Lirwin2000

hi,

my boyfriend and i are moving to california in the new year and i have read that when you become a resident (or get a job which we do have) you have to apply for you license within 10days... im just not sure how we can have found and bought a car, practiced and fit a test all into that time..?? along with everything else!!!! Is this really true? can it be done in a rental?

im also not sure that i'll have my social security number by then, which it states you need to apply for the test?? Eek!!! anyone able to help?? any suggestions would be really helpful!!

Cape Blue

Its almost impossible.

rent a car on your UK licence

do your online DMV practise whilst waiting for your SS #

take your theory & in-car test (don't forget the hand signals - they will ask you)

get your licence

buy a car and pay for expensive insurance with a shed-load of coverage options that no Brit has the experience to decide upon

That seem to be about the norm

Lirwin2000

thanks for the quick reply.

is it possible to take the in-car test with a rental on a UK license?

Elvira

(1) yes

(2) no - you need to get a learner's permit/temporary license first.

Lord Lionheart

The drivers test is a piece of piss too. I drove around the block, was out about 10 minutes and the tester told me I'd passed........... no 3 point turn, hill starts, reversing around corners, and in an automatic. You will have to study the book ( US equivalent of highway code). Granted it was over 20 years ago but I don't think it's any harder.

meauxna

I'd be more concerned that I had the correct immigration status to get past the DMV in California. What will you have?
PS: getting your SS# will depend on this as well.

md95065

Things may well have changed, but when I got my California license 20 years ago there was no need to get either a learner's permit or a temporary license first.

There is no real need to study in advance for the written test - it is a very simple multiple choice thing - just pick up a copy of the CA Driver's Handbook when you go to the DMV to take the written test and read it while you are standing in line waiting. Do try to memorize the stuff about stopping distances, reaction times and blood alcohol levels - those always come up in the test.

As for the actual road test itself just remember to drive on the right side of the road, merge into cycle lanes before a right turn and come to a complete stop at stop signs and you will be fine.

Also while, as a practical matter, you will want to get a California driver's license as soon as possible regardless of the rules, just because it will make your life so much easier, you really don't have to worry about getting it in the first 10 days - you can drive around in a rental car on your UK license for months and nobody will care. It will almost certainly be easiest if you wait until you get your Social Security number before trying to get the license.

Giantaxe

Noone will care unless you get stopped by the police or are involved in a accident. Personally, I don't think that's a risk worth taking, especially considering it is illegal for a resident to drive on a non-CA license for more than a month, meaning your rental car insurance might be void after than month.

md95065

I think that you are being a little paranoid here.

If you have a UK driver's license and are driving a rental car the issue of "residence" won't even come up.

Steerpike

I wouldn't be too casual about the written test ... some of those answers (stopping distances/etc) are not that easy to remember (at least not for me; my short term memory is not what it was!). I had to re-take my test a few years ago (20th anniversary? Not sure) and took your approach. Well, first of all, I made an appointment this time, and the much-maligned DMV actually delivered on it's promise of no waiting if you make an appointment, so I pretty much had to take the test after only a few minutes of skimming the book. Is the stopping distance 75, 65, or 55 feet at 'x' miles per hour? ... f**cked if I know! so I answered every question I was unsure about with the most 'safety conscious' answer, and ... got more than 3 answers wrong !!!!! (hard to admit - it's a laughable test in many ways). The woman said, "technically, you've failed but - since you were very safety conscious, I'll give you another chance ... answer these questions for me ..." and handed me a sheet with a few total give-away questions, which I of course answered correctly, and passed.

Anyway, that was my experience! YMMV ....

Sir Denis Eaton-Hogg

Don’t sweat it, its relatively straightforward. The 10 day rule is 'best endeavours' but not enforced as in reality it’s almost impossible. The simplest way is as previously described. Here is some more detail.

1) Rent a car whilst still in the UK so you have wheels when you arrive at the Airport. Unless living in the heart of a major city a car is ESSENTIAL in CA. You will find you can get good tourist rates and long term rental rates; a month is around $650 to $800 for a mid sized car.

2) 10 days after you enter US go to the local Social Security office and apply for an SSN. Which will be mailed to you and takes up to 7 days. If you go before 10 days they have to wait for authorization from INS which takes up to 4 weeks, plus the 7 days. So wait the 10. they will issue you with a letter stating that you have applied for SSN and it come sin the post.

3) You do not need your SSN to apply for a CA driving license, or to take the test, but a license WILL NOT be granted to you without one. Instead they will issue the 'pass' in the system and take photo etc but will not issue the license. You then have to come back later with the SSN #

4) Once you have your SSN book an appointment https://eg.dmv.ca.gov/foAppt/SelectOfficeNew.jsp at the most convenient DMV office. Many state workers in CA are currently getting short shrift from Gov Arnold and are running something of a ‘Work to rule’ operation, tempers are high and people are grumpy and lines are looooong. Think the worst English post office on pension day when car tax is due and you are part of the way there. It’s often best to apply at a smaller less busy DMV office than one in a major city, the website tells you the wait times for each office and you can shop around. Also best to avoid lunchtimes and Saturdays as they are BUSY

5) Print the application form online, it’s easy. However you should print it when you are in the USA or on US sized paper. It will resize if printed in the UK on A4 and this is NOT ACCEPTABLE. It must be on US sized 8.5 x 11” And fill it out.

6) The appointment is straightforward; you arrive, line up, take a number and wait for your number to be called. You can fill the application form whilst you wait if you like. You will need: Your UK license (new style plastic with photo only), your passport with Visa details. Spouses on trailing visas will need their marriage certificate.

7) They call your number and go over the form; they take copies of your documents and UK licenses, passport etc. You have to pay a $28 fee per license and they only take cash or Debit Cards. UK issued debit cards DO NOT work as they are processed as Credit Cards in the USA. TAKE CASH.

8) If you are over 21 and hold a valid UK license there is NO REQUIREMENT to take a driving test, only a written test. The US has treaties with certain countries that are deemed to have equal driving licence regulations and a valid pass in that country is acceptable. If you have no UK license then you have to book for a test and come back.

9) Once processed you are sent for a photo, and to take the written test. If you come after 4 pm you will not be allowed to take the written test that day and will have to return. Answer checking is not done after 4.30 and the test takes around 30 minutes.

10) Written test is quite easy, I passed mine without any revision at all, but I had driven in the US on many occasions previously and was aware of the rules. I am not boasting by saying this. When I applied for my license I was not expecting an immediate test, but they said go ahead and take the written test now, I only say this to illustrate how ‘straightforward’ the test is. They are multiple choice questions and it takes around 30 minutes to complete by ticking boxes. Many of the questions are common sense and seem frighteningly easy compared to the UK written test. The tests are available in multiple languages. http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/dl600.pdf read this a few times and you will be fine. You need to familiarise yourself with American driving terms as some of the questions can seem confusing at first. You allowed up to 6 fails. You can see samples of the written tests here: http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/interactive/tdrive/exam.htm

11) If you pass you get a temp license to go away with and the real thing comes in the mail a few days later.

You are good to go!

Do not even attempt to try and buy a car until you have both a license and SSN. It can be done, but you will end up paying ridiculous interest rates if you are not buying with cash and the dealership will have no end of trouble filling out your paperwork, trust me I have been there.

My advice is buy a cheap second hand car for cash to get you by for the first 3 or 4 months. During this time you can establish a credit history and then look at a loan on a new car. By UK rates loans and cars are insanely cheap here. O% finance, 0 money down etc etc. But only available to those with good credit, and as a newbie you have no credit at all. I went from being 900 with Equifax in the UK to 0 here in the USA.

Go to a major dealer and ask to see the bargains. CA law prohibits the selling of Lemons and most cars are fine. The main dealers are often desperate to get rid of a cheap used car and there are some amazing deals to be done, the smaller ‘dealers’ here are just like the UK, a lot of sharks and ‘used car salesmen’ the main dealers not so much. You can get a perfectly good fully equipped car for around $10k but equally $5k or lower will buy you a good enough set of wheels if you are not fussy. Currently dealers are desperate to get rid of the bigger engined gas guzzlers and there are even some stunning deals on 1 year old models, but they will hurt you at the pump. Gas is $4 a gallon or higher in CA now and many of those behemoths will get you about 8 mpg with town driving. It will be fun and feel cheap for the first month or so whilst you live out your Dukes of Hazard US driving fantasies but that will not last ;-) Plus you will want to trade it in to the dealer or sell it when the time comes to trade up and that may be hard/costly.

Whatever you do sort the insurance out first, its tricky and read the wiki on insurance there is a ton of advise there.

You then have all the fun of license plates, titles, insurance etc… buts that’s another post in itself

Hope that helps?

Sir Denis

Steerpike

I had to take a driving test even though I had a UK driver's license - but this was 25 years ago and things may have changed.

Agree that a used car at $5-10k is a good idea for starters. Go for a Honda/Toyota/Nissan and research the model. Can't go wrong, though, with a civic/accord, corolla/camry. Boring but ULTRA reliable. Don't get suckered into a used chevy or other crap domestic; you'll save a grand but lose it in reliability issues quickly. And yes, avoid the SUVs which are virtually un-sellable at this point (thank goodness!).

I sailed through my first written test 25 years ago with 100% score, but last time, as I mentioned above, I took it just a bit too casually and got 4 questions wrong, as I can no longer carry all the stopping distances (and other numeric details) in my head. I've been driving here for 25 years and instinctively 'know' how to drive safely, but I could not tell you whether the answer is 55, 65, 75 feet etc (I have difficulty remembering my own age these days!). Best to read those sections a few times unless you are an idiot-savant!

Kali-forniarrr

Its easy. Read the book. Be nice to the examiner. You'll pass. Extra sucking up gets a written remark like Excellant and good job on your piece of paper after driving around a block. I kid not.

The scary thing is how easy it is. Then you drive on the roads and realize the result of this process.

The only thing more scarey than the car test is the bike test. That is truely amazing and really, really scary..

md95065

Not according to the DMV web site which says:

... of course who knows how accurate that is ...

Sir Denis Eaton-Hogg

LOL, gotta love the consistency here. My Wife did her application today, and guess what, she has to take a test and we were advised that all applicants have to take an actual practical test as well as a written test! When I asked why I had not done so I was advised 'You must have been lucky' So I guess it depends if you have an R in your name, the wind is blowing south and the DMV person is feeling happy/generous that day.

So it seems you DO have to take a practical test. (unless you are jammy) They book you for a test send you out of the DMV with a temp licence (effectively the same as a UK provisional) then you have to pass . As previous posters have said the test is fairly easy unless you are a new driver. It involves a basic drive around and sucking up to the examiner helps. Again it helps to pick a small regional DMV office so you avoid city traffic. But in small smaller towns with traditional main streets they are often hot on parallel parking so practice if thats not your strong point. You take the test in your own car. BTW and proof of insurance is required. A rental car is acceptable.