Can You Take Your Permit Test Online in California?

Yes, you can take your permit test online in California, but only if you fit one of two groups: applicants under 18 going for a driver’s license, or people moving to California from another state who need a knowledge test.¹ The at-home exam is proctored through your webcam, offered Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., and available in 35 languages. Even after you pass it, you still have to visit a DMV office in person to finish the process.

Who Can Take the Test at Home

Two groups currently qualify for the DMV’s at-home proctored knowledge test: Californians under 18 applying for a driver’s license, and people relocating to California from another state who need to take a knowledge test.¹ Minors need a parent or guardian to consent to the online format, which lets the DMV interact with the applicant remotely and record the test session.

You need an internet-connected computer or laptop with a working webcam. Tablets and phones are not accepted.¹ If you don’t qualify or don’t have the equipment, your only option is the in-person test at a DMV field office.

How the Online Test Works

Start by creating a DMV online account and completing the eDL 44 application. After you submit the application and pay the fee, eligible applicants see the remote exam option and are directed to the DMV’s online testing platform.¹

Before the exam starts, you verify your identity and agree to be monitored. Your webcam stays on the whole time as a fraud check. Every question is multiple choice, and every question comes from the California Driver Handbook, which is free on the DMV website.² The test itself is offered in 35 languages, though proctoring instructions are given in English.¹

You Still Have to Visit a DMV Office

Passing the online test does not issue your permit. After you pass, you must visit a DMV field office to present your identity and residency documents in person, take a photo, provide a thumbprint, and complete a vision screening.¹ Only after those steps is your permit issued. The at-home option simply lets you clear the knowledge portion first so the office visit is shorter.

If You Don’t Qualify: Testing in Person

If you’re an adult first-time applicant who isn’t a new resident, or you don’t have the right equipment, you’ll take the knowledge test at a DMV office. Booking an appointment in advance is worth the effort; walk-in waits can be long.

At the appointment you’ll submit or confirm your DL 44 application, present your identity and residency documents, pay the $46 fee, have your photo taken, give a thumbprint, and complete a vision screening.³ Then you sit at a computer terminal and take the knowledge test, offered in the same 35 languages as the online version.

Questions, Passing Score, and Retakes

The number of questions depends on your age. Minors get 46 questions and must answer at least 38 correctly. Adults get 36 questions and need at least 30 correct.⁴ Either way, the passing threshold is roughly 83 percent, so studying the handbook matters. Free sample tests on the DMV website give you a feel for the format.

You get three attempts on a single application. Fail all three and you start over with a new application and another $46. Minors must wait at least seven days after a failed attempt before retaking, not counting the day they failed.⁵ Adults don’t have a specified mandatory wait under the same guidance, but you’ll still need to schedule another appointment for an in-person retake.

Don’t Confuse This With the DMV eLearning Course

The DMV also offers an interactive eLearning course, and it’s easy to mistake for the at-home proctored test. They aren’t the same. The eLearning course is a self-paced, no-fail series of seven short modules that takes about 20 to 30 minutes, with no webcam or proctoring, and it runs on phones and tablets.⁶

Only people renewing a noncommercial Class C driver’s license who are required to retake the knowledge test can use it. It is not open to first-time permit applicants.⁶ If you’re going for your first permit, the eLearning course will not help you.

What to Gather Before You Apply

For a provisional instruction permit, you must be at least 15½ but under 18, and you need a Certificate of Completion or Enrollment in driver education from a DMV-approved program. A parent or guardian must sign your application. Adults 18 and older skip the driver’s education requirement and just complete the application.⁷

Every applicant fills out the DL 44 application. You can complete it online through the DMV’s eDL 44 portal before your office visit.⁸ You’ll also provide your Social Security number.

Identity and Residency Documents

Bring one proof of identity showing your full legal name and date of birth. Accepted documents include a valid U.S. passport or passport card, a certified copy of your U.S. birth certificate, a permanent resident card, or a certificate of naturalization. Abbreviated or abstract birth certificates are not accepted.⁹

If you want a REAL ID-compliant permit, you also need two different documents proving California residency, each showing your name and California address. Common examples include a home utility bill, a bank statement, a rental or lease agreement, or a vehicle registration. If your name has changed since your identity document was issued, bring supporting paperwork such as a marriage certificate or court-ordered name change document.⁹ A REAL ID is required to board domestic flights and enter certain federal facilities as of May 7, 2025, so requesting the REAL ID version now saves an upgrade later.¹⁰

The Fee

The application fee for an original Class C driver’s license is $46, non-refundable.³ The single fee covers your instruction permit and your eventual license, and it covers up to three knowledge test attempts, so a second try does not cost extra.

Once You Pass and Get the Permit

Your application and fee stay valid for 12 months from the date you apply. If that window expires before you’ve held your provisional permit long enough to take the driving test, you’ll need to reapply and pay again.⁷

For minors, the permit is not valid the moment it prints. It becomes valid only after a professional driving instructor signs it following your first hour of behind-the-wheel training.¹¹ Until that happens, you cannot legally practice driving, even with a supervising adult in the car.

No permit holder, regardless of age, may drive alone. A licensed California driver must sit close enough to grab the steering wheel. If you’re under 18, that supervising driver must be at least 25. If you’re 18 or older, your supervising driver only needs to be at least 18.² Minors must hold the permit for at least six months (or turn 18) before scheduling the behind-the-wheel driving test.

1
California DMV. DMV Expands Eligibility for At-Home Testing
2
State of California Department of Motor Vehicles. California Driver’s Handbook – Section 2: Getting an Instruction Permit and Driver’s License
3
California DMV. Licensing Fees
4
State of California Department of Motor Vehicles. Sample Driver License DL Knowledge Tests
5
State of California Department of Motor Vehicles. The Testing Process
6
California State Department of Motor Vehicles. Online Learning
7
California Department of Motor Vehicles. Instruction and Learner’s Permits
8
State of California Department of Motor Vehicles. Driver’s License / ID Card Application
9
State of California Department of Motor Vehicles. REAL ID Checklist
10
TSA. TSA to Highlight REAL ID Enforcement Deadline of May 7, 2025
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California DMV. Driver Training Schools