Hi Stew, the specifics will vary by state as each state has specific laws and its own Department of Motor Vehicles. The state DMV will then have local offices and you'll likely need to go to one of those and take a test (either written, driving or both). You might try to search this forum to see if there are any Cali specifics (I can't recall which expats are in Cali).
My state allows 30 days before a perm resident needs to obtain an Ohio license. However, when we went in person to get more info DH was told he had 90 days. He was required to take the written and driving tests. You'll notice that most, if not all, Britons will say that the US tests are much easier than the UK test.
One item that made a big difference to us was that our auto insurance premium dropped significantly once DH had a local license. We were able to obtain insurance with his UK license, but it was a premium price (despite a clean driving history etc).
IIRC CA requires a license within 10 days of becoming resident.
I'd study for the written test ahead of time then just go for it when you arrive, the driving test pretty simple. Don't forget to study the rules applying to new/young drivers as they may come up in the written test.
I think the DMV in CA is only working 4 days a week due to budget cuts.
Don't forget to study the rules applying to new/young drivers as they may come up in the written test..
DEFINITELY agree with Norri on this one. I barely managed to scrape a pass on the written test here in MA because 45% of the questions were about Junior License Operators (under 21s) and I was 36 when I took it.
Norri is also correct that the driving part. Compared to the UK test, it's a breeze (especially in an automatic!) and the same rule applies: take your time with manouvers and you'll have less time to actually driving around for someone to hit you.
wow only 10 days in CA seems fast after having a yr over here (which i think is wrong) good luck with it all !
If you become a California resident, you must get a California driver license within 10 days. Residency is established by voting in a California election, paying resident tuition, filing for a homeowner’s property tax exemption, or any other privilege or benefit not ordinarily extended to nonresidents.
IIRC Portland drivers are consistently near the top of the league of good drivers in the US.
OR does not seem to stipulate a time for getting a license - You must get an Oregon Driver License or Instruction Permit when you become an Oregon resident, even if your out-of-state license or instruction permit has not yet expired. When Oregon DMV issues an Oregon Driver License or Instruction Permit, you must surrender any driver license, instruction permit or ID card from another state.
I'd just bash on and get it done asap. I got my AZ license during a two week visit after activating my visa.
I concur with Norri...I couldn't find anything about a time limit. I traded in a valid US licence, DH had to start from scratch.
I paid $5 to take a written test (easy, just study the free handbook available at the DMV and get 80% or better out of 35 multiple choice questions) and then paid $59 for my licence. (I think prices went up slightly at the new year.) If you want to be an organ donor, there's a tick box on the application.
DH had to take a driving test for $9 in addition to what I did. You can take it multiple times but there's a waiting period between failures - a week for the first one. They are VERY strict on obeying stop signs and red lights so be careful on that - a rolling stop is an instant fail.
There appears to be no set time limit for when you need to get a US license, but I would say within six months at most because you can drive that long as a visitor on a UK license. You will need to do both a written (multiple choice on a computer) test, and a practical test.
I wasn't allowed to take either the written or practical test until I had my SSN, which took 3-4 weeks. As soon as I had that I did the written test, then applied for the practical. I failed the practical first time, applied again for a test date a week later, and passed second time. I got a temporary paper license immediately, and the laminated version arrived in the post a week later.
I failed because I did a rolling stop at right hand turn on a red light. At stop signs and red lights you have to STOP, not just slow to a crawl, even if the way is completely clear and you are the only vehicle in sight. I think this is one reason why US mpg rates are so poor.
Beware the right hand turn. In Oregon you can turn right at a red light, but you have to come to that complete STOP first, even if you've see other drivers ignore this rule. Some drivers refuse to drive through red lights even for right turns, so be patient if you are behind one.
Other than that red light error, the test was very simple, nothing like as hard as a UK test. The "manouvering" bit was driving into a parking space in the DMV car park delineated by road cones and out again. That was it, no 3-point turn, no reversing round a corner, no emergency stop, no parallel parking. You just don't need to do those things very often in Oregon I guess.
My experience of driving in the US is that there are more road signs telling you what, and what not, to do and some odd road layouts, but if they are in your locality you get used to them.
e.g. on a normal road near us you are driving along straight and approaching a T-junction. Your road is the top of the T. Suddenly you are directed into the middle lane of traffic, because the right hand lane becomes a right turn only lane. The junction is also a 3-way stop with no lights. You stop, and wait for anyone who arrived before you to move before proceeding through the junction.
In the UK you would be straight through, no lights or stops, and the road joining would require drivers to stop and wait until the road was clear before proceeding. If you were turning right you'd signal right to let people know, then go when the way was clear, and the traffic would (hopefully) adjust to let you turn.
I know in MI anyway that backing around the corner is illegal. And most road test vary from test to test...some do get parrel parking. But agree abou the full stop on red even if it flashing AND noone one else on the road. I got a ticket for that as did about 50 others that all went to court to fight it and got o ff just paying the $80.00 fine but no points....
Driving in the US
