Teens in Santa Paula 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 Paula office at 250 W Harvard Boulevard A, Santa Paula, 0.7 to 0.9 miles in a straight line from Santa Paula's public high schools.
Where do Santa Paula 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Paula DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 250 W Harvard Boulevard A, Santa Paula 93060 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 0.8 mi |
| Ventura DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 4260 Market Street, Ventura 93003 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 12 mi |
| Oxnard DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 4050 Saviers Road, Oxnard 93033 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 15 mi |
Public high schools in Santa Paula
Santa Paula has 2 active public high schools inside city limits or with a Santa Paula mailing address (1 continuation, 1 traditional) in 1 district, with 1,542 students enrolled in the 2025-26 school year. That is about 1,542 high-school students for each DMV office in the city. Most teens reach 15½, the earliest permit age, in 9th or 10th grade (Education Code 48000 (opens in a new tab) sets the school entry age). Finish the online course before then: the permit application needs the DL 400C.
| School | District | Type | Students | Nearest DMV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Paula High (opens in a new tab) | Santa Paula Unified (opens in a new tab) | Traditional | 1,456 | Santa Paula (0.9 mi) |
| Renaissance High (opens in a new tab) | Santa Paula Unified (opens in a new tab) | Continuation | 86 | Santa Paula (0.7 mi) |
Licensed driving schools for the 6 hours of training
2 driving schools hold an Active California DMV license at an address inside Santa Paula city limits or with a Santa Paula 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| A LDS Choose the Right Driving Experience | E3377 | 617 Acacia Road, Santa Paula | (805) 310-7088 |
| AT Driving School of Santa Paula | E0776 | 906 E Virginia Ter, Santa Paula | (805) 754-6408 |
Learning to drive in Santa Paula: new bike trails across town
Santa Paula plans up to 2.5 miles of new bike paths, joining its current 2.5-mile trail (Trail Connectivity Project (opens in a new tab)). One link would cross Santa Paula Creek on a new bridge to reach the bike network at 12th Street. Another would run from the N. Peck Road bike path to a business park and a college campus on the west side. A third would run along Santa Paula Creek toward downtown and the youth center. Where a trail meets a street, slow down and look both ways for bikes and walkers.
The city's Traffic Safety Committee meets every other month to talk about speeding, signals and other safety issues (Traffic Safety Committee (opens in a new tab)). Members include the Public Works Director, the police chief and a Ventura County Fire Department chief. On September 2, 2021, the City Council approved a policy for placing street humps. The Streets Division looks after the city's 55 miles of streets and its traffic control devices (Streets Division (opens in a new tab)). Take each hump slowly, and keep a calm, even speed between them.
The path to a license in Santa Paula
- 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 Paula 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: Camarillo (9.7 mi) and Ventura (11 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)
- City of Santa Paula: Santa Paula Trail Connectivity Project (opens in a new tab)
- City of Santa Paula: Traffic Safety Committee (opens in a new tab)
- City of Santa Paula: Streets Division (opens in a new tab)
Checked: October 6, 2026. Rules and forms can change; recheck the official page before acting.
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