San Francisco DMV
The Main DMV Hub for All of San Francisco
San Francisco DMV on Fell Street is the main California DMV hub for San Francisco drivers, handling driver's licenses, REAL ID, written tests, behind-the-wheel driving tests, and vehicle registration for the entire city. The San Francisco DMV Fell Street office is located near the Panhandle in the Lower Haight/NOPA area, just off Oak and Fell, with easy access from major corridors like US-101 (Octavia), Masonic Avenue, and Park Presidio. With a city population around 830,000 and dense neighborhoods feeding into one primary field office, this location functions like a Mega-center-style DMV hub for all of San Francisco.
San Francisco DMV Field Office
1377 Fell St
San Francisco, CA 94117
County: San Francisco County
🕐 Office Hours
⚠️ Wednesday opens at 9 AM
- Driver License Applications & Renewals
- REAL ID
- ID Cards
- Written Knowledge Tests
- Behind-the-Wheel Road Tests
- Vehicle Registration
- DMV Now Self-Service Kiosk
| City | Distance | Drive Time | Population | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Haight/NOPA | 0 miles | 0 min | 830,000+ (city) | View Guide |
| Mission District | 2 miles | 10 min | - | View Guide |
| SOMA | 2 miles | 12 min | - | View Guide |
| Richmond District | 3 miles | 12 min | - | View Guide |
| Sunset District | 4 miles | 15 min | - | View Guide |
| Marina/Pac Heights | 3 miles | 12 min | - | View Guide |
The San Francisco DMV Fell Street driving test uses California's standard Driving Performance Evaluation but runs on real San Francisco streets with hills, bike lanes, and dense traffic around the Panhandle and Lower Haight. Examiners focus on safe, defensive city driving, including lane control, speed management, and awareness of bikes and pedestrians.
Common Test Areas:
- Fell Street and Oak Street (one-way pair)
- Streets near the Panhandle
- Lower Haight neighborhood
- Masonic Avenue area
- Residential streets near the DMV
Route Characteristics:
- One-way streets (Fell/Oak)
- Multi-lane turns with bike lanes
- Lane changes in tight spaces with bicycles and buses
- Hilly San Francisco streets
- Neighborhood segments with heavy pedestrian traffic
- Stop signs and crosswalks near the Panhandle
- Parallel parking on steep grades
Difficulty Level: Challenging
San Francisco streets include hills, cyclists, one-way pairs, and dense parking. Must be confident with urban driving and hill techniques.
Based on review analysis and local data, these are the spots where students fail most often:
Fell/Oak One-Way Streets
Fell and Oak are fast-moving one-way streets with multiple lanes. Lane changes require quick but safe decisions.
💡 Tip: Know which direction each street flows (Fell = westbound, Oak = eastbound). Plan your lane changes early. Signal → Mirror → Head check → Move.
Cyclist Awareness
San Francisco has heavy bicycle traffic and protected bike lanes. Failing to yield to cyclists is a common failure.
💡 Tip: Before EVERY right turn, check your right mirror AND look over your right shoulder for cyclists. They have the right of way in bike lanes.
Hill Parking & Starts
SF hills require proper wheel curbing and smooth hill starts without rolling back.
💡 Tip: Uphill with curb: turn wheels LEFT. Downhill or uphill no curb: turn wheels RIGHT. Use parking brake on steep hills.
Rolling Stop Signs
Lower-speed streets near the Panhandle have many stop signs. Rolling through is automatic fail.
💡 Tip: Make a COMPLETE stop (count 1-2-3) at every stop sign. Stop BEFORE the limit line or crosswalk.
Fell & Oak Streets
Practice the one-way pair used in many test routes
Panhandle Area
Residential practice with pedestrians, stop signs, and four-way stops
Masonic Avenue
Multi-lane arterial practice with hills
- Complete a DMV-approved online drivers ed course covering SF-specific driving scenarios
- Take behind-the-wheel lessons with a San Francisco driving school near Fell Street DMV
- Practice on Fell/Oak one-way streets, hills, four-way stops, and multi-lane arterials
- Practice freeway merges onto US-101 and I-280 as needed
- Book a DMV warm-up lesson or test-day package where an SF instructor meets you near 1377 Fell Street
- Don't forget to check for cyclists before every right turn
- Don't roll through stop signs - make complete stops
- Don't forget proper hill parking technique (curbing wheels)
- Don't confuse Fell/Oak directions (one-way streets)
- Don't let SF traffic intimidate you - stay calm and focused
- Appointment confirmation
- Valid learner permit (for road test)
- Proof of identity (passport, birth certificate)
- Social Security card or W-2
- Two proofs of California residency
- Vehicle registration (current)
- Proof of insurance
- DL 44 form (can be completed online)
Important Local Tip
San Francisco students who practice real SF driving conditions, learn from a DMV-licensed San Francisco driving school, and arrive at Fell Street DMV with a safe vehicle and organized paperwork are much more likely to pass their California driving test on the first attempt. Schools like Rivadavia Driving School, A & M Driving School, and Safe Driving Academy serve SF teens and adults.