Driving Tests

How to Get an AB 60 License in California: Documents and Steps

informational·how to guide·Published October 17, 2026·Updated October 20, 2026

What is an AB 60 driver's license in California, and who can apply?

An AB 60 driver's license is a California driver's license for people who cannot prove legal presence in the United States but meet the other DMV requirements and can prove their identity and California residency. You start the application online, finish it at a DMV office, and pass a knowledge test, offered in more than 40 languages, and a drive test. The license is not a REAL ID.

Where these facts come from

As of 2026 (checked October 19, 2026), this guide uses the California DMV's AB 60 driver's license page, its AB 60 checklist and Vehicle Code section 12801.9. Other facts come from DMV pages, the California Driver's Handbook and Vehicle Code sections 12505, 12509 and 12814.6. This guide gives no legal or immigration advice. Confirm the rules with the California DMV before you apply.

What counts as California residency for a license?

For a driver's license, California is your state of residence when it is your true, fixed and permanent home and principal residence: the place you intend to return to whenever you are away. Vehicle Code 12505 sets this rule.

Which California license fits your situation?

You can prove current legal presence in the U.S. with an accepted identity document (original or certified copy)

You can get a standard or REAL ID driver's license.

You cannot prove legal presence, but you can prove your identity and California residency

Use the AB 60 route in the steps below.

You have a California driver's license, but you no longer have U.S. legal presence

You can convert it to an AB 60 license.

You cannot give the documents that the DMV accepts

A Secondary Review checks your identity and residency.

How to apply for an AB 60 driver's license, step by step

1
Check the AB 60 checklist
The online checklist shows whether you have the identity and residency documents you need. Teens have extra permit steps: read how to get a California permit under 18.
2
Start the application online
Create a MyDMV account and start the driver's license application. If you have a Social Security number, the law requires you to give it on the application.
3
Finish the application at a DMV office
Schedule an appointment to finish the application at a DMV office. For an interpreter, call 1-800-777-0133. Bring the correct proof of identity and residency: without it, a Secondary Review is required. The fee for an original Class C license, the basic license for a car or truck for personal use, is $46 (U.S. dollars) as of 2026.
4
Pass the knowledge test
Study the California Driver's Handbook, then schedule an appointment to take the test at a DMV office.
5
Get an instruction permit if you have no license
Like other first-time adult drivers in California, you need an instruction permit before the drive test if you have no driver's license from California or another state. The DMV accepts AB 60 documents as proof of identity and residency for the permit.
6
Take the behind-the-wheel drive test
If you need a Secondary Review, finish the interview first. Then schedule the drive test, or call 1-800-777-0133. The DMV gives no drive test without an appointment.
7
Receive the license by mail
After you complete each step, the DMV mails your driver's license.

Which documents prove identity and residency for AB 60?

Which documents prove identity and residency for AB 60?
Proof	What to bring	Examples
Identity, first list	One document	A California license or ID card (issued 10/2000 or later), a Mexican passport (2008 or later), a Mexican consular card (2014 or 2022 version), or a DMV-approved foreign passport with a verifiable Social Security number
Identity, second list	Two documents, if none from the first list	National ID or consular cards of listed countries, such as El Salvador or Guatemala, or a DMV-approved foreign passport without a verifiable Social Security number
Residency	Two proofs for a permit or license (exceptions may apply)	A lease or rental agreement signed by the owner or landlord and the tenant, a mortgage bill, a home utility or cell phone bill, or insurance documents
Documents in another language	A certified translation or an affidavit of translation into English	For a marriage license, a divorce certificate, a foreign electoral photo card or a foreign driver's license

Does the DMV share the documents you give for AB 60?

Under Vehicle Code 12801.9, the documents you give to prove identity or residency are not public records, and the DMV may not disclose the information it collects for an AB 60 license, except as required by law. The documents can be released only for a subpoena in a criminal case, a court order, or a written law enforcement request for an urgent health or safety need. Immigration enforcement is not such a need.

What happens in an AB 60 Secondary Review?

1
Get the referral notice
If the DMV could not accept your documents, you receive a Secondary Review Referral Notice (DL 209A).
2
Wait 5 business days, then contact the DMV
Visit dmv.ca.gov/SRA or call (855) 421-1001. The driver's license application cannot continue until you call the DMV.
3
Watch your mail
After you call, a letter comes by mail within 30 days with the date, time and place of your interview.
4
Go to the interview
Bring as many documents as you can, such as school records, tax returns, a birth certificate or a foreign passport. Staff review them, ask you questions and check the photo taken at the field office. The interview may take up to 1 hour, and you get your documents back.
5
Wait for the result
If the DMV verifies your documents, a letter tells you how to continue. If it cannot verify your identity or residency, you have a right to request a hearing.

Which tests do you take, and in which languages?

The knowledge test has multiple choice questions. For an instruction permit, a passing score is 80%. For an original license, you get three attempts to pass before you must reapply. The DMV's AB 60 page says the test is available in more than 40 languages. The handbook PDF comes in 8 languages: English, Armenian, Chinese, Hindi, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese. In-office tests must start before 4:30 p.m., and the DMV gives no knowledge tests within 30 minutes of closing, so arrive early.

What to bring to the AB 60 drive test

Your instruction permit or driver's license, if you have one.
A California-licensed driver, unless you are already licensed to drive: 18 or older for an adult applicant, and 25 or older for an applicant under 18, unless the driver is your parent, spouse, guardian or a driving instructor.
An accompanying driver to and from the test if your license is from another country.
A safe vehicle, with valid proof of insurance and registration.

AB 60 license and REAL ID: what the license cannot do

It is not a REAL ID, the license or ID card that is also a federally accepted form of identification. AB 60 applicants cannot apply for one.
Since May 7, 2025, you need a federally compliant card, such as a passport, a military ID or a REAL ID, to board a domestic flight or enter some federal facilities.
Under California law, the license cannot be used as evidence of citizenship or immigration status for any purpose.

Key takeaways

Bring one identity document from the first list of the AB 60 checklist, or two from the second list, plus proof of California residency.
Start online, finish at a DMV office, then pass the knowledge test and the drive test.
An AB 60 license is not a REAL ID and cannot be used as evidence of citizenship or immigration status.
Next step: practice for the knowledge test on the free California Class C permit practice test, which is in English.

AB 60 driver's license: common questions

Can I get an AB 60 license if I am under 18?

Yes. If you are 15 to 17 ½, you must complete a driver education course. For an instruction permit under 18, you must be at least 15 ½, and a parent or guardian must sign the application.

Can a business or an employer discriminate against me for an AB 60 license?

No. California law makes it a violation to discriminate against a person because the person holds or shows an AB 60 license, both at a business and at work. An employer may not require you to show a driver's license unless the law or a lawful job requirement calls for one. Employers still follow the federal rules on proof of work authorization.

Can I bring an interpreter to the AB 60 drive test?

No. An interpreter may help during the pre-drive vehicle inspection, to identify and use certain controls, but may not ride with you on the drive test. DMV interpreters are free: tell the staff, and the DMV books an appointment when an interpreter is available.

Do I need insurance to drive with an AB 60 license?

Yes. Under California law, you must have insurance for your vehicle to drive it, and proof of insurance must always be in the vehicle. The minimum limits are $30,000 for injury or death to one person, $60,000 for more than one person and $15,000 for property damage.

How often do I renew an AB 60 license?

The DMV's tips for new AB 60 drivers say to renew the driver's license every 5 years. If you have a vehicle, they also say to renew its registration every year and to stay up to date on smog certifications.