What Do I Do After I Finish My Online Drivers Ed Course?

The entire process of getting a driver's license can be a little tricky. From how to start Drivers Ed to getting your drivers ed certificate of completion, you may be asking yourself what order does everything need to be done?

The first step is the Drivers Ed course. You can take our DMV-certified course online right now. If you have successfully completed this step and earned your drivers ed certificate online, you are now wondering what to do after completing online Drivers Ed?

How Long Does It Take To Finish Drivers Ed?

In the state of California, taking a driver education course depends on your age. If you are 15 1/2 years old, but less than 17 1/2 years old, then the State of California requires you to attend and complete a DMV-approved 30-hour Drivers Ed course.

For these online Driver’s Ed courses, they can be completed at your own pace. You can complete them by working on it a couple hours a day or maybe cram a couple chapters in one day. In the end, students will spend 30 hours working on the course from start to finish.

For those applicants that are at least 17 1/2 years old, then they can obtain an instruction permit without completing driver education or driver training. However, to get a driver license, they must provide proof that they have completed driver education and driver training or wait until they are 18 years old.

The Next Step

Once you complete the Drivers Ed course, you will receive a driver education certificate of completion. Keep this safe, as you will need it when you head to the California DMV, which is the next step. If you are younger than 17 1/2 years old, you will take that certificate with you and head to the DMV office to take the written knowledge test.

If you pass the written test, you will then be issued a provisional instructor permit. This will allow you to begin your driving lessons, which Coastline also offers throughout most of California.

What To Bring To DMV

When making your way to the DMV to take your written test and obtain your learner's permit if you are at least 15 1/2 but under 18 years of age, make sure to bring the following with you:

• Your certificate of driver’s education completion.
• Your completed driver's license application that is signed by your parent(s) or legal guardian(s).
• The original or certified copy of your birth certificate or valid, unexpired U.S. Passport.
• An acceptable residency document. If applying for a REAL ID driver's license, you will need two residency documents.
• The nonrefundable application fee, which is currently $39 for Class C driver's license.

If all goes well, you will walk out of the DMV office with your learner's permit in hand and ready to start the next step: driving school and taking driving lessons!

Driving Lessons and Driving Practice

As far as those driving lessons go, you will need to take six hours of professional driving lessons, which will need to be done in increments of 2-hour lessons. Coastline Academy offers driving lessons throughout the state of California, so book here. In order to begin driving with an instructor, you have to be 15 1/2 years old.

Once you have completed your first driving lesson with an instructor, they will sign off on your permit and you are now allowed to drive with a parent, guardian, or an adult who is at least 25 years old and has a valid driver's license.

In addition to the six hours of driving lessons with a professional driving instructor, you will need to complete at least 50 hours of supervised driving with a parent, guardian, or adult at least 25 years old with a valid driver's license. Of those 50 hours, 10 of them need to be completed at night.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to our friendly support staff. If you want to start your driver's training journey with Coastline Academy, make sure to sign up for Drivers Ed and book your driving lesson today.