Driving Lessons for Sierra Canyon Students

Before a California teen can apply for a license, two requirements must be met:

• Minimum 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training with a licensed driving school (this is what our lesson packages cover)
• Minimum 50 hours of supervised driving practice with a parent, guardian, or licensed instructor. At least 10 hours must be at night

Practice hours can be tracked using our free California driving log. If your student adds individual or custom lessons with us, those count toward the 50-hour total too.

Beyond the standard package, students can add individual or custom lessons whenever they want. They are useful for:

• Extra practice on specific skills (freeway driving, parking, canyon roads)
• Logging additional hours toward the 50-hour DMV requirement
• Night driving practice with a licensed instructor (counts toward the required 10 nighttime hours)
• Building confidence before the DMV road test

Just ask about individual lesson options at sign-up, or anytime after your package is finished.

Stick with what was covered in the last lesson before moving on to anything new. Familiar Chatsworth streets are perfect for this kind of low-pressure repetition.

• Quiet residential streets with minimal traffic
• Empty public parking lots (school or shopping center off-hours)
• Avoid jumping to busier roads or freeway until the instructor confirms the student is ready

Students who practice between lessons advance significantly faster. Less time reviewing old material means more time building new skills.

Spreading lessons across the full 6 months of the learner's permit is what we usually recommend. It gives families time for supervised practice between sessions, and each lesson can build meaningfully on the previous one. We know SCS families juggle school, sports, and activities, so we plan around your schedule when needed.

Completely understandable, and more common than you might think. Families should never feel pressure to practice beyond their comfort level. Simply wait until the next lesson. The instructor will assess readiness and take it from there.

A targeted lesson 1-2 weeks before your scheduled test. Your instructor runs through DMV expectations, conducts a mock road test, identifies habits that could cost points, and builds confidence before test day.

If you have already booked your DMV slot, let us know which office. We will plan the refresher to cover the roads around that DMV as much as legally possible. The DMV itself prohibits driving the test route during business hours, but our instructors know the streets around the DMVs near Chatsworth and can prepare your student for what they are most likely to see.

The refresher lesson works well on its own, and pairs naturally with the day-of test prep package below.

This is the most hands-off path for families. With the DMV Test Prep package booked, we coordinate a DMV appointment that fits both your schedule and our instructor and vehicle availability. You skip the scheduling headache. One important note: if you go with this package, please do not book your own DMV slot separately, since we may not have coverage for that date.

On the day of the test, we pick the student up roughly an hour ahead of the appointment, warm up with focused practice on roads near the DMV, then drive to the test in our licensed, insured, and test-ready vehicle. The instructor handles check-in, makes sure all paperwork is correct, and gives last-minute tips and encouragement right before the examiner arrives.

You don't need to provide a car, arrange transportation, or navigate DMV logistics. We handle it all.

Most Chatsworth families choose home pick-up, since it is the most convenient option. Your instructor arrives directly at your front door at the scheduled time, greets the student, and when a parent is around, briefly walks through the plan beforehand and shares progress at drop-off.

There is a 15-minute arrival window built into every lesson to account for traffic. Lesson time is always taught in full from the moment the instructor arrives, with no portion shaved off because of a delayed start.

A convenient option on school days or after activities. Students can meet us at or near the front of the school on Rinaldi St near the second set of steps with the blue cones. Our vehicles have a large leaf logo on the side. The instructor will exit to greet your student when safe, or your student can approach and enter directly.

Pick-up and drop-off can sometimes be different locations. For example, picked up at Sierra Canyon School and dropped at home.

Pick-up spot: Chatsworth

Following every lesson, your instructor sends a written assessment by email to both the student and parent. It covers what the student practiced, how it went, and the priorities for between-lesson work. When a parent is at drop-off, the instructor also takes a few minutes to talk through it in person.

Practice what your most recent lesson covered. The progress report will spell out specifics, but the general principle is simple: get comfortable with what you just learned before stepping up to anything more advanced.

• Quiet residential streets, good for Level 1 review
• Empty parking lots, good for parking, turning circles, and low-stakes maneuvering
• Main streets throughout Chatsworth once residential driving is solid

When a student and parent or guardian don't feel ready to practice a skill without an instructor, the best choice is to wait for the next lesson. Don't take on situations that feel unsafe.

We have both male and female instructors on staff, and you can read bios before booking any lesson. Vehicle choice is also flexible: pick between our Toyota Prius and Lexus SUV, both fitted with dual brake controls for instructor safety.

Instructor and vehicle preferences are accommodated based on availability and are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis at time of booking.

Meet all of our instructors

Many students use both of our test prep options together: a refresher lesson in the days before the test to sharpen skills, followed by our full DMV Test Prep package on test day where we handle scheduling, bring a licensed and insured vehicle, check the student in, and provide a confidence boost right before the examiner arrives. They work well in sequence.

Book a DMV prep lesson