(a) A driving school operator shall meet all of the following requirements:

(1) Within three attempts, pass an examination that the department requires on traffic laws, safe driving practices, operation of motor vehicles, teaching methods and techniques, driving school statutes and regulations, and office procedures and recordkeeping.

Terms Used In California Vehicle Code 11102.5

  • Department: means the Department of Motor Vehicles except, when used in Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 2100) of Division 2 and in Divisions 11 (commencing with Section 21000), 12 (commencing with Section 24000), 13 (commencing with Section 29000), 14 (commencing with Section 31600), 14. See California Vehicle Code 290
  • driver: is a person who drives or is in actual physical control of a vehicle. See California Vehicle Code 305
  • driving school: is a business which, for compensation, conducts or offers to conduct instruction in the operation of motor vehicles. See California Vehicle Code 310.6
  • instruction: includes classroom driver education, in-vehicle driver training, and correspondence study. See California Vehicle Code 310.6
  • motorcycle: is a motor vehicle having a seat or saddle for the use of the rider, designed to travel on not more than three wheels in contact with the ground. See California Vehicle Code 400
  • owner: is a person having all the incidents of ownership, including the legal title of a vehicle whether or not such person lends, rents, or creates a security interest in the vehicle. See California Vehicle Code 460
  • Person: includes a natural person, firm, copartnership, association, limited liability company, or corporation. See California Vehicle Code 470
  • Street: is a way or place of whatever nature, publicly maintained and open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel. See California Vehicle Code 590
  • traffic: includes pedestrians, ridden animals, vehicles, street cars, and other conveyances, either singly or together, while using any highway for purposes of travel. See California Vehicle Code 620

(2) Pay the department a fee of one hundred dollars ($100), which shall entitle the applicant to three examinations.

(3) Be 21 years of age or older.

(4) Have worked for an established licensed California driving school as a driving instructor for a period of not less than 2,000 hours of actual behind-the-wheel teaching and, on and after July 1, 1973, have satisfactorily completed a course in the teaching of driver education and driver training acceptable to the department, except that the operator, including an owner who is also the operator, of a driving school that exclusively teaches motorcycle driving may, in lieu of the behind-the-wheel teaching requirement, have worked for an established licensed California driving school as a motorcycle driving instructor for not less than 300 hours of actual motorcycle range and street teaching, have taught 300 hours of actual motorcycle range and street instruction under the guidance of the California Motorcyclist Safety Program, or have given comparable training instruction that is acceptable to the department. This paragraph does not apply to any person who is certified by the State Department of Education as fully qualified to teach driver education and driver training and has taught those subjects in the public school system for not less than 1,000 hours.

(b) The qualifying requirements referred to in this section shall be met within one year from the date of application for a license, or a new application, examination, and a fee shall be required.

(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 295, Sec. 8. (AB 2956) Effective January 1, 2023.)