The State of California requires that anyone applying for a license, under the age of 18, must complete a two-part program in order to obtain a Learner’s Permit and/or Driver’s License. The program, in its entirety is explained below.

Driver Education: Driver Education is the state required 25 hours of classroom instruction given by a licensed driving school or a state-approved online course. At Easy Method, the 25 hours of class are normally broken up into four days and are scheduled around the Tracy and West High School’s events calendar. The online course, offered at Easy Method, is state approved and can be done at the student’s home, at their convenience.

Once the student completes the ENTIRE 25-hour classroom course or online course, they will be issued two certificates. (1) A Certificate of Completion of Driver Education and (2) a Certificate of Enrollment in Driver Training. The student will need to present both of these certificates to the DMV when they apply for their Learner’s Permit and also be 15½ years of age or older (effective January 1, 2004).

While at the DMV the student will take a 46 question, written, multiple-choice exam, of which they can miss a maximum of 8 questions. During the Driver Education course, the student will be prepared to pass this exam. When the student passes the Permit Test, they will then be issued a Learner’s Permit. Please be aware that the Learner’s Permit is not valid until they have completed one Behind-The-Wheel lesson from Easy Method Driving School.

Driver Training: Driver Training is the state required minimum six hours of Behind-the-Wheel training, with a state licensed driving instructor, broken up into three, two-hour lessons.

Once the student has received their Learner’s Permit, they will call our office and schedule their three, two-hour lessons.  These are normally scheduled over a one or two week period of time.  Those six hours, taken in rapid succession, build a firm foundation for the parents or guardians to then give the student their required 50 hours of Behind-the-Wheel training.  On the first lesson, our instructor will validate the Learner’s Permit and from that point on, the student can drive with any California Licensed Driver 25 years of age or older. 

Under the Graduated Licensing Law that was enacted in 1998, the student is required to hold their Learner’s Permit for a minimum of 6 months before they can apply for a Driver’s License. During that six month period the Parent/Guardian is required to give the student a minimum of 50 hours of Behind-the-Wheel practice, in addition to the six hours required from a driving school.

Our Behind-the-Wheel lessons are available from 8 am to 8 pm, Monday through Friday and from 8 am to 4 pm on Saturday and Sunday. Students will be met and left off at their home, school or workplace, in the Tracy, Lathrop, Mt. House and Manteca areas.

Once the student completes the six hours of Driver Training we will issue them a Certificate of Completion of Driver Training. This is the certificate they will need to present when they take their Drive Test at the DMV. They may only take the drive test, however, when they are 16 years of age or older, have held the Learner’s Permit for a minimum of six months and have also received the 50 hours required from the Parent/Guardian. Once the student has completed ALL of these requirements they will be eligible to take the Drive Test in order to get a California Driver’s License.