There are two San Jose CA DMV offices: the one the DMV calls San Jose, at 111 W. Alma Ave., about 1.5 miles south of City Hall, and Santa Teresa, at 180 Martinvale Lane in South San Jose, about 8 miles apart. Both handle driver’s licenses, ID cards, REAL ID, knowledge and drive tests, titles and registration, and both have a self-service kiosk, but only Santa Teresa gives commercial (CDL) skills tests. They keep the same weekday hours, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. with a 9:00 a.m. start on Wednesdays, and neither opens on weekends.
San Jose CA DMV Offices at a Glance
| Office | Address | CDL skills tests | Kiosk | Mobile license help |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose (Alma Avenue) | 111 W. Alma Ave. | No | Yes | No |
| Santa Teresa | 180 Martinvale Lane | Yes | Yes | No |
| Santa Clara | 3665 Flora Vista Ave., Santa Clara | No | Yes | No |
| Los Gatos | 600 N. Santa Cruz Ave., Los Gatos | No | No | Yes |
For mobile driver’s license help, Los Gatos and Fremont are the closest offices on the DMV’s list of offices that help in person. Older listings may still show a DMV license center at 2222 Senter Road; it closed for good on Sept. 29, 2023, and the DMV sent its customers to Alma Avenue.
Which San Jose DMV Office Is Closest to You?
Straight-line distances from each neighborhood to the nearest DMV office:
- Alma Avenue: downtown (about 1.5 miles from City Hall), Willow Glen (about 1.5), Japantown (about 2.5), Alum Rock (about 4.5) and Berryessa (about 5).
- Santa Teresa: the Santa Teresa neighborhood (about 1 mile), Coyote (about 2.5), Edenvale (about 3), Blossom Valley (about 3.5) and Almaden Valley (about 5).
- About the same to both: Silver Creek (Santa Teresa about 4 miles, Alma Avenue 5) and Evergreen (Alma Avenue about 5.5, Santa Teresa 6).
- An office outside the city: North San Jose near First Street and Tasman Drive (about 5 miles) and Alviso (about 5.5) are closest to Santa Clara, Westgate is about 4 miles from both Santa Clara and Los Gatos, and Cambrian Park is about 3 miles from Los Gatos.
Kiosks and Weekend Options
Registration renewals and driver and vehicle records aren’t handled at DMV counters. Besides the kiosks inside both offices, these grocery store kiosks and DMV business partners in San Jose list weekend hours; partners charge their own fees:
| Where | Address | Weekend hours |
|---|---|---|
| Safeway kiosks | 1300 W. San Carlos St., 179 Branham Lane and 2980 E. Capitol Expressway | Daily, from 5:00 a.m. until 2:00 a.m. (1:00 a.m. on Capitol Expressway) |
| Xtreet | 18 S. Second St., Suite 149 | Daily, 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. |
| Destiny Rose Insurance Services | 2635 Cunningham Ave., Suite F | Saturday 10:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m.; Sunday 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. |
| Montana Registration | 4122 Monterey Road | Saturday 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. |
Before You Go
Appointments are optional except for drive tests, and when you book, pick the office by name, since the DMV calls the Alma Avenue office “San Jose.” The DMV’s wait times page shows the current waits at both offices, so compare them before you choose. Start any license or REAL ID application online and bring the originals; the DMV’s REAL ID checklist lists accepted documents, and our California DMV appointment guide covers booking, drive tests and what to bring. For vehicle paperwork, see our guide to registering a car in California; use tax in San Jose is 10.00% as of October 2026. Both offices take cash, checks, money orders, cards and digital wallets (with a 2.1% fee on cards and wallets) and close on Veterans Day (Nov. 11), Thanksgiving (Nov. 26–27), Christmas (Dec. 25) and New Year’s Day (Jan. 1, 2027). Our California DMV offices list covers the rest of the Bay Area and the state.
Frequently Asked Questions
Two: the San Jose office at 111 W. Alma Ave. and Santa Teresa at 180 Martinvale Lane in South San Jose, about 8 miles apart. They offer the same services except commercial skills tests, which only Santa Teresa gives. The license center on Senter Road closed in 2023.
Neither office opens on weekends, but the Safeway kiosks are open every day, and DMV business partners such as Xtreet on South Second Street and Destiny Rose Insurance Services on Cunningham Avenue list Saturday and Sunday hours.
Conclusion
San Jose’s two DMV offices offer the same services except CDL skills tests, which only Santa Teresa gives. Use Alma Avenue for downtown, Willow Glen, Japantown, Alum Rock and Berryessa and Santa Teresa for South San Jose, compare live waits before you go, book ahead for a drive test, and use a kiosk or a weekend partner for renewals.
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