The San Jose DMV at 111 W. Alma Ave. is a full-service field office for driver’s licenses, ID cards, REAL ID, knowledge tests, behind-the-wheel and motorcycle tests, titles, registration and VIN verifications, with a self-service kiosk. It’s one of two DMV offices in the city, about 1.5 miles south of City Hall, and the nearest for downtown, Willow Glen, Japantown, Alum Rock and Berryessa; Santa Teresa, about 8 miles southeast, serves South San Jose and gives commercial drive tests. Hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays (9:00 a.m. on Wednesdays).
San Jose DMV Hours, Address and Contact Details
| Detail | San Jose DMV (Alma Avenue) |
|---|---|
| Address | 111 W. Alma Ave., San Jose, CA 95110 (get directions) |
| Hours | Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; Wednesday 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; closed weekends |
| Live wait times | On the DMV page for this office, alongside Santa Clara, Santa Teresa, Fremont and Pleasanton |
| Appointments | Optional for most visits; required for behind-the-wheel and motorcycle tests |
| Walk-ins | Scan the QR code at the entrance or check in at the information desk |
| Self-service kiosk | Yes |
| Phone | No direct line; DMV customer service at 1-800-777-0133, Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (TTY 1-800-368-4327) |
Not the Senter Road address: 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.
Is Alma Avenue the Closest DMV to You?
Straight-line distances from each neighborhood:
- Alma Avenue is closest for 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). Evergreen is about even with Santa Teresa, at about 5.5 and 6.
- Another office is closer for South San Jose, including Edenvale, Blossom Valley and Almaden Valley (Santa Teresa), for North San Jose near First Street and Tasman Drive and for Alviso (Santa Clara, about 5 and 5.5 miles), and for Cambrian Park (Los Gatos, about 3).
Our San Jose DMV offices page compares the city’s two offices neighborhood by neighborhood.
What Alma Avenue Handles and What Goes Elsewhere
- Licenses and tests: driver’s license, ID card and REAL ID applications, knowledge tests until 4:30 p.m., and behind-the-wheel and motorcycle tests by appointment.
- Vehicles: title transfers, new and out-of-state registrations, VIN verifications, plates and placards. A private-party purchase owes use tax at the rate for the address where you register it: as of October 2026, 10.00% in San Jose and Milpitas, 10.50% in Campbell and 9.75% in Santa Clara and unincorporated areas. Our guide to registering a car in California lists the documents and fees.
- Skip the line at a kiosk: registration renewals and driver and vehicle records can be done at the office’s self-serve kiosk, online, or at grocery store kiosks open every day, including Safeway at 1300 W. San Carlos St. (5:00 a.m.–2:00 a.m.) and 2980 E. Capitol Expressway (5:00 a.m.–1:00 a.m.). DMV business partners also handle some registration work for their own fee, including Xtreet, 18 S. Second St., Suite 149, which the DMV lists as open 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. every day.
- Elsewhere: commercial skills tests at Santa Teresa; mobile driver’s license help at Los Gatos, about 8 miles southwest, or Fremont, the closest offices on the DMV’s list of offices that help in person; dealer and other vehicle-industry work at the Mountain View Industry Business Center, about 14 miles west-northwest; and smog checks at licensed smog check stations.
Before You Go
Start any license or REAL ID application online and bring the original documents; the DMV’s REAL ID checklist lists what’s accepted, and our California DMV appointment guide covers booking, drive tests and what to bring. When you book, pick the office by name: the DMV calls this one “San Jose” and lists the other city office as Santa Teresa. The office takes cash, checks, money orders, cards and digital wallets (with a 2.1% fee on cards and wallets) and closes on Veterans Day (Nov. 11), Thanksgiving (Nov. 26–27), Christmas (Dec. 25) and New Year’s Day (Jan. 1, 2027).
Other DMV Offices Near Alma Avenue
- Santa Clara, 3665 Flora Vista Ave., about 7 miles west-northwest: full service, with a kiosk
- Los Gatos, 600 N. Santa Cruz Ave., about 8 miles southwest: full service and mobile license help, but no kiosk
- Santa Teresa, 180 Martinvale Lane, about 8 miles southeast: full service, kiosk and commercial skills tests
- Fremont, 4287 Central Ave., about 18 miles north-northwest: full service, commercial skills tests and mobile license help
Our California DMV offices list covers the rest of Santa Clara County and the state.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The driver’s license processing center at 2222 Senter Road closed for good on Sept. 29, 2023, and the DMV sent its customers to the Alma Avenue office, about 2 miles away. Santa Teresa, in South San Jose, is the city’s other office.
The DMV doesn’t list a direct number for the office. Call DMV customer service at 1-800-777-0133, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; the TTY line is 1-800-368-4327.
Conclusion
Alma Avenue is the full-service DMV for downtown San Jose, Willow Glen, Japantown, Alum Rock and Berryessa, with a kiosk and motorcycle tests. Check its live wait against Santa Teresa’s and Santa Clara’s before you go, book ahead for a drive test, use a kiosk for renewals, and go to Santa Teresa for a commercial skills test and Los Gatos or Fremont for mobile license help.
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