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Getting a California drivers license

FordDude

FordDude

Well-Known Dude
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When I got my drivers license some 33 years ago it was pretty simple. Go to DMV and get a learners permit, then have your parents let you drive. :scar In high school enroll in drivers education, taught by the various coaches. Drive the simulator in the classroom and then drive one of the 4 Fords in the parking lot. Oh and what 4 Fords did we have? 2 Gran Torinos an LTD and a 73 Mustang. I was in the LTD. :cry But anyways I digress. :wm?

Laws have changed, schools are short of money so now it is up to the parents to fund drivers education. So now to get a learners permit the student needs to pass a test. I have seen prices from 18.95 up to 80 bucks for 30 hours of online instruction to get a certificate and be able to pass the test. The student also needs 6 hours of driving with an instructor and 6 months of driving with mom and dad. :scar :scar :scar The cheapest 6 hour with the driving insturctor that I have found so far is 315 bucks. :$$$ Has anyone gone through this and can they recommend a company? We said that if she got good grades we would consider starting the process. I guess that a 3.67 GPA is pretty good. :) fd
 
I can't refer a company in CA, but I can tell you it is close to that here in Ut now. My youngest had to go to DMV and take the test and get her learners, then to the driving school. She had to complete 40 hours of driving with that guy, who was a jerk. Once she passed that we had to certify she had driven with us a certain number of hours. That was easy as we went on vacation the Oregon and she drove a large part of the drive. Then she had to take the driving test at DMV and get her license.

Schools everywhere have stopped driver's ed. Too bad. I went to Western HS in Anaheim, the coaches would start you off with the book and then the simulators and then the actual driving. We had some sedans, all Ford, I drew the Fairmont four door. I remember being scared to death when a few of the girls started to drive the freeway. We learned the freeway on the 91 at Beach Blvd.

Those were the good old days. Because parents just turned their kids loose and the kids did some super stupid things behind the wheel and the insurance rates did not stop it, we now have all these new laws. My oldest got her DRL in CA. We had to pay for a driving school there too. I think it was about $300.

I would suggest getting the yellow pages out and start calling and see what they offer. Call your insurance company, some of them offer a free or discounted online class and test that is acceptable. I know when we were in CA, AAA had one.

You will need to shop around. You are in an area that has many schools. I live in an area where there is one guy. So, even though he is a jerk, that is who you have to use if you want your kid to get a DRL.

HTH,

Mel
 
"guruatbol" said:
Schools everywhere have stopped driver's ed. Too bad. I went to Western HS in Anaheim, the coaches would start you off with the book and then the simulators and then the actual driving. We had some sedans, all Ford, I drew the Fairmont four door. I remember being scared to death when a few of the girls started to drive the freeway. We learned the freeway on the 91 at Beach Blvd.

I would suggest getting the yellow pages out and start calling and see what they offer. Call your insurance company, some of them offer a free or discounted online class and test that is acceptable. I know when we were in CA, AAA had one.

HTH,

Mel
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Dude I went to Los Al. We drove on the 605. The insurance company is a very good suggestion, I will give them a call. fd
thx, tim
 
We'll have to make a stop during Knott's....Would be cool to be parked across from Los Al with a bunch of vintage Mustangs. They have awesome burgers nad onion rings! I'm getting hungry just thinking of it.

Mel
 
Don't feel bad, its not just CA. When I got my license here in NY (late 90's) I had to get my learners permit, then go upstate to practice because a learners permit isn't valid within the city enroll in several weeks work of drivers ed then be able to take the test. High Schools here never offered drivers ed.
 
In Illinois we all had drivers ed in our sophmore year of high school. When we turn 15 we got our permit and could go get our licence at 16 if we passed drivers ed. If you didn't pass you had to wait until you were 18.
In KY my oldest son could take the test to get his permit at 16 but we had to get a book and teach him ourselves. Then we had to log 60 hours of driving with him and 20 hours had to be at night. Then after the 60 hours with a parent or Guardian they can go take the driving test at the DMV. They have a restricted licence until they are 18 which means they can't drive after 10pm and can't have more then one other passenger unless it's a relative. My drivers ed car was an Oldsmobile Omega (Citation).
 
I got lucky and got to take driver's ed before they killed it at my school. The driving part of the class was taking the coach to the store so he could get breakfast and a pack of smokes.
 
In the "good ol' days" In 1978, bought a year old Ford sedan from a local Ford Dealer. The Used car Mgr., a one time drinking buddy, turned me on to this low mileage- 2,000 miles, Ford. Bought it as is, ie no cleanup, fact warranty still good. Was a local high school driver ed car. Cleaning it up, pulled out back cushion and there were two neatly rolled joints waiting for a toke! So much for driver ed!
 
Unless things have changed in the last couple of years, the classroom portion is still taught in the schools, but usually you have to be a senior to get it. Both of my kids (26 and 25 now) took the classroom stuff in school. This pretty much means, though, that you're 17 by the time you get your license.

Tim, if you haven't heard about it yet, there are also laws in California now on young drivers. A driver is not allowed to have passengers in the car AT ALL until they have had their license for 6 months. There are also time restrictions as to how late at night and how earl in the morning that they are allowed to drive. They are good laws that help them become better drivers without all the distractions of a car full of kids in the car with them.
 
"johnpro" said:
Unless things have changed in the last couple of years, the classroom portion is still taught in the schools, but usually you have to be a senior to get it. Both of my kids (26 and 25 now) took the classroom stuff in school. This pretty much means, though, that you're 17 by the time you get your license.

Tim, if you haven't heard about it yet, there are also laws in California now on young drivers. A driver is not allowed to have passengers in the car AT ALL until they have had their license for 6 months. There are also time restrictions as to how late at night and how earl in the morning that they are allowed to drive. They are good laws that help them become better drivers without all the distractions of a car full of kids in the car with them.
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John they have changed and the school no longer offers any drivers education.
Yes I am very well aware of the new laws for young drivers. In most cases it is a very good idea. We however have bent the rules a little. Last year my daughter would ride with her friend that was still in her first year of driving and subject to those underage rules. We were OK with it because it involved a ride to school at 6am for morning for water polo/swim practice. Our high school is about 1.5 miles from here. But that was last year, now she rides with girls that are 18. fd
Tim
 
Our 15 year old daughter just finished her Drivers Ed. here in NC. Her school offered it to her based upon her age. Three weeks of 7AM to 9AM classroom instruction followed by 6 hours of driving with her instructor. She'll be going down soon (next week?) to get her permit. To obtain the permit she has to pass the written test, road signs test and an eye exam. The permit will allow her to drive with a parent's supervision until she turns 16 (October), at which time she'll take her driving test with the State of NC.

Once she has a real license, only then will I be required to add her onto our families auto insurance policy. Until then she will be covered by our insurance.

Once driving at 16, the first 6 months she can only be on the road from 6AM to 9PM with no passengers other than licensed adult drivers. After that 6 month period I believe she'll be free of any restrictions.

There was no cost for the Drivers Ed. and no unusual costs associated with obtaining the driving permit/license.
 
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