Before you start

California residency
Proof of identity and lawful presence, or AB 60 alternative documents
A Social Security number, or a declaration that you have none
One California residency document showing your name and address
A registered, insured vehicle and a licensed accompanying driver for the drive test

Step-by-step

1
Book the DMV appointment before you fly
Appointment availability in San Francisco and the wider Bay Area routinely runs weeks out, which sits badly against a ten-day legal deadline. Booking early is the only real mitigation. You can amend the appointment later; you cannot create capacity.
OnlineWho: YouBefore arrival
2
Study the California Driver Handbook and pass the knowledge test
The written test is taken at a DMV office. California road rules differ from most countries in specific ways — four-way stops, permitted right turns on red, and unusually detailed rules on lane sharing by motorcycles, which is legal here.
In personWho: You
3
Get an instruction permit
Because there is no exchange route, you are treated as a new driver and must hold an instruction permit before taking the drive test. This is the step most experienced foreign drivers do not expect and it is not waivable.
In personWho: You
4
Bring one California residency document
The DMV requires a document showing your name and a California address matching your application — a lease, utility bill or bank statement. Photocopies are accepted for residency purposes, unlike for identity.
In personWho: You
5
Take the behind-the-wheel drive test
You must supply your own vehicle, currently registered and insured, plus a licensed driver to accompany you. The DMV does not provide either. Driving schools rent both together, which for a newcomer with no car is usually the simplest route.
In personWho: You
6
Ask for REAL ID when you apply
A standard licence will not get you onto a domestic flight. REAL ID requires additional identity and residency documents at the counter, so bring them the first time rather than making a second appointment.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Foreign driver licence
Passport, visa and I-94 as identity and lawful-presence documents
Social Security number, or a declaration of ineligibility
One California residency document, such as a lease or utility bill
Two residency documents if applying for REAL ID
A registered and insured vehicle for the drive test

Things most newcomers don’t know

California has no reciprocity with any country — none.

Texas waives the tests for licences from France, Germany, South Korea, the UAE and Taiwan; Massachusetts converts from Canada, Mexico and US territories; Florida requires only a vision and hearing test. California waives nothing for anyone. A thirty-year German driver takes the same knowledge and drive test as a seventeen-year-old.

Source: California DMV — requirements for a California driver licence

Ten days is the shortest deadline of any large US state.

New York gives thirty days, Florida thirty, Washington thirty, Texas ninety. California gives ten. The gap between that deadline and real DMV appointment availability is the single most common source of technically-illegal driving among newcomers, which is why booking before arrival matters more here than anywhere else.

Source: California DMV — the California driver licence

You need to bring your own car and your own supervising driver.

The DMV supplies neither for the drive test, and the vehicle must be currently registered and insured. A newcomer with no car and no local network cannot complete the process without hiring a driving school's car and instructor — budget for it rather than discovering it at the appointment.

Source: California DMV — getting an instruction permit and driver licence

Most San Franciscans do not need a car at all.

The city is seven miles square with MUNI, BART and dense bus coverage, and parking is genuinely difficult and expensive. Many residents keep a licence purely as ID and use car-share for the occasional trip. If your job is in the city rather than the Peninsula, consider whether the whole exercise is worth it beyond the ID.

Source: community-reported

Common mistakes to avoid

Assuming your foreign licence can be exchanged — California has no such arrangement with any country.
Arriving without a booked appointment and blowing the ten-day deadline waiting for a slot.
Turning up to the drive test without a registered, insured vehicle and a licensed accompanying driver.
Applying for a standard licence and only later discovering it is not valid for domestic flights.
Bringing only one residency document when applying for REAL ID, which needs two.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.

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