Teens in San Mateo 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 San Mateo office at 425 N Amphlett Boulevard, San Mateo, 0.2 to 4.6 miles in a straight line from San Mateo's public high schools.
Where do San Mateo 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2.4 mi |
| 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 | 6.5 mi |
| Daly City DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 1500 Sullivan Avenue, Daly City 94015 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 13 mi |
Public high schools in San Mateo
San Mateo has 6 active public high schools inside city limits or with a San Mateo mailing address (4 traditional, 2 alternative) in 2 districts, with 4,777 students enrolled in the 2025-26 school year. That is about 4,777 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 |
|---|---|---|
| San Mateo Union High (opens in a new tab) | 4 | 4,748 |
| San Mateo County Office of Education (opens in a new tab) | 2 | 29 |
| School | District | Type | Students | Nearest DMV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aragon High (opens in a new tab) | San Mateo Union High | Traditional | 1,654 | San Mateo (2.0 mi) |
| San Mateo High (opens in a new tab) | San Mateo Union High | Traditional | 1,532 | San Mateo (0.4 mi) |
| Hillsdale High (opens in a new tab) | San Mateo Union High | Traditional | 1,517 | San Mateo (3.3 mi) |
| The Bridge Academy (opens in a new tab) | San Mateo Union High | Alternative | 45 | San Mateo (0.2 mi) |
| Hillcrest at Youth Services Center (opens in a new tab) | San Mateo County Office of Education | Alternative | 23 | San Mateo (4.6 mi) |
| Gateway Center (opens in a new tab) | San Mateo County Office of Education | Traditional | 6 | San Mateo (4.6 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 Mateo. 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 Mateo: the US 101 and SR 92 interchange
In San Mateo, US 101 meets State Route 92 at a crowded interchange that Caltrans is reworking. Its short-term improvements project (opens in a new tab) will give the westbound 92 loop ramp more room for truck turns. It will extend a lane where five lanes squeeze down to three toward eastbound 92. The Fashion Island Boulevard and Hillsdale Boulevard exits are also being reshaped. For October 2026, Caltrans scheduled nightly loop-ramp closures (opens in a new tab) with a Delaware Street detour. Follow the detour signs and merge one car at a time.
El Camino Real, State Route 82, is the city's historic main street. In August 2026, Caltrans scheduled night striping and crosswalk upgrades (opens in a new tab) on SR 82. The first phase covered F Street in Belmont to Third Avenue in San Mateo. The city adopted a Local Roadway Safety Plan (opens in a new tab) on May 20, 2024, built from crash patterns and resident input. It aims toward zero deaths and severe injuries. On El Camino, scan crosswalks early, and never pass a car that has stopped for a pedestrian.
The path to a license in San Mateo
- 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 San Mateo 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: Daly City (12 mi) and Hayward (15 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: 101/92 Interchange Short Term Area Improvements Project (opens in a new tab)
- Caltrans District 4: Nightly Closures on SR-92/101 Interchange in San Mateo (opens in a new tab)
- Caltrans District 4: Roadway Improvement Work on U.S. 101, SR-92, SR-82 (opens in a new tab)
- City of San Mateo: Local Roadway Safety Plan (opens in a new tab)
Checked: October 5, 2026. Rules and forms can change; recheck the official page before acting.
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