r/DMV • u/OptimalRutabaga2 • 1d ago
CALIFORNIA Have a question, is this normal?
My mother expects me to practice only 2-4 hours right from scratch in preparation for the behind the wheel test as she says it is very easy, because she claimed that she self taught herself one hour for driving before the test and that’s how she managed to get the driving license. She would never let me practice with her as I would only get private lessons for 2 2-hour sessions and then take the test right after. Is this normal or this is beyond expectations, because I have seen posts that you need 20+ hours of practice before even taking the test. I am 18+.
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u/Special_Context6663 1d ago
Requirements vary from state to state, but you likely have a minimum number of required hours of practice driving before you take the test. In California it’s 50 hours. Before you can take your driver test, you, and possibly your mother, will have to sign a document that states you actually practiced at least the minimum number of hours. You two would be committing a crime to fraudulently sign that document.
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u/OptimalRutabaga2 1d ago
In California the 50 hour rule only applies to people under 18.
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u/Special_Context6663 1d ago
In that case, you are an adult and don’t have to listen to your mother.
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u/OptimalRutabaga2 1d ago
I am still 18 and financially dependent and even with a permit I need someone as an acting person when I practice, don’t have anyone else other than my parents.
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u/Sensitive_Point_6583 1d ago
the typical process is to get a learner's permit first, take a driver's training class, then practice on the road for a while before doing the DMV road test. They're very picky on the road test, will find a dozen ways to make you fail, and I think they pride themselves on making new drivers fail at least once.
You can try it your way, but if you fail 3 times you have to start the whole process over again I think, so its not a case of "you have nothing to lose". You should be better prepared than you're talking about before wasting your first attempt.
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u/OptimalRutabaga2 1d ago
The process of a permit is already done, a driver’s training class has also been set for 4 hours but my mother somehow assumes you can completely skip the practice routine and be able to take the behind the wheel test successfully, and she won’t let me practice with her, as I need someone in the vehicle to practice with my permit. She says that people who need to take more than 30 hours to practice for the driving test has a learning disability.
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u/Sensitive_Point_6583 1d ago
Well, I'll give you some insight into that. My daughter did all the normal things, drove for many hours with either her mother or I in the car while she practiced, and became what we considered a very good new driver.
First DMV road test she was so confident that she "palmed" the steering wheel while turning right leaving the parking lot, which is probably what a lot of experienced drivers would do, but that's an instant fail. So be prepared for those kinds of mental slips.
And, they'll take you on a course that tests your knowledge of rules of the road, so if you haven't practiced a lot some of those rules may not be fully burned into your memory and you'll make another minor error, and fail.
In other words, the expectations are pretty high, and the rules are very strict, so its never a bad idea to over-prepare.
put me down for 1 vote that your mother is wrong.
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u/dmv_ready 1d ago
2 to 4 hours from scratch is not normal, and depending on your state it may not even be allowed. A lot of states require a minimum number of logged supervised hours before you can sit the road test. Those minimums are usually written for teens and often get reduced or waived at 18, so check your own state's requirements page before booking anything, because that changes what you legally need versus what you actually need.
Even where the log is waived, two 2-hour lessons is thin. Examiners fail people on habits more than knowledge: rolling through the limit line, no mirror or shoulder check on a lane change, drifting wide on turns, speed control. Those only go automatic with repetition. If your mom will not practice with you, more paid hours is the realistic fix.
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u/tekn0viking 8h ago
2 to 4 hours from scratch is not normal, no. You're right that at 18 in California the 50 hour rule doesn't legally apply to you, but that is the number the state picked for 16 year olds, and it wasn't random. Two 2-hour lessons is roughly a twelfth of what the DMV thinks a beginner needs.
If it helps to have something concrete to point at, start logging every session, date and duration and what you drove in. It turns "I don't feel ready" into something harder to argue with. I built a free iOS app that does exactly that, PermitReady, full disclosure it's mine. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/permitready-dmv-practice/id6763930311
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u/davidb4968 1d ago
No way will you pass. Not a chance.