maximus76

dear friends, plz advise,
I am a resident of WI, and I hold WI driver's license, and I applied for AOS based on marriage, and receintly I have received my EAD (!!!), anyway, if I move to LA, CA,
1. can I keep my WI driver's license and apply for CA driver's license?
2. Is that possible to hold 2 DL of 2 different states, is it legal?
3. and will they let me to apply for CA driv.lic. since kind of I don't have a status, since I applied for AOS and still waiting, or do I have a status?
so many questions,
thank you for your replies,
i appreciate your time

jeffreyhy

max,

All states that I know of will take your out-of-state license when you apply for their license. I don't know about California. But if you don't tell them you're licensed in the other state, and apply as an unlicensed person, they can't take what they don't know about. This is usually a lot more effort.

Assuming that you can keep your WI license - why? What does it get you? And when it comes up for renewal, will you still have a WI address to use for it? Things to think about...

Regards, JEff

maximus76

Thank you Jeff,
Info really helps,
the thing with WI DL is that I kind want to stay resident of WI since my wife is still here and we wanna be residents of WI for AOS interview (or you rather suggest to stay together for husband and wife untill AOS interview) I just got job offer from LA, but my wife has school in WI, so we kind gonna be in different states... is that gonna be a problem for AOS interview?
And can I keep my WI DL and get CA state ID and drive in CA? if police stops me, and if I show him/her WI DL and CA ID will that be a problem?
thank you

makkabokka

Hi
In california you have to surrender ur previous license and u can only show californias license and u only have ten days to get the california license if u come to CA with an intention to live for a longer durations. Its illegal to have both the state license in california atleast.

ScousePete

You are going to have some problems, mate. As the other posters have said, you cannot keep your WI license and another state's, at least not legally. When I moved to CO, they puched a hole in my WI DL, but let me keep it for souvenir value.

My major worry is your marriage. You have only been married for three months and you want to turn it into a long-distance relationship. Aren't there any jobs closer to home that you could find.

Another concern is what they will think at your AOS interview. See http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...hreadid=203406 where the poster had problems because they had two addresses, but nowhere as far away as WI and CA

CaliforniaGroom

You will need a social security number to obtain a CA driver's license.

http://california.dmv.org/CA-DMV-Cal...ehicles-driver's-license.php#

Dekka's Angel

You can apply for a California drivers' license if you are resident in California, even if your AOS is not yet complete. California will require surrender of your out of state license, as do most states.

You can only have a California drivers' license if you are a resident of the State, because that is a requirement for eligibility. So while you wish to preserve your Wisconsin residency, it may well be that you are found to be a resident of California and not Wisconsin if you obtain a California drivers' license.

The concept of residency is a tricky one and based on more than where you hang your hat, so it would behoove you to read up on the subject and the tests for residency in both California and Wisconsin before deciding what to do.

jeffreyhy

max,

I understand what you are thinking, but I don't know if what state your driver's license is issued in makes any difference for the AOS interview. How the officer handling the interview will view your living arrangements will likely depend on the overall feeling he gets about you and your wife. Your situation may be rare, but it's not unique.

Regards, JEff

Mrraveltay

jeffreyhy wrote:

    > max,
    >
    >
    >
    > All states that I know of will take your out-of-state license when you
    > apply for their license. I don't know about California. But if you
    > don't tell them you're licensed in the other state, and apply as an
    > unlicensed person, they can't take what they don't know about. This is
    > usually a lot more effort.

But that would also be violating the law if the state requires you to
turn in other state licenses.

maximus76

Thank you guys for all your replies, but I guess I better stay with my better half here in WI for now...
especially after what ScousePete wrote, I am kind of a beat nervious to move to another state right now.
thanks,
max

PS:it's really really freezing here in WI...