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California 8-Hour TVS Operator Licensing Course — the program for a first or expired license.
The DMV requires an approved 8-hour program for an original or reinstated traffic violator school (TVS) operator license. Finish it here and download your certificate the moment you pass. Then do the DMV's part: Live Scan, form OL 710 and the 35-question written exam. The whole path is on this page, in order.
- The program the DMV requires for a first or expired license.
- Certificate the moment you pass, valid one year from completion.
- Every DMV step after the course, in order, with the fees.
- On the DMV's approved list (rev. 08/24)
- DMV name: “8 Hour Training for Unlicensed Operators”
- Age 21 and a California driver license required
Right course?
Is this the right course for you?
The DMV checks every one of these when you file. We would rather check now than refund you later.
Which program does the DMV want from you?
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- If this is my first operator license, or my license expired before I renewed
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This course — the 8-hour program.
- 8 hours
- $139.95
- then Live Scan and the DMV exam
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- If my license is current and I am renewing before it expires
- The 4-hour renewal course. It takes the place of the DMV exam. This page would cost you $50 and an exam you do not need. Go to the 4-hour course →
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- If I am adding a license for another school I already operate
- Maybe no course at all. The DMV waives the program and the exam for the extra license if you completed them within 12 months. The schools need a common owner and the same business address.
- I own the school and will be its operator → the same program. The DMV charges the owner's fees, not the operator's.
- My license was revoked, or my application refused → you may reapply after one year, as a new applicant.
- Suspended? Ask DMV Occupational Licensing before you buy: (877) 563-5213.
The whole job, before you pay
Six things to upload, then the DMV's own exam
The course is one of six things the DMV asks for on an original application. Then you sit the DMV's written exam. Here is all of it, so nothing surprises you after you buy.
- Your 8-hour certificate Ours, the moment you pass. Valid one year from completion. The DMV asks for the original. from us
- The application, OL 710 It carries your school's TVS license number and the owner's certification that you know the job. the DMV's form
- Personal history, OL 29B The DMV's background questionnaire, with its ten-year conviction questions. originals only
- Live Scan receipt, DMV 8016 Fingerprints, taken at a Live Scan site. You pay the site. Keep your copy of the form. the one people forget
- Proof of age You must be 21 or older, and hold a current California driver license. 21 or older
- The DMV's fees $100 application, $1 Family Support, $16 exam, as of October 2026. Nonrefundable. paid to the DMV
After the course: the DMV's own exam
The written exam the DMV gives you
The 8-hour certificate does not replace the DMV's written exam. Only the 4-hour renewal certificate does that, and only on a renewal. Here is the exam, so nothing surprises you.
It covers traffic laws, safe driving, operating a vehicle, teaching methods, TVS laws and rules, and office procedures and record keeping. You may review your corrected exam, supervised, without copying it. Three fails means a new application, new fees and a new exam. 13 CCR § 345.04(h)(6); VC § 11202.5(a)(2). Verified October 2026.
How it works
Getting licensed, step by step
Nine steps. Two are ours, seven are the DMV's. Print the list and tick it off.
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01
Check that you qualify. You
21 or older. A current California driver license. Your school's owner will certify that you have the knowledge to do the job; that line is on form OL 710.
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02
Take the 8-hour course. You
Online, at your own pace. You enter your California driver license number twice. The course cannot be shorter than 8 hours. That is the DMV's rule.
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03
Pass the open-book final. You
50 questions. Look back at the material as you go. 70% passes. If you do not pass, take it again as often as you need, at no extra cost. That is our policy, not a DMV rule.
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04
Download your certificate. Highway
Ready the moment you pass; valid one year from completion. The DMV asks for the original.
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05
Live Scan fingerprints. You
Take form DMV 8016 and a photo ID to a Live Scan site. You pay the site's fee there. Keep your copy of the form. Skip this if you held a DMV occupational license in the last three years.
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06
Fill in OL 710 and OL 29B. You
The application and the personal history questionnaire. OL 710 asks for your school's TVS license number and the owner's certification.
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07
Pass the DMV's written exam. DMV
35 questions; 30 correct answers pass. Three attempts, at least a week apart. Three fails means a new application, new fees and a new exam. The DMV gives it at a field investigation office; call Occupational Licensing to confirm the nearest one.
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08
Apply online at MyDMV, upload everything, and pay the DMV. You
Upload the certificate, the Live Scan receipt and proof of age. The fees are $100, plus $1, plus $16 for the exam, paid to the DMV. We file nothing for you, so nothing waits on us.
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09
Wait for the DMV's investigation. DMV
When your application is complete, the DMV issues a temporary permit for up to 120 days while it checks your background. The permanent license stays at the school; the ID card is yours. Everything above must be met within one year of your application.
13 CCR §§ 345.04(h)–(k), 345.72; VC § 11202.5; OL 750; the DMV's operator-license page. Verified October 2026. OL 750 lists the DMV exam before the certificate is submitted; the DMV sets the order of its own steps. Forms: OL 710, OL 29B, DMV 8016.
The date that matters
One year to finish everything. Then the license runs with the owner's.
Every requirement must be met within one year of the date you apply, or the application lapses. Once issued, your first license expires with your school owner's license, so it can be shorter than a year. Every renewal after that is the 4-hour course.
- Day you apply The one-year clock starts The day you apply. The DMV says the application and fees are valid one year from submission.
- Application complete Temporary permit, up to 120 days When the application is complete, the DMV issues a temporary permit while it investigates.
- One year Anything unmet lapses the application One year from the day you applied. A new application means new fees.
- Course · Live Scan · forms · DMV exam · upload — all inside the year
What's in the course
Ten units. Eight hours. The DMV's ten topics.
This is the full program the DMV requires before a first license. The DMV sets what it must cover. Ours is written in plain language. Finish it in a day, or spread it over a week; your place is saved.
10 units
bite-size lessons
8 hours
the DMV's length
Open-book final
50 questions, 70% passes
Free retakes
unlimited, no extra cost
Any device
phone, tablet, laptop
Read it again
for 30 days after you finish
- Unit 1 TVS Licenses & Approvals
- Unit 2 TVS Administration
- Unit 3 Methods & Techniques of Teaching
- Unit 4 The Traffic Safety Problem
- Unit 5 Traffic Laws & Procedures
- Unit 6 Defensive Driving Strategies
- Unit 7 Factors Influencing Driver Performance
- Unit 8 Physical Forces that Influence Driver Control
- Unit 9 Special Skills for Difficult Driving Environments
- Unit 10 Alcohol & Traffic Safety
- Final exam 50 questions · open book · unlimited retakes
The ten topics the DMV requires
- Traffic school subject matter.
- How to teach well.
- ADA requirements.
- Record keeping, and how long to keep records.
- What an instructor is responsible for.
- What an operator is responsible for.
- TVS laws and rules.
- Office procedures.
- Keeping students taking part.
- DMV actions, penalties and the appeal process.
13 CCR § 345.75(b)(1)(A)–(J), verified October 2026.
Your certificate
What your certificate shows, and why the DMV accepts it
TVS Operator Educational Training Program
- Your name, date of birth and license number exactly as the DMV has them.
- The completion date. The certificate is valid for one year from this date. The DMV asks for the original with your application.
- 8-hour, Internet. The DMV checks this against the application type.
- A unique ID. The DMV can verify it with us. We keep every record for three years.
Questions, in the order operators ask them
8-hour licensing course FAQ
Do I qualify for a TVS operator license?
You must be 21 or older. You must not have done anything that would get a license suspended or revoked. You pass the DMV's exam within three attempts and finish an approved 8-hour program. The school's owner certifies that you have the knowledge for the job. You also need a current California driver license for the course.
How do I become a TVS operator in California?
Nine steps, on this page: check that you qualify, take the 8-hour course, pass its final, download the certificate, get Live Scan fingerprints, fill in OL 710 and OL 29B, pass the DMV's written exam, apply online and pay the DMV's fees, then wait for the DMV's investigation.
What is the DMV's written exam like?
35 questions, and 30 correct answers pass. Three attempts, at least a week apart, for a $16 fee. It covers traffic laws, safe driving, operating a vehicle, teaching methods, TVS laws and rules, and office procedures and record keeping. Three fails means a new application, new fees and a new exam.
Where do I take the DMV exam?
At a DMV field investigation office. The DMV lists 14 Occupational Licensing inspector field offices across the state. Call DMV Occupational Licensing to confirm the nearest office that gives it: (877) 563-5213.
Do I need Live Scan fingerprints?
Yes, on an original application. Not if you hold, or held in the last three years, a DMV occupational license. You pay the Live Scan site; the DMV publishes no amount.
What does the DMV charge?
$100 nonrefundable, plus $1, plus $16 for the exam, plus the Live Scan site's fee. If you are the owner and the operator, the DMV charges the owner's fees instead. These are the DMV's fees as of October 2026.
How long is my first license good for?
It expires with your school owner's license, up to 12 months, and shorter for a mid-year hire. After that, every year, the 4-hour renewal course, filed before the expiration date.
My license expired. Is this the course I need?
Yes. The DMV treats an expired license as a new application. If it lapsed three years ago or less, you skip the fingerprint card. Revoked, or refused? You may reapply after one year. Suspended is different; ask DMV Occupational Licensing.
How long do I have to finish everything?
One year from the date of your application, or it lapses. The DMV says the application and fees are valid one year from submission.
Can I start working as operator before the license arrives?
Once your application is complete and your school is licensed, the DMV issues a temporary permit for up to 120 days while it finishes its investigation. It is cancelled if the DMV refuses the license, and you have hearing rights.
Does the course replace the DMV exam?
No. Only the 4-hour renewal certificate does that, and only on a renewal. One exception: adding a license for a second school under the same owner, if you passed the exam within the last 12 months.
What is the course's final exam like, and what if I do not pass?
50 questions, open book. 70% passes. If you do not pass, take it again as often as you need, at no extra cost. That is our policy, not a DMV rule.
Do you send my certificate to the DMV?
No. You download it the moment you pass and upload it with your own application. We keep a record for three years, as the DMV requires.
I am the school owner. Do I need an operator license and this course?
An owner may act as operator without a separate operator license, as an endorsement on the owner's license. You still meet the operator requirements, and the 8-hour program is one of them. The DMV charges the owner's fees, not the operator's.
How do I check that this course is DMV-approved?
Open the DMV's list of approved TVS operator education programs; the DMV's operator-license page links it. Highway Traffic School is listed for the 8-hour online program. California issues no certification number for these programs; the list is the proof.
Can I take it on my phone, and finish in a day?
Yes to both. Phone, tablet or computer. Eight hours, the length the DMV sets. Your place is saved if you spread it out.
Can I read the course again after I finish?
Yes, for 30 days after you complete it, from your account.
Can I get a printed copy of my certificate?
Your download is free, as many times as you like, and the DMV asks for that certificate. If you want a printed certificate mailed to you, it is $9.95 plus postage, from your account.
What if I change my mind?
Our refund terms are on the refund policy page.
Your first operator license, start to finish.
Eight hours here. Then Live Scan, OL 710 and the DMV's exam. The certificate is yours the moment you pass, and you upload it.
Start the 8-hour course — $139.95 →Questions first? Email support@highwaytrafficschool.com any day — we reply 7 days a week · Text or call 1-888-406-1726, Mon–Sat, 7am–7pm PT