Michael

I'm not sure about a French license but with a valid UK license you get a 90 day full temporary license in California once you pass the written test but you don't get a learner's permit.

If it works the same for a French license as a UK license and they give you a learner's permit instead of a temporary driving license, ask to see the supervisor since the clerks may not know the rules. Also if the French license does not have an English translation, it's probably wise to get an international license in case the DMV gets confused.

timkin

Thank you, this is what I wondering about.

I have read from various sources (here or here for instance) that an Internation Driving Permit is not needed and gives no other benefit, so I haven't bothered.

timkin

The embassy website states that a French license is enough (except for Florida), and other discussions (here or here) say similar things. I have not read of any problems about language anyway

If the DMV have trouble reading it I can translate it for them if they care!

Michael

It's not so much that they can't figure out what is on the French license but as government bureaucrats, when things don't occur as they expect, sometimes they tend to make things much more difficult than would be expected.

You probably won't have a problem with car rental companies or even the police but when it comes to the DMV, they are notorious for screwing things up even when everything is straight forward.

timkin

Well, I guess I can update my situation.

I have been here just over 2 weeks.
Arrived on the Friday, went to the Mountain View SSA office the following Monday. After a long wait, I go ahead with the "interview" and submit my docs, and right after I sign the application, the attendant tells me that, in fact, there is a mismatch in their database and my name could not be verified. Apparently something to do with my middle name being (wrongly) entered as a second given name, somewhere in the visa process? Really?

The upshot is, still no SSN after a week at work, so no driver's license, no long-term car, no credit card...
Finding an appartment took me 3 days, and was laughably easy and laid back in comparison.

All that being said: what an absolutely lovely area otherwise. And all those big cars!!

timkin

I don't know if this is necro-posting, but I thought it might be nice for readers to get an update, 3 months afterwards. Mods remove this if inappropriate.

SSN card arrived about 4 weeks after applying in the office if I remember correctly. That allowed me to get a credit card from my credit union almost immediately. It also enabled me to get a line of credit for a vehicle, and I now drive a car which makes me happy. And the driving test, which happened in January for me, was not the laughable cake walk some people describe it as (I guess metro-area CA might be different than some smaller states and rural areas), but still much easier than the French test.

Life's good, I think I got more sunshine in my 3 months here than my 4 years of undergrad in London

Pulaski

Updates are always welcome. I think the regulars wish everyone came back with an update.

Was there anything specific about the test that made it harder than some of us anticipated?

timkin

I'd heard that the test consisted in driving round an empty street, parking on the side of the road and using basic controls of the car. I'm starting to think this was more true in spirit than fact

They do ask some pretty specific things (hand signals? really??) and they do watch pretty closely if you're checking blind spots, if you stop fully etc. Which is all normal and fair enough!

Bob

That is the case in some areas, especially if they know you're already got a license.

Still, the advice is not to speed, stop at stop signs and lines if they're staggered, over exaggerate the looking over shoulders...all that basic stuff.

Anyway, good to hear an update and that things are going well!