avlm24

mm,
did you manage to get a temporary license eventually or did you have to live with the learner's permit?

Thank you all for the information.

miggy_magic

No, I didn't bother pursuing the temporary license because dealing with the DMV on the phone or in the office is off-putting, on an inter-personal level and very time consuming too. I just risked driving on my own with the learner's permit (hope I'm not incriminating myself here) until I passed the behind the wheels test.

The moral of the story is: double-check everything the DMV give you right there and then.

It might be worthwhile putting together a flowchart to put into the wiki to help UK citizens in their dealings with the DMV when they arrive.

If any mods are interested, I would be happy to help (from a CA perspective at least).

markonline1

^^^^ Did you have a UK license? It shouldn't be time consuming or any sort of hassle to get a temporary license as you are entitled to one. If they knew you had a UK license, you should have automatically received a temporary CA license.

miggy_magic

Don't wish to be curt, but if you read the thread you'll see how this didn't happen as it should have...

markonline1

Just passed my CA behind the wheel test. Yep, it's certainly different from the UK one LOL. Drive round the block, reverse in a straight line for about 5 meters and that's it! I did lose a couple of marks, one of them for not slowing down at a dip. I was in a residential area doing 25mph!!!!!! Anyone that fails though shouldn't really be allowed near a car in their life time though LOL