How to Get Your GED in California: Cost, Age Rules and the 6 Steps

Getting your GED in California comes down to four tests. You can take them one at a time, at a test center or online from home.

The catch? California is strict about two things. You must live in California, and you can’t get your certificate until you’re 18, even if you test earlier.

If it’s been years since school, that’s normal. You don’t need the whole plan today, only the next step.

California GED at a glance

Want to compare? See GED cost by state and GED requirements by state.

Who can take the GED in California

To take the GED in California, you need to be 18 and live in California. GED.com’s California page says the minimum age is 18 “unless you meet any one of the additional requirements.”

You must live in California. You have to be a California resident, or a member of the armed services assigned to duty in California.

Your ID must show your name, date of birth, signature, photo and address. The California Department of Education (CDE) checks residency when you register and again before you enter the testing room.

If your ID doesn’t prove you live in California, bring a document that does, like a lease, a utility bill, a tax return or a vehicle registration. CDE also has a signed Declaration of California Residency form, in English and Spanish. Without proof, you can’t test, and you lose the fee.

Under 18? GED.com lists three ways to test before you turn 18:

• You’re within 60 days of your 18th birthday
• You’re within 60 days of when your class would have graduated, and you’re not enrolled in school
• You’re 17, you’ve been out of school for 60 days in a row, and the military, a college or an employer has sent a letter asking for you to test (the test center administrator approves it)

CDE’s eligibility page lists other cases for 17-year-olds, such as being in a dropout recovery program or confined to a state or county hospital or institution. If you’re under 18, ask a test center which rule fits you before you book.

Either way, California issues your certificate only once you’re 18. No class or practice test is required before you test in person.

How much the GED costs in California

California charges $41 a subject, at a test center or online. That’s $164 for all four (checked October 2026).

You pay for each subject when you book it, so you can spread the cost out and pay only for the test you’re ready for.

Retakes cost less at a test center. If you don’t pass a subject there, your retake costs $15, used within a year. GED Testing Service waives its $26 fee, so you pay only the test center’s $15. After that the next try is full price, and then the discount comes back.

There’s no wait for your first two retakes. After a third try, you wait 60 days between attempts.

Online retakes cost the full $41. You get one, then a 60-day wait.

GED.com’s California page doesn’t list a state program that pays test fees (checked October 2026). The free help California offers is in its adult education programs, below.

To add up your own total, with or without GED Ready, use our GED cost calculator.

Can you take the GED online in California?

Yes. California offers the GED online at the same $41 a subject. You take it at home while a proctor (a live monitor) watches through your webcam.

You need a green GED Ready score from the last 60 days in each subject you book, a private room with a door you can close, and a computer with a webcam and reliable internet.

Online testing is for adults 18 and older, according to GED.com’s online testing table and CDE. GED.com’s California page mentions a waiver for younger testers, so if you’re under 18, ask CDE before you count on it.

One more rule: military IDs aren’t accepted for the online test.

Which should you pick? The price is the same. A test center gives you $15 retakes and doesn’t require GED Ready first.

How to get your GED in California, step by step

Free GED classes in California

Before you pay for a prep course, CDE suggests the free programs listed in the California Adult Education Provider Directory.

The directory is run by OTAN, with funding from CDE’s Adult Education Office. Search it for an adult school or another provider near you.

A class isn’t required. You can study on your own and book each test when you’re ready.

Your California certificate and transcript

Pass all four subjects and you earn the California High School Equivalency Certificate.

Since January 1, 2020, only the test companies issue the certificate and official transcript, CDE says. For the GED, that’s GED Testing Service.

After you pass, links to your electronic certificate and transcript are emailed to you. To order more, use your GED.com account (GED Credentialing, through Parchment) or call 888-906-4031. Some records from before 1990 come from the original test center.

California also accepts the HiSET test, but you can’t mix the two. All your subjects must come from one test.

And remember the age rule: even if you pass at 17, your certificate comes once you turn 18.