Don’t ever put the horse in front of the cart. If you are just about to graduate from college, why would you limit yourself only to California? You obviously have no direct reason to move there, unless you have an underlying reason for wanting to do so that you didn’t share.

You should apply for jobs in your field in several areas that you are willing to relocate to. If you get one in California, great. If not, you can get one somewhere else in your field and then actively continue pursuing that field in California.

The reason I say that is it seems that your goal is to move to California regardless of the circumstances. With the cost of living being fairly high in Calif, you could very well end up in hard times unless you line up a job that you have a degree in. Plus, you are still young. Choose the appropriate time to move out to Calif when you have the time to choose the right opportunity. Plus, by then, your criminal record will matter even less.

Online classifieds at the sites of papers published where you’re moving. Renting usually results in a credit check and not a background check. You should be able to simply exchange your old license for a new one from wherever you move for a small fee, and, depending on the state, maybe an eye test or written test.