Can I Teach My Child to Drive in California?
No. Teens will have to have professional instruction through driver ed and driver training before they are eligible for a learner’s permit at 15 1/2. You may then ride along with your teen as they practice for a provisional license.
Teens can’t earn a California driver’s license through only parental instruction. Parents must also be careful where they give teens their first driving experience.
Teens often pick up their first driving skills from their parents while sitting behind the wheel in the driveway or in a parking lot. This is helpful experience, but new drivers in California must complete several mandated steps before earning a learner’s permit and being legal to drive on public roads.
Where and When Can I Turn the Wheel Over to My Teen
Most of us get our first driving lessons from our parents or guardians. It’s a tradition that arrives in almost every teen’s life. Moms or dads may take the family car out to a field or a parking lot and let their teen practice starting and stopping.
Hopefully, these first practice lessons don’t happen on public roads. This would be an unsafe idea. Teens without an instructional permit, another name for a learner’s permit, are not allowed to drive on streets and freeways without a trained driving instructor present.
New drivers should practice with an adult in the car only on their own private property, or on property owned by someone who gives permission. Parking lots are common spots for driving lessons and officers will usually look the other way if parents are teaching their children to drive in a safe manner. It’s better to be safe than sorry though.
These are the necessary rules until a teen satisfies California’s requirements for getting a learner’s permit.
Check out Maison Law’s Ultimate Guide to California Driver Ed Requirements for more information on what’s needed to earn a learner’s permit.
How Can I Find a Driving Instructor for My Teen Driver?
The driver training portion of the learner’s permit requirements can be satisfied by two sources. Teens enrolled in high school will have certified driving instructors provided, usually in the 10th grade. DMV-approved driving instructors are also found at dozens of California driving schools across California.
These schools are certified by the state, but they are separate entities from the school system or DMV. They are businesses that will charge you for teaching driving ed and for providing driving instructors.
Unfortunately, the experience young drivers have built up with their parents won’t count towards the requirements for an instructional permit.
If you or your teen driver need to find a reputable driving school you can check out Maison Law’s Guide to Choosing a Driving School.
Can I Ride with My Teens After They Get a Learner’s Permit?
Yes. You may ride along with your teen on public roads after they’ve earned a learner’s permit. In fact, they’ll need a guardian to log miles with them so they can take the next step toward a real California driver’s license.
To get that learner’s permit at age 15 1/2, California teens are required beforehand to complete 30 hours of driver-ed classroom instruction or 30 hours of semester periods. They must also document six hours of driving time with a certified driving instructor.
These requirements can be fulfilled as part of the teen’s high school curriculum or at a California DMV-licensed driving school.
Once a learner’s permit is in hand, Minors (under the age of 18) will need to practice driving on the open road with an adult present for at least six months. The accompanying adult is often a parent, but any licensed driver who is at least 25 years old can ride along.
Teens need 50 hours of road driving experience with ten of those hours coming at night. Once teens turn 16 and have fulfilled these benchmarks, they can apply for a provisional driver’s license.
A word to parents and teens about accidents involving young drivers…
Even experienced drivers can wind up in bad accidents that weren’t their fault. Teens are at the same risk. No amount of caution can keep them completely protected from the careless motorists that travel California roads each day.
If you or your child are in a serious accident, talk over your options with a skilledCalifornia Car Accident Lawyerat Maison Law. Insurance companies can treat teen drivers unfairly and try to blame them for accidents they didn’t cause. Car insurance adjusters can also leave injured teenagers without the support they need to fully recover and get back on their feet.
ContactMaison Law for a free legal consultation on your accident. Tell us what happened to you or your teenage driver so that we can help you determine what your case is worth and how to force an auto insurance provider to offer fair compensation.
