Teens in San Leandro 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 Oakland Coliseum office at 501 85th Ave, Oakland, 2.2 to 4.4 miles in a straight line from San Leandro's public high schools.
Where do San Leandro 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland Coliseum DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 501 85th Ave, Oakland 94621 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 3.2 mi |
| Hayward DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 150 Jackson Street, Hayward 94544 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 5.0 mi |
| Oakland DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 5300 Claremont Avenue, Oakland 94618 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 11 mi |
Public high schools in San Leandro
San Leandro has 3 active public high schools inside city limits or with a San Leandro mailing address (1 alternative, 1 continuation, 1 traditional) in 2 districts, with 2,683 students enrolled in the 2025-26 school year. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| San Leandro Unified (opens in a new tab) | 2 | 2,654 |
| Alameda County Office of Education (opens in a new tab) | 1 | 29 |
| School | District | Type | Students | Nearest DMV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Leandro High | San Leandro Unified | Traditional | 2,542 | Oakland Coliseum (3.2 mi) |
| Lincoln High (Continuation) | San Leandro Unified | Continuation | 112 | Oakland Coliseum (2.2 mi) |
| Alameda County Juvenile Hall/Court (opens in a new tab) | Alameda County Office of Education | Alternative | 29 | Hayward (4.2 mi) |
Licensed driving schools for the 6 hours of training
The DMV license list (checked 2026-10-04) shows no driving school with an Active license at an address in San Leandro. Schools in nearby cities often pick students up across the area; check each school's service area and license on the DMV lookup (opens in a new tab).
Learning to drive in San Leandro: the Washington Avenue ramps and I-880 trailblazer signs
San Leandro sits where Interstate 880 and State Route 238 come together, and one exit there had a known problem. Cars lining up on the Washington Avenue off-ramp (opens in a new tab) caused rear-end crashes on the southbound connector, Caltrans found. The fix added a turn lane, widened the on-ramp for turning trucks and laid a high-friction surface. Caltrans listed construction from spring 2021 to spring 2022. When an exit backs up, slow early in the right lane, and never stop suddenly in a travel lane.
A crash on I-880 can push drivers onto city streets. The I-880 Corridor Management project (opens in a new tab) from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission helps guide them back. It uses 43 trailblazer signs and 26 cameras, linked by 16 miles of fiber optic line. Together they steer traffic back to the freeway quickly. The City of San Leandro was one of its partners. If an incident forces you off the freeway, follow the trailblazer signs, and keep your speed down on neighborhood streets.
The path to a license in San Leandro
- 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 Oakland Coliseum 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: Hayward (6.1 mi) and Oakland (7.0 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: Alameda 880 Washington Ave Ramps Reconstruction (San Leandro) (opens in a new tab)
- Metropolitan Transportation Commission: I-880 Corridor Management (opens in a new tab)
Checked: October 5, 2026. Rules and forms can change; recheck the official page before acting.
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