North Ave and Walnut Ave
On Stages 2 and 3.
Heading north on Walnut Ave
Left, straight, straight
Heading north, there's no separate right-turn lane, so turn right from the right-hand lane.
California › Driving test routes › Carmichael DMV
California DMV
Carmichael DMVDriving Test Practice Routes
5209 North Ave, Carmichael, CA 95608
Within two miles of Carmichael DMV there are 50 sets of traffic lights and 13 all-way stops. Walnut Avenue runs close to the office, up to 5 lanes wide in places and signed at 40 mph. There are no roundabouts or railroad crossings nearby.
Start with the practice routes just below, then see how far a test can reach and how you'll leave the office.
Carmichael road test practice routes
Practice loops that start and finish at the DMV, each built from Carmichael's real streets and harder than the last.
These are practice loops we planned. They aren't official DMV test routes. Drive with a licensed supervisor, and follow the signs and conditions on the day, which may differ from the map.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Stage 1: Quiet streets
Quieter local streets around Garfield Ave and California Ave, with few traffic lights. Start here for your first few drives.
- Length
- 4.6 mi
- Approx. time
- 13 min
- Turns
- 12
- 2 sets of lights
- 4 all-way stops
- 2 stop signs
- 1.4 miles of residential streets
Open in Google Maps
Send it to your phoneScan to open this route in Google Maps, or open it here.
Google Maps can pick slightly different streets between our stops, so check it against the map here. It works best in the Google Maps app.
Turn-by-turn directions (13 steps)
- Leave the DMV and head east on North Avenue. 0.4 mi
- At the all-way stop, turn left onto Garfield Avenue. 0.2 mi
- Turn right onto Whitney Avenue. 0.2 mi
- Turn left onto Sue Pam Drive. 0.1 mi
- Turn right onto Grant Avenue. 0.5 mi Straight through 1 set of lights.
- Turn right onto Verla Street. 0.2 mi
- Turn left onto Sizemore Lane. 500 ft
- Turn right onto California Avenue. 1.0 mi
- Turn right onto Kenneth Avenue. 0.4 mi
- At the stop sign, turn right onto Fair Oaks Boulevard. 50 ft
- At the stop sign, turn left onto Kenneth Avenue. 0.4 mi
- At the all-way stop, turn right onto Garfield Avenue. 0.7 mi Straight through 1 set of lights and 1 all-way stop.
- At the all-way stop, turn left onto North Avenue and return to the DMV. 0.4 mi
Stage 2: Stop signs and lights
Along Walnut Ave and Eastern Ave, with 12 sets of lights.
- Length
- 5.4 mi
- Approx. time
- 15 min
- Turns
- 6
- 12 sets of lights, with 3 left turns and 2 right turns at them
- 2 stop signs
- Multi-lane driving on Walnut Ave
Open in Google Maps
Send it to your phoneScan to open this route in Google Maps, or open it here.
Google Maps can pick slightly different streets between our stops, so check it against the map here. It works best in the Google Maps app.
Turn-by-turn directions (9 steps)
- Leave the DMV and head west on North Avenue. 0.1 mi
- At the lights, turn right onto Walnut Avenue. 1.0 mi Straight through 3 sets of lights.
- At the lights, turn left onto Cypress Avenue. 0.5 mi
- At the stop sign, continue onto Pasadena Avenue. 0.3 mi
- Continue onto Edison Avenue. 0.7 mi
- At the stop sign, turn left onto Eastern Avenue. 1.1 mi Straight through 2 sets of lights.
- At the lights, turn left onto Marconi Avenue. 1.0 mi Straight through 1 set of lights.
- At the lights, turn left onto Walnut Avenue. 0.5 mi Straight through 1 set of lights.
- At the lights, turn right onto North Avenue and return to the DMV. 0.1 mi
Stage 3: Test-ready loop
Everything together over about 6 miles, including Walnut Ave and Mission Ave.
- Length
- 6.4 mi
- Approx. time
- 18 min
- Turns
- 13
- 8 sets of lights, with 1 left turn and 2 right turns at them
- 3 all-way stops
- 2 stop signs
- Multi-lane driving on Walnut Ave
- 1.8 miles of residential streets
- Junction D below, among the busiest for crashes
Open in Google Maps
Send it to your phoneScan to open this route in Google Maps, or open it here.
Google Maps can pick slightly different streets between our stops, so check it against the map here. It works best in the Google Maps app.
Turn-by-turn directions (15 steps)
- Leave the DMV and head west on North Avenue. 0.1 mi
- At the lights, turn left onto Walnut Avenue. 0.5 mi Straight through 1 set of lights.
- At the lights, turn right onto Marconi Avenue. 0.8 mi Straight through 1 set of lights.
- Turn left onto Greenwood Avenue. 500 ft
- Turn right onto North Park Drive. 0.1 mi
- Continue onto Sheridan Way. 0.1 mi
- Turn right onto South Park Drive. 0.4 mi
- Turn right onto Mission Avenue. 1.1 mi Straight through 1 set of lights.
- At the stop sign, turn left onto Thor Way. 0.5 mi
- Turn left onto Walnut Avenue. 0.8 mi Straight through 1 set of lights.
- At the lights, turn right onto El Camino Avenue. 0.2 mi
- Turn left onto Gunn Road. 0.3 mi
- At the stop sign, turn right onto Kenneth Avenue. 0.2 mi
- At the all-way stop, turn left onto Garfield Avenue. 0.7 mi Straight through 1 set of lights and 1 all-way stop.
- At the all-way stop, turn left onto North Avenue and return to the DMV. 0.4 mi
Where the Carmichael DMV drive test can go
Every drive test starts and finishes at the office, so the closer a road is, the more likely you are to drive it. The shading shows how long each road takes to reach from the DMV.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Within a 6-minute drive
- 41sets of traffic lights
- 9all-way stops
- 25schools
Main roads in the area: Fair Oaks Blvd, Garfield Ave, Walnut Ave, Marconi Ave, Whitney Ave, Robertson Ave, El Camino Ave and Winding Way.
Drive times are our estimates from speed limits, with time added for lights and stops. They aren't DMV figures.
Leaving and returning to Carmichael DMV
The parking lot and the first junction are the only parts of the route you can be sure of. The office is on North Ave.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
P
In the parking lot
The test sheet scores how you drive through the lot, so watch for people and cars, keep it slow, and take extra care reversing out of your space.
1
West to Walnut Ave
0.1 mi along North Ave to Walnut Avenue, where there are lights.
2
East to Garfield Ave
0.4 mi along North Ave to Garfield Avenue, an all-way stop.
The roads around Carmichael DMV
What you'll be dealing with near the office, counted from map data within 2 miles.
50
Sets of traffic lights
Most are on Fair Oaks Blvd and Walnut Ave.
13
All-way stops
Avalon Dr has 3 of them.
29
Schools
The limit near a school drops to 25 mph when children are around.
3 mi
One-way streets
Check the arrows before every turn, and start from the correct side of the road.
29 mi
Bike lanes
Check the bike lane before turning right, and enter it no more than 200 feet before the turn.
14 mi
Multi-lane roads
Signal, check your mirror and blind spot, then change lanes smoothly.
Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, downloaded 2026-10-07. Counts cover public roads within 2 miles of the office.
Where to practice each part of the California drive test
The DMV's drive test score sheet (form DL 32) marks you on parking lot driving, backing, intersections, turns, lane changes, and business and residential driving. Here's where to practice near Carmichael DMV.
- Every loop
Parking lot driving
The DMV lot itself, at the start and end of every test - Stage 3
Stopping at all-way stops
Garfield Ave, 2 in a row - Stage 2
Lights you drive straight through
Walnut Ave: 3 sets of lights in 1.0 mi - Stage 2
Left turn at lights
From Walnut Ave onto Cypress Ave - Stage 3
Left turn without lights
From Marconi Ave onto Greenwood Ave, giving way to oncoming traffic - Stage 2
Right turn at lights
From North Ave onto Walnut Ave - Stage 2
Lane changes
Walnut Ave, a multi-lane road - Stage 1
Residential streets
Kenneth Ave and the streets around it - Not on a loop
Freeway merging
Only scored on supplemental (referral) tests. For practice, the nearest on-ramp is on Watt Ave
Score sheet sections from California DMV form DL 32. Places from OpenStreetMap.
Which lane do I need near Carmichael DMV?
Lane layouts at the junctions with lights on our practice routes, as you'd see them approaching. Arrows show which way each lane can go.
Cypress Ave and Walnut Ave
On Stage 2.
Heading west on Cypress Ave
Left, straight
Heading west, there's no separate right-turn lane, so turn right from the right-hand lane.
Eastern Ave and Marconi Ave
On Stage 2.
Heading east on Marconi Ave
Left, straight, straight, right
Heading north on Eastern Ave
Left, straight, straight, right
Heading east, the far-right lane is for turning right only.
Marconi Ave and Walnut Ave
On Stages 2 and 3.
Heading west on Marconi Ave
Left, straight, straight, right
Heading west, the far-right lane is for turning right only.
Lane layouts from OpenStreetMap. Road markings can change, so always follow the arrows painted on the road.
What causes crashes on Carmichael's roads
Recorded causes of the 2,559 crashes on local roads within 2 miles of the office from 2021 to 2025, leaving out freeways. Unsafe turn or lane change and too fast for conditions top the list.
Share of the 2,494 crashes where a cause was recorded. Other causes made up the remaining 8%. About 29% of these crashes happened after dark. Source: California Crash Reporting System, California Highway Patrol, via data.ca.gov.
Carmichael junctions worth practicing
The junctions within 2 miles of the office with the most crashes from 2021 to 2025. Each one is marked on the practice routes map.
Fair Oaks Blvd and Manzanita Ave
32 crashes from 2021 to 2025
Many were sideswipes. Check your mirror and blind spot before changing lanes, and pick your lane early. Running a red light was the recorded cause in 10.
Eastern Ave and El Camino Ave
32 crashes from 2021 to 2025
Most were side impacts. On a fresh green, look both ways before you go, and never try to beat the lights. Running a red light was the recorded cause in 12.
Manzanita Ave and Winding Way
32 crashes from 2021 to 2025
Most were side impacts. On a fresh green, look both ways before you go, and never try to beat the lights. Running a red light was the recorded cause in 12.
El Camino Ave and Walnut Ave
29 crashes from 2021 to 2025
Most were side impacts. On a fresh green, look both ways before you go, and never try to beat the lights. Running a red light was the recorded cause in 12.
Manzanita Ave and Cypress Ave
29 crashes from 2021 to 2025
Most were side impacts. On a fresh green, look both ways before you go, and never try to beat the lights. Running a red light was the recorded cause in 11.
Crashes located within about 100 feet of each junction. Source: California Crash Reporting System, California Highway Patrol, via data.ca.gov.
Booked your Carmichael road test?
See routes from real Carmichael tests
Once you're confident on these loops, the Driving Test Routes app has 8 routes recorded from real tests at Carmichael DMV, with turn-by-turn voice directions on your phone.
On a computer?Scan with your phone's camera to get the app.
Your first week is free.
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Carmichael driving test questions
Where does the Carmichael DMV driving test go?
The DMV doesn't publish its test routes. Every test starts and finishes in the office parking lot, and the roads closest to the office are the ones you're most likely to drive, such as Fair Oaks Blvd, Garfield Ave, Walnut Ave. Routes recorded from real Carmichael tests are in the Driving Test Routes app.
Are these the real Carmichael test routes?
No. Our practice routes are loops we planned from Carmichael's street data to cover the skills on the test. They're for practice, not a copy of the DMV's routes.
What do you need to pass the California drive test?
The DMV's score sheet (form DL 32) says you pass with no more than 15 errors on the driving maneuvers and no critical driving errors. Before you set off, you also need no more than 3 errors on the parking brake, arm signals, wipers, defroster, emergency flashers and headlights.
What makes Carmichael's roads tricky for learners?
Within 2 miles of the office, Walnut Avenue is up to 5 lanes wide.
Which junctions near Carmichael DMV have the most crashes?
Fair Oaks Blvd and Manzanita Ave (32), Eastern Ave and El Camino Ave (32), Manzanita Ave and Winding Way (32), counting crashes from 2021 to 2025.
How do I book a drive test at Carmichael DMV?
Book online through the California DMV appointments page, choosing Carmichael as your office. Book on the DMV website.
Carmichael DMV office information
Opening hours
| Monday | 8:00 am to 5:00 pm |
| Tuesday | 8:00 am to 5:00 pm |
| Wednesday | 9:00 am to 5:00 pm |
| Thursday | 8:00 am to 5:00 pm |
| Friday | 8:00 am to 5:00 pm |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours can change on holidays. Check the DMV's Carmichael page before you go.
Nearby offices
- Sacramento DMV8 mi
- Folsom DMV10 mi
- Roseville DMV10.6 mi
Services at Carmichael DMV
- Behind-the-wheel drive tests
- Written knowledge tests
- Motorcycle driving tests
- Driver's license and ID applications
- Replacement documents
- Vehicle registration and renewals
- Title transfers
- License plates
- Disabled parking placards
- Self-service kiosks
- Driver and vehicle records