To get a California AB 60 driver’s license, you must prove your identity with documents the DMV accepts, prove you live in California, pay a $46 application fee, and pass both a written knowledge test and a behind-the-wheel driving test. The California AB 60 driver’s license requirements come from Vehicle Code Section 12801.9, which directs the DMV to issue a license to any California resident who meets the standard testing and documentation rules, even if that resident cannot prove authorized presence in the United States. The license carries a “Federal Limits Apply” notation on the front and is valid for driving anywhere in California.
Identity Documents You’ll Need
The DMV gives you two ways to prove who you are: one primary document on its own, or two secondary documents combined.
Primary documents include a valid foreign passport approved by the DMV and paired with an electronically verifiable Social Security number, a 2014 or 2022 Mexican consular card (Matrícula Consular), or a Mexican passport issued in 2008 or later that has a digital photo and digital signature.1California Department of Motor Vehicles. AB 60 Driver License Requirements
If none of those fit your situation, you combine two secondary documents instead. A foreign passport without a verifiable SSN counts as one. Others include a foreign driver’s license, a marriage license or divorce certificate, a birth certificate, a foreign federal electoral photo card issued after 1990, and a U.S. Department of Homeland Security Form I-589 (Application for Asylum). Any document in a language other than English needs a certified translation or translation affidavit.1California Department of Motor Vehicles. AB 60 Driver License Requirements
Documents in a spouse’s, parent’s, or child’s name can still be used if you also bring something that shows the relationship, like a marriage license, birth certificate, adoption record, or domestic partner registration.1California Department of Motor Vehicles. AB 60 Driver License Requirements
The DMV runs an online AB 60 wizard that lets you check your specific combination of documents against the requirements before you book an appointment. Use it. Walking into the office with the wrong paperwork is the most common reason applicants lose a day.
Proving California Residency
Residency is a separate category from identity, and you need proof of both. Acceptable residency documents include:
- Home utility bills and cell phone bills
- Rental or lease agreements signed by both the landlord and the tenant
- IRS or California Franchise Tax Board tax returns
- Medical documents
- School documents
The document has to show your California address and your name.1California Department of Motor Vehicles. AB 60 Driver License Requirements
Applying and Paying the Fee
You can start the application online through the DMV’s website, which lets you enter your information and upload documents before you ever set foot in an office.2California Department of Motor Vehicles. Apply Online for a Driver License or ID Card You then book an appointment at a DMV office to submit the application and sit for the knowledge test. Walk-ins are not accepted for this step.3California Department of Motor Vehicles. AB 60 Driver’s Licenses
If you have a Social Security number, California law requires you to list it. If you don’t, you can still apply. Never enter a fabricated number; the consequences reach well beyond a denied license.
The fee is $46 and is nonrefundable.4California Department of Motor Vehicles. Licensing Fees Your application and that fee stay valid for 12 months, which is the window you have to finish testing.
Vision Screening and the Written Knowledge Test
At your appointment a DMV representative reviews your documents, scans your thumbprint, takes your photo, and screens your vision.2California Department of Motor Vehicles. Apply Online for a Driver License or ID Card
The written test is multiple choice, drawn from the California Driver Handbook, and requires 80% to pass.5California Department of Motor Vehicles. Instruction and Learner’s Permits Both the handbook and the test are available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Armenian, Hindi, Punjabi, Russian, and several other languages.6California Department of Motor Vehicles. Driver’s Handbooks Study the handbook before you go. The questions cover road rules, signs, and safe driving practices, and applicants who treat the test as a formality often fail it.
You get three attempts within your 12-month application window; fail all three and the application expires, meaning a new application and another $46.7California Department of Motor Vehicles. Knowledge Test FAQ
Passing the written test gets you an instruction permit. You can practice driving on public roads with the permit, but a California-licensed driver who is at least 18 years old must be seated beside you, close enough to grab the wheel.8California Department of Motor Vehicles. Getting an Instruction Permit and Driver’s License
The Behind-the-Wheel Driving Test
When you’re ready, schedule a behind-the-wheel appointment. Bring a vehicle that’s currently registered and insured. Before the drive starts, the examiner runs a pre-drive safety check: working turn signals, two working mirrors, functioning brake lights, a horn, adequate tire tread, and a working parking brake, among other items. A vehicle that fails this inspection results in a rescheduled test rather than a failed attempt.9California Department of Motor Vehicles. Pre-Drive Checklist Safety Criteria
The examiner will also ask you to show arm signals for left turns, right turns, and stopping, and to point out controls like windshield wipers, defroster, emergency flashers, and headlights. Missing four or more of these items counts as a failed test.9California Department of Motor Vehicles. Pre-Drive Checklist Safety Criteria
The drive itself evaluates lane changes, intersections, right-of-way judgment, speed control, and parking. Pass, and your physical license is mailed to your California address.
How Long the License Lasts
An AB 60 license is valid for five years.3California Department of Motor Vehicles. AB 60 Driver’s Licenses Renewal uses a process similar to the original application, including updated identity and residency documents. Renew before the expiration date; driving on an expired license is a citable offense, and starting a new application from scratch is more work than renewing on time.
What “Federal Limits Apply” Means
Every AB 60 license shows “Federal Limits Apply” on the front and states on the back that it is not acceptable for official federal purposes.10U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. California Farm Bureau Federation Letter Regarding AB 60 Driver’s Licenses The license does not meet the federal REAL ID Act standards.
Since REAL ID enforcement began on May 7, 2025, this matters in daily life. You cannot use an AB 60 license to board a domestic flight, enter a federal building, or access a nuclear power plant.11Transportation Security Administration. REAL ID TSA requires a REAL ID-compliant license or another approved document at airport checkpoints, and licenses marked “Federal Limits Apply” are not on the accepted list.12Transportation Security Administration. Acceptable Identification at the TSA Checkpoint A valid passport, including a foreign passport, is a TSA-accepted alternative if you need to fly.
For every other purpose the license works like any other California driver’s license. It’s valid for driving on all California roads, and state and local law enforcement must accept it the same way they’d accept a standard license at traffic stops, for citations, and as identification.
Privacy and Anti-Discrimination Protections
Information the DMV collects during an AB 60 application is not a public record, and the department cannot disclose it except in narrow situations. The identity and residency documents you provide carry even stronger protection: they can only be released in response to a subpoena for individual records in a criminal case, a court order, or a law enforcement request involving an urgent health or safety need where there isn’t time to get a court order. In that last case the agency must put the specific circumstances in writing.13California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 12801.9 The DMV cannot hand over AB 60 application information to immigration authorities on request; a federal agency would need a court order or criminal subpoena targeting specific records.
California law also makes it a violation of Government Code Section 11135 for any state or local agency, official, or publicly funded program to discriminate against you because you hold or present an AB 60 license. An agency cannot notify law enforcement about your identity or the fact that you carry an AB 60 license unless the same notification would be made for a holder of a standard license.13California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 12801.9 If a police officer, city clerk, or school administrator treats you differently because of the type of license you hold, that’s a legal violation.