Teens in Tulare 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 Tulare office at 274 E Cross Avenue, Tulare, 0.2 to 3.3 miles in a straight line from Tulare's public high schools.
Where do Tulare 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tulare DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 274 E Cross Avenue, Tulare 93274 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 0.5 mi |
| Visalia DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 1711 East Main Street, Visalia 93292 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 9.0 mi |
| Hanford DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 701 W Hanford Armona Road (corner of W Armona), Hanford 93230 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 | 18 mi |
Public high schools in Tulare
Tulare has 7 active public high schools inside city limits or with a Tulare mailing address (3 traditional, 2 charter, 1 alternative, 1 continuation) in 1 district, with 5,652 students enrolled in the 2025-26 school year. That is about 5,652 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tulare Western High | Tulare Joint Union High (opens in a new tab) | Traditional | 1,870 | Tulare (0.7 mi) |
| Mission Oak High | Tulare Joint Union High (opens in a new tab) | Traditional | 1,789 | Tulare (2.8 mi) |
| Tulare Union High | Tulare Joint Union High (opens in a new tab) | Traditional | 1,626 | Tulare (0.5 mi) |
| Sierra Vista Charter High | Tulare Joint Union High (opens in a new tab) | Charter | 161 | Tulare (0.2 mi) |
| Accelerated Charter High | Tulare Joint Union High (opens in a new tab) | Charter | 151 | Tulare (3.3 mi) |
| Tulare Technical Preparatory High | Tulare Joint Union High (opens in a new tab) | Continuation | 32 | Tulare (1.3 mi) |
| Countryside Community Day | Tulare Joint Union High (opens in a new tab) | Alternative | 23 | Tulare (1.4 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 Tulare. 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 Tulare: the Bardsley underpass and the Cartmill interchange
Trains once stopped traffic on Bardsley Avenue in Tulare. The city built an underpass beneath the Union Pacific tracks (opens in a new tab), and construction was completed in June 2015. The same project shifted part of I Street onto the H Street alignment. Other crossings in town are still at street level. At those, look and listen for trains, and never stop on the rails. If traffic is backed up, wait behind the line until your car fits past the tracks.
On State Route 99, the city rebuilt the Cartmill Avenue interchange (opens in a new tab) with new ramps and a six-lane overcrossing. It also put in three new traffic signals, at both ramps and at Akers Street. Akers Street was moved to leave more space between it and the northbound ramp. Work started in August 2014. Signals near ramps can stack cars at the bottom of an exit. Watch for a queue as you leave the freeway, and slow down before you reach it.
The path to a license in Tulare
- 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 Tulare 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: Visalia (9.1 mi) and Porterville (20 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 Tulare: Bardsley Avenue / Union Pacific Railroad Grade Separation (opens in a new tab)
- City of Tulare: Cartmill Avenue / State Route 99 Interchange (opens in a new tab)
Checked: October 5, 2026. Rules and forms can change; recheck the official page before acting.
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