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We reviewed the industry’s top driver’s education programs, and here are our featured picks.
Our Rating: 3 out of 5.0
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Our Rating: 3 out of 5.0
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Our Rating: 3 out of 5.0
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Getting your permit or license in California is an exciting step. To help you succeed, we review everything you need to know about getting your instruction permit and upgrading to a license, including the best driver’s ed courses available online.
Read our detailed reviews below.
All new drivers who have never had a driver’s license in any state or country must obtain an instruction permit before obtaining a license in California.
Teen drivers under 18 must apply for a provisional instruction permit. To be eligible, new drivers must:
Once eligible, teen drivers can apply for and receive their provisional permit by completing the following steps:
A provisional instruction permit cannot be used to drive alone at any time, including to the DMV office for a driving test. Minors with instruction permits must be accompanied at all times by one of the following:
Instruction permits are required for any driver over 18 who has not previously held a license. Note that driver’s ed is not required for drivers over 18.
To obtain an instruction permit, new drivers 18 and older must:
New drivers who have completed the requirements of their instruction permit become eligible to take the driving test. Steps differ for minors and adults.
To be eligible for a driver’s license, teens between the ages of 16 and 18 must:
Once these requirements are met, teens can obtain a license by:
After passing the driving test, the DMV issues a temporary driver’s license. The new driver’s license should arrive in three to four weeks.
Drivers under the age of 18 will be awarded a provisional license. Restrictions on provisional licenses include:
New drivers 18 and older become eligible to take the driving test by:
After meeting these requirements, new drivers can take the following steps to obtain their driver’s license:
Once a new driver passes the driving test, the DMV issues a temporary driver’s license, valid for up to 60 days. The new driver’s license should arrive by mail within three to four weeks.
Learn more about the steps required to obtain a permit or license in the California Driver’s Handbook.
Driver education in California must be either:
Required professional driver training for minors is a minimum of six hours.
Costs for California driver’s ed courses offered by top online providers fall between $24.95 and $34.95.
Course costs for behind-the-wheel lessons or driver training are typically much higher. Expect prices ranging from $100 to $900 depending on the provider, package details, and other factors.
What we like about Aceable:
Aceable was founded in 2013 with the goal of expanding online access to driver’s ed materials. Based in Austin, TX, the company started offering approved online driver education in its home state. Since then, the company has expanded to offer courses in multiple states and an easy-to-use mobile app.
For those unsatisfied with their Aceable online driver education experience, the company offers a 100% money-back guarantee for uncompleted courses, refunded within 30 days of purchase. Learn more by reading our Aceable review.
Aceable courses in California:
What we like about DriversEd.com:
DriversEd.com was founded in 1997. Based out of Houston, TX, the company boasts excellent online reviews and easy-to-understand course content.
DriversEd.com courses in California are fully refundable within 30 days of purchase as long as no certificate of completion has been issued. Find out more about DriversEd.com courses and pricing by reading our detailed DriversEd.com review.
DriversEd.com courses in California:
What we like about IMPROV:
Founded in 2009, IMPROV is based in Los Angeles, CA. Customer feedback for IMPROV highlights engaging lessons, affordable course prices, and outstanding customer service.
Improv offers a full refund of course fees as long as no certificate of completion has been issued. Find out more about IMPROV classes and availability by reading our IMPROV review.
IMPROV courses in California:
What we like about Drivers Ed Direct:
Drivers Ed Direct was founded in 2006 and now operates out of Chatsworth, CA. The company partners with iDriveSafely and other well-known providers to offer courses in more locations. Customers highlight excellent service and behind-the-wheel driving lessons in California.
Drivers Ed Direct’s teen driver’s ed courses are fully online, while behind-the-wheel driving lessons are available at multiple locations in the Greater Los Angeles area. Learn more by reading our in-depth Drivers Ed Direct review.
Drivers Ed Direct courses in California:
What we like about Safe2Drive:
Safe2Drive was founded in 2003 and operates out of Rancho Santo Margarita, CA. The company has positive reviews on Yelp and Google, with an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
Safe2Drive offers a full refund on all online courses within 30 days of purchase and before a certificate of completion is issued.
Safe2Drive courses in California:
California requires minors seeking either a provisional instruction permit or license to complete a driver’s education course and behind-the-wheel driver training. These programs meet different requirements.
A Driver education course instructs new drivers on traffic laws, safety, responsible driving, and accident avoidance.
Behind-the-wheel driver training allows new drivers to practice driving in real-world situations. Driver training must be at least six hours, with no more than two hours completed per day. In-car observation does not count toward this requirement.
Questions about getting started onachieving your California instruction permit or license? You can call the DMV office at 1-800-777-0133 or visit the California DMV website to get started.
California requires new drivers under 18 to complete a driver’s education course. New drivers under 18 must complete driver training and a state-approved driver education course.
Driver’s ed programs offered outside of public school are not free. Course costs change depending on the provider and course content. Note that courses featuring behind-the-wheel driving (driver training) carry higher costs.
Yes! New drivers older than 15 and younger than 18 must take driver’s ed and driver training in California.
Online driver’s ed courses you’ll find on this page all carry approval from the California DMV. Learn more about selecting a driving school by visiting the California DMV website.
California teens can begin driver’s ed at 15 and become eligible for their provisional instruction permit at 15-and-a-half.
With so many online driver’s ed courses available, we work hard to identify the highest quality providers. Our goal is to provide reviews that are accurate, trustworthy, and helpful to our readers.
Using data from consumer reviews, we first identified a set of minimum requirements for each driver’s ed course provider. To be included in our ranking each provider must have:
After selecting providers that meet our minimum requirements, we conducted extensive research and identified the following key metrics to rank the best online driver’s ed courses for 2023.
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