Innovative Career Academy (opens in a new tab) | Twin Rivers Unified | Charter | 800 | Carmichael (5.0 mi) |
| Highlands Community Charter (opens in a new tab) | Twin Rivers Unified | Charter | 487 | Carmichael (5.0 mi) |
| Futures High | Twin Rivers Unified | Charter | 394 | Carmichael (5.8 mi) |
| Inderkum High (opens in a new tab) | Natomas Unified | Traditional | 2,169 | Sacramento (8.5 mi) |
| Natomas High (opens in a new tab) | Natomas Unified | Traditional | 1,094 | Sacramento (6.2 mi) |
| Natomas Pacific Pathways Prep (opens in a new tab) | Natomas Unified | Charter | 634 | Sacramento (9.1 mi) |
| Marconi Learning Academy (opens in a new tab) | Robla Elementary | Charter | 438 | Carmichael (3.3 mi) |
The table shows the 25 largest of 43 schools, grouped by district. Every school is in the California Department of Education school directory (opens in a new tab).
Licensed driving schools for the 6 hours of training
13 driving schools hold an Active California DMV license at an address inside Sacramento city limits or with a Sacramento 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Absolute Best Drivng School | E4598 | 416 V Street 1, Sacramento | (916) 804-3313 |
| American Champions Driving School | E2035 | 2500 Marconi Ave Ste 215, Sacramento | (916) 382-4461 |
| Bond Driving School | E3645 | 3333 Balmoral Drive, Sacramento | (916) 485-5779 |
| Camellok Driving School Inc | E4253 | 2020 29th Street Suite 200, Sacramento | (916) 479-9001 |
| Capital Driving School LLC | E0101 | 2636 Fulton Ave Ste 150B, Sacramento | (320) 330-4941 |
| Capitol Driving School | E0358 | 5045 College Oak Dr Ste B, Sacramento | (916) 469-5754 |
| City of Trees Driving School LP | E2064 | 8340 Fittleworth Way, Sacramento | (916) 230-0995 |
| Global Driving School | E4084 | 8447 Yermo Way, Sacramento | (916) 284-5710 |
| New Village Driving School LLC | E0293 | 2028 Juliesse Ave, Sacramento | (916) 256-7900 |
| Pass Driving School | E0130 | 2740 Fulton Ave # 107, Sacramento | (916) 947-5959 |
| Rais Driving School | E4586 | 9555 Moss Hill Way, Sacramento | (916) 234-9375 |
| Sacramento Driving School | E2905 | 5659 Stockton Blvd Ste 2, Sacramento | (916) 424-8877 |
| Simply the Best Driving Schooldba Natomas Driving School | E3546 | 648 Northfield Dr, Sacramento | (916) 929-7085 |
Learning to drive in Sacramento: Cap City, US 50 and downtown bikeways
Caltrans calls the Cap City Corridor (opens in a new tab), State Route 51 and nearby streets, the most congested corridor in the region. In 2016 it held five of the region's top 10 bottlenecks. On US 50, Caltrans is finishing carpool lanes (opens in a new tab) from the I-5 interchange to Watt Avenue, with some lane closures from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Drive SR 51 and US 50 on a weekend morning first, then add a weekday trip once merging feels routine.
Downtown asks for a different skill. The city is adding Class IV separated bikeways (opens in a new tab) on L and N streets in the Central City, with physical barriers between bikes and cars. N Street works with the existing J Street bikeway, and some blocks may get buffered bike lanes instead. Earlier projects added separated bikeways downtown and buffered bike lanes on Broadway. Before turning across a bike lane downtown, signal early, check the mirror and look over your shoulder.
The path to a license in Sacramento
- 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 Sacramento 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: Chico (84 mi) and San Jose (90 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: Cap City Corridor Project (opens in a new tab)
- Caltrans: US 50 Multimodal Corridor Project (opens in a new tab)
- City of Sacramento: L and N Streets Bikeways (opens in a new tab)
Checked: October 5, 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.