The California DMV is requiring approximately 11,000 drivers to retake the written knowledge exam after identifying unspecified testing irregularities. Drivers who do not complete the retest within 30 days of receiving their notice could have their licenses canceled.
California’s Department of Motor Vehicles has ordered approximately 11,000 licensed drivers to retake the written knowledge test after identifying unspecified “irregularities” in exams taken between July 2025 and April 2026.
Recipients were instructed to complete a new written test within 30 days of receiving their individual notice. The DMV did not establish a single statewide deadline; instead, each driver’s deadline is based on when the letter was received. Drivers who do not retake the test within the 30-day window, or who fail the retest, risk having their driver’s license canceled.
The letters direct drivers to schedule an appointment, bring the notice to the appointment and retake the written knowledge test. Walk-in testing is not permitted.
The DMV has not publicly explained what the irregularities were. It has not said whether they involved suspected cheating, testing procedures, software, administrative errors or another issue. The agency has said only that the action is intended to protect the integrity of the driver’s licensing process.
The DMV also has not disclosed how the approximately 11,000 affected drivers were selected, how many are located in any specific county or city, whether the tests were taken online or in person, or whether the issue involved one or multiple testing locations.
Although no regional breakdown has been released, recipients have reported receiving the letters in multiple parts of California, including Sacramento, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Monica, indicating the notices are not limited to a single region of the state.
No demographic information has been released. The DMV has not reported the race, ethnicity, age or preferred language of affected drivers, and it has not said whether the issue involved tests administered in English, Spanish or any other language.
