Teens in Santa Monica 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 Santa Monica office at 2235 Colorado Avenue, Santa Monica, 1.3 to 1.5 miles in a straight line from Santa Monica's public high schools.
Where do Santa Monica teens take the permit and drive tests?
The DMV lists the Inglewood office as closed every day of the week (checked 2026-10-05), so it is not in this table. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Monica DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 2235 Colorado Avenue, Santa Monica 90404 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 1.3 mi |
| Culver City DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 11400 W Washington Blvd, Culver City 90066 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 3.8 mi |
| Hollywood DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 803 Cole Avenue, Hollywood 90038 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 10 mi |
Public high schools in Santa Monica
Santa Monica has 2 active public high schools inside city limits or with a Santa Monica mailing address (1 continuation, 1 traditional) in 1 district, with 2,613 students enrolled in the 2025-26 school year. That is about 2,613 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.
| School | District | Type | Students | Nearest DMV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Monica High | Santa Monica-Malibu Unified (opens in a new tab) | Traditional | 2,588 | Santa Monica (1.3 mi) |
| Olympic High (Continuation) | Santa Monica-Malibu Unified (opens in a new tab) | Continuation | 25 | Santa Monica (1.5 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 Santa Monica. 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 Santa Monica: a top-priority PCH safety corridor
Caltrans calls Pacific Coast Highway from the McClure Tunnel in Santa Monica toward Malibu a top-priority safety corridor (Caltrans meeting notice (opens in a new tab)). A pavement project (opens in a new tab) will cover about 57 lane miles, from the tunnel to near Cross Creek Road. Construction is planned for late 2027 through 2030. It will add Class II bike lanes, new sidewalks at bus stops and more pedestrian warning signs. Expect cyclists along the shoulder, and slow down before every crosswalk.
Caltrans also lists PCH safety work (opens in a new tab) on the Westside, including speed reduction measures and crosswalk upgrades. They run from the McClure Tunnel, where I-10 ends, to the Ventura County line. A separate Caltrans study of PCH between Santa Monica and Oxnard looks at protected bike lanes, signs and protection for walkers. California's goal is zero traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2050. Treat the posted limit as a ceiling here, and watch for people near beach lots and bus stops.
The path to a license in Santa Monica
- 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 Santa Monica 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: Inglewood (8.7 mi) and Los Angeles (9.4 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 7: Public Meeting for a Pacific Coast Highway Pavement Rehabilitation Project in Santa Monica (Mar. 2025) (opens in a new tab)
- Caltrans District 7: PCH Pavement Rehabilitation Projects, Santa Monica to Ventura County Line (SR-1) (opens in a new tab)
- Caltrans District 7: Pacific Coast Highway Safety Projects (opens in a new tab)
Checked: October 5, 2026. Rules and forms can change; recheck the official page before acting.
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