San Diego County has 8 DMV field offices and 131 active public high schools serving 133,366 students. Teens anywhere in the county can take California's 30-hour online driver education course, then the permit test at any DMV office.
City guide in this county: San Diego, with each city's high schools and nearest DMV offices.
DMV offices in San Diego County
San Diego County averages about 16,671 high-school students per DMV office. All 8 offices here are open five weekdays. No DMV office in San Diego County lists weekend hours. Book on the DMV appointments page (opens in a new tab); what to bring is on our permit visit checklist.
| Office | Address | Hours | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chula Vista DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 30 N Glover Avenue, Chula Vista 91910 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 |
| El Cajon DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 1450 Graves Avenue, El Cajon 92021 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 |
| Oceanside DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 4005 Plaza Drive, Oceanside 92056 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 |
| Poway DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 13461 Community Road, Poway 92064 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 |
| San Diego DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 3960 Normal Street, San Diego 92103 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 |
| San Diego Clairemont DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 4375 Derrick Drive, San Diego 92117 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 |
| San Marcos DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 590 Rancheros Dr, San Marcos 92069 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 |
| San Ysidro DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 6111 Business Center Court, San Diego 92154 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 |
Cities in San Diego County: nearest DMV and high schools
Each incorporated city with its 2026 population, the number of public high schools inside it or with its mailing address, and the nearest DMV office to them. Families in unincorporated San Diego County use the office nearest home.
| City | Population (2026) | High schools | Nearest DMV |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego | 1,419,531 | 49 | San Diego (2.4 mi) |
| Chula Vista | 282,999 | 13 | San Ysidro (3.7 mi) |
| Oceanside | 174,027 | 6 | Oceanside (3.0 mi) |
| Escondido | 152,196 | 8 | San Marcos (5.9 mi) |
| Carlsbad | 115,867 | 5 | Oceanside (2.8 mi) |
| El Cajon | 104,932 | 10 | El Cajon (1.1 mi) |
| Vista | 101,365 | 5 | Oceanside (3.0 mi) |
| San Marcos | 97,554 | 4 | San Marcos (1.7 mi) |
| Encinitas | 62,193 | 2 | Oceanside (9.9 mi) |
| La Mesa | 61,707 | 2 | El Cajon (4.5 mi) |
| Santee | 59,812 | 2 | El Cajon (3.1 mi) |
| National City | 58,701 | 2 | Chula Vista (1.5 mi) |
| Poway | 50,263 | 2 | Poway (1.8 mi) |
| Lemon Grove | 28,233 | 0 | No high school address in city |
| Imperial Beach | 26,066 | 1 | Chula Vista (5.5 mi) |
| Coronado | 23,796 | 1 | San Diego (4.4 mi) |
| Solana Beach | 12,941 | 0 | No high school address in city |
| Del Mar | 3,917 | 0 | No high school address in city |
Licensed driving schools in San Diego County
40 driving schools hold an Active California DMV license at an address in San Diego County (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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Aaaffordable Driving School | E3815 | 4009 Park Blvd Unit 9, San Diego | (619) 281-2600 |
| Aace Driving School | E3380 | 7909 Western Trails Dr, El Cajon | (619) 277-3801 |
| Aceable Drivers Ed | E2017 | 100 E San Marcos Blvd Ste 439, San Marcos | (855) 223-7778 |
| All Ages Affordable Driving School | E2156 | 610 W 9th Ave Ste 14, Escondido | (619) 792-4408 |
| All City Stick Driving School | E4101 | 402 W Broadway # 62, San Diego | (619) 302-9290 |
| Allstate Driving School Inc | E0200 | 7677 Ronson Rd Suite 108, San Diego | (858) 565-0088 |
| American Driving School DBA El Cajon Driving School | E4395 | 4565 Ruffner Street Suite 218, San Diego | (619) 401-5342 |
| Apex Driving School | E0783 | 1485 Suwerte Avenue Unit 5, Chula Vista | (619) 392-3372 |
| Bonita Driving School | E0629 | 971 Swaying Palms Way, San Diego | (619) 484-3519 |
| Budget Driving School LLC | E2166 | 240 Woodlawn Ave Ste 8, Chula Vista | (619) 476-9999 |
| Drive Smart Academy | E0575 | 1728 Skyline Dr, Escondido | (760) 444-0388 |
| Driveraide Com | E4382 | 12064 Woodside Ave 201, Lakeside | (760) 788-1866 |
| Drivers Ed Coach | E2276 | 1807 Robinson Avenue Suite 206, San Diego | (858) 666-5485 |
| Drivers Training Inc | E0170 | 7964 Arjons Dr H206, San Diego | (562) 305-3187 |
| Driversed Com | E4442 | 100 E San Marcos Blvd Ste 438, San Marcos | (510) 433-0611 |
| Driving Eric Crazy | E0625 | 225 Third Ave, Chula Vista | (619) 240-9808 |
| Driving School For You | E0109 | 2571 Mast Way # 103, Chula Vista | (619) 863-3283 |
| Expert Driving School | E3365 | 3058 Clairemont Dr 4, San Diego | (619) 885-7777 |
| Express Driving School | E2089 | 333 H Street Ste 5000 560, Chula Vista | (619) 470-6614 |
| Golden State Driving School Inc | E4265 | 3670 Clairemont Dr 10, San Diego | (619) 275-3711 |
| Guardian Driving Academy of San Diego | E0830 | 505 North Mollison 202C, El Cajon | (619) 215-4660 |
| Hot Rodz Driving Academy | E0617 | 12700 Stowe Drive Suite 140, Poway | (858) 805-1142 |
| Idrivesafely Com | E4496 | 100 E San Marcos Blvd Ste 425, San Marcos | (800) 723-1955 |
| International Driving School | E2790 | 10024 Eubank Lane, Spring Valley | (619) 263-7837 |
| Liberty Driving and Traffic School Inc | E4622 | 270 E Douglas Ave Suite 106C, El Cajon | (619) 749-4845 |
| Matt Driving School | E4699 | 7710 Balboa Ave Ste 230, San Diego | (858) 752-4089 |
| North County School of Driving | E4378 | 3145 Tiger Run Court Ste 107, Carlsbad | (760) 634-0585 |
| Pacific Safety Center | E2078 | 9880 Via Pasar Ste F, San Diego | (858) 621-2313 |
| Pioneer Driving School | E0674 | 16868 Via Del Campo Ste 100, San Diego | (858) 910-5724 |
| Poway Driving School DBA Palomar Driving School | E2591 | 13400 Pomerado Rd, Poway | (858) 486-9191 |
| Premier Driving Institutes | E4734 | 2101 El Camino Real Ste 2048, Oceanside | (760) 712-3077 |
| Safe Defensive Driving School Incorporated | E2162 | 4822 Santa Monica Ave, San Diego | (619) 966-5644 |
| Safety One Driving School | E0460 | 833 Broadway Suite 11, El Cajon | (619) 504-0686 |
| San Diego Bay Driving School Inc | E2168 | 4009 Park Blvd Ste 35, San Diego | (619) 771-9888 |
| Teen Driving School Inc | E2083 | 8795 Wahl St, Santee | (619) 282-7900 |
| Traffictutorscom | E0159 | 2160 Fletcher Parkway Suite 109, El Cajon | (888) 231-2566 |
| Tri City Driving School | E4277 | 7614 Lemon Ave 101, Lemon Grove | (619) 460-4819 |
| Universal Driving School | E2514 | 2945 Harding St Ste 108, Carlsbad | (760) 434-9504 |
| Vaughns Driving School LLC | E2282 | 1938 Kellogg Ave Ste 120, Carlsbad | (858) 276-1914 |
| West Coast Driving School | E4681 | 690 Carlsbad Village Dr 203A, Carlsbad | (619) 316-7118 |
Quick exits in North County, slow roads to the backcountry
Where I-15 meets State Route 78 near San Marcos, many trips are short. Caltrans reports that over half of westbound traffic leaving that interchange exits within the first three exits on SR 78. Short trips mean frequent lane changes in a small space. New managed lane connectors (opens in a new tab) between the two freeways are in planning with SANDAG and San Marcos. Before your teen drives SR 78, pick the exit ahead of time and signal well before each move.
Head east and the roads change. Between Santee and Ramona, State Route 67 (opens in a new tab) is mostly a rural two-lane highway, and in Ramona it becomes Main Street. Farther up, SR 78 near Julian is due for repaving from spring 2027 to spring 2029 (opens in a new tab). Crews will work about one mile at a time, with flaggers directing traffic. The project also adds centerline and shoulder rumble strips. Practice stopping for a flagger's paddle, and let rumble strips remind you to stay centered.
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)
- Caltrans District 11: I-15/SR-78 Managed Lanes Connectors (opens in a new tab)
- Caltrans District 11: State Route 67 Corridor (opens in a new tab)
- Caltrans District 11: SR-78 Asset Management through Julian (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.