California DMV AB 60 Driver’s License: How to Apply and Renew

To get a California AB 60 driver’s license, you bring one accepted identity document and two California residency documents to a DMV appointment, pay the $46 application fee, and pass the same vision, written knowledge, and behind-the-wheel tests as any other applicant. The license is issued under Vehicle Code Section 12801.9 to California residents who cannot prove their presence in the United States is authorized under federal law.¹ It carries a “Federal Limits Apply” notation and is not valid federal ID, but it works for driving anywhere in the state.

Who Can Apply

AB 60 is for California residents who cannot provide proof of authorized federal presence. The DMV must issue a license to anyone in that situation who meets every other licensing requirement and can prove identity and California residency.¹ Because applicants cannot obtain a Social Security Number, the process substitutes alternative identity documents for the SSN verification standard applicants complete.

Minimum age is 16, the same as for any California license.² Applicants under 18 must also complete driver education and behind-the-wheel training. Having held a license in another country is not required.

Identity Documents You Can Use

You present one document from the DMV’s primary identity list. Accepted items include a valid foreign passport, the Mexican Consular Card (Matricula Consular, 2014 or 2022 versions), a Mexican electoral card (INE or IFE), and national identification cards from countries including Argentina and El Salvador.³ For certain countries the DMV can verify the document electronically with the country of origin.

If your document is not in English, you need a certified translation or an affidavit of translation to go with it. If you don’t have anything from the primary list, you can submit two documents from a secondary list instead. The DMV’s online AB 60 Wizard walks through what you have and whether it qualifies, which is worth running before you book your appointment.³

Submitting a false Social Security Number or fraudulent documents will result in denial and can lead to criminal charges. The DMV cross-checks the information you provide against its records.

Two California Residency Documents

You also need two separate documents showing your name and a California address. The accepted categories are:³

Utility bills, including cellphone bills
Rental or lease agreements signed by both landlord and tenant
Mortgage bills
School documents
Medical documents
Employment documents
Financial institution records
Attestation letters on official letterhead from an employer, homeless shelter, faith-based organization, or nonprofit confirming California residency (this type does not need to show a California address on the letter itself)

Bringing the wrong paperwork is the most common reason applications stall, so it’s worth pulling both residency documents from different categories rather than, say, two utility bills from the same account.

The Application Steps

Start the application online using the DMV’s eDL-44 form, then book an in-person appointment at a field office to finish it.⁴ The process has to happen in person because the DMV reviews your original documents, screens your vision, and administers the written test at the counter.

The fee is $46 for a Class C license, the same amount any applicant pays.⁵ It is nonrefundable and keeps your application active for 12 months.

The Written Test

Once your documents and vision are cleared, you take the knowledge test on California traffic laws and road signs, drawn from the California Driver Handbook. You need at least 80% to pass.⁶ You get three attempts before you have to reapply and pay again.⁷ The test is offered in several languages, including Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Armenian, Hindi, and Punjabi.

The Permit and Driving Test

Passing the written test earns you an instruction permit. You can practice driving with the permit as long as a licensed California driver who is at least 18 sits in the front seat next to you. If you’re a minor, that supervising driver must be 25 or older.⁷

Schedule the behind-the-wheel test when you’re ready. Bring a vehicle with current registration and valid insurance, and a licensed driver (18 or older) to accompany you to the field office, since a permit does not allow you to drive there alone.⁷ Because you need proof of insurance both to register a vehicle and to take the driving test, arranging a policy early keeps things moving. AB 60 holders can buy standard auto liability coverage and, if they meet the income limits, qualify for California’s Low Cost Automobile Insurance Program.⁸

If You’re Sent to Secondary Review

The DMV refers applicants to secondary review when it cannot verify identity documents at the counter, or when application details conflict with DMV records. You receive a notice called a DL 209A explaining the referral.⁹

Wait five business days after receiving the notice, then call the DMV to request the review. Within 30 days of your call, a letter arrives with the date, time, and location of your interview.⁹ The interview can run up to an hour, and the DMV’s Investigations Division reviews your documents. Bring more supporting paperwork than you think you need: school records, tax returns, marriage certificates, and foreign government documents all help.

What the License Does and Doesn’t Do

The card is visually distinct from a standard California license. It shows the phrase “Federal Limits Apply” and states it is not acceptable for official federal purposes.¹ It also notes that it does not establish eligibility for employment, voter registration, or public benefits.

You cannot use it to board a domestic flight (you would need a passport or another TSA-accepted ID), enter certain federal buildings, or satisfy any federal identification requirement. Within California, it works the same as any other driver’s license, and law enforcement, businesses, and state agencies must accept it as valid.

Privacy of the Documents You Submit

Every document you give the DMV to prove identity or residency is confidential and is not a public record. The DMV can disclose these documents only in three narrow situations: a subpoena for individual records in a criminal case, a court order, or an urgent health and safety emergency where law enforcement certifies in writing that there is no time to get a court order.¹

The statute states that immigration enforcement does not qualify as an urgent health and safety need, and the license itself cannot be used as evidence of anyone’s citizenship or immigration status for any purpose.¹ These are state-law protections and apply to the California DMV; federal agencies operate their own investigative and data-sharing systems independently.

Renewal

AB 60 licenses are valid for five years.¹⁰ Renewal requires a residency document, which standard renewals do not.¹¹ If it’s your first renewal since May 2017, you also have to resubmit your identity documents. Keeping the paperwork organized between cycles saves the scramble every five years.

1
California Legislative Information. California Code VEH – Section 12801.9
2
California Department of Motor Vehicles. Driver’s Licenses
3
California Department of Motor Vehicles. AB 60 Wizard
4
California Department of Motor Vehicles. Apply Online for a Driver License or ID Card
5
California Department of Motor Vehicles. Licensing Fees
6
California Department of Motor Vehicles. Instruction and Learner’s Permits
7
California Department of Motor Vehicles. California Driver’s Handbook – The Testing Process
8
California Department of Insurance. AB 60 – Automobile Insurance for License Holders
9
California Department of Motor Vehicles. Driver’s License Secondary Review Referral Process
10
California Department of Motor Vehicles. AB 60 Driver’s Licenses
11
California Department of Motor Vehicles. Driver’s License or ID Card Online Renewal