Applicants for the vehicle operator's certificate must present evidence that they have successfully completed the driver training course developed by the Department of Education. Instructors who give the courses to train drivers of farm labor vehicles are also required to be certified, and currently their numbers are low, especially in the Central Valley. There are only 44 such driver instructors who were certified and active in California. To become certified as an instructor, it is necessary to take a training course given by the state. Courses are conducted seven times a year at the California Highway Patrol Academy in West Sacramento.
Participants spend about half of the time in the classroom and half on the road.
Transportation to and from the training facility is the responsibility of the applicant or employer. For additional information on applicable federal and state rules, also see Labor Management Laws in California Agriculture, publication 21404, by Howard Rosenberg et al.