Driving license in AZ
 

Here's a question, if arriving with PR1 status, when are you officially resident? In Arizona, there is no grace period on your international drivers license, you have to get an Arizona one as soon as you are resident. So when I move there, can I hire a car from the airport to drive home or not? If I haven't got home yet how can I be resident? Any thoughts anyone?

Mark

Re: Driving license in AZ
 

I hired a car for 2 months on my UK license until I got a US license and bought a car. I should have got one after 30 days but it wasn't a problem. The insurance was too expensive on a UK license for a new car, so hiring made more sense. I used dollar.co.uk (not .com as I had a UK license) and I paid about $1000 a month including insurance, and I picked up from Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix. Yes it's a lot, but it's worse if you try to insure a new car with a UK license. It's only temporary and the test is easy. Just go to the DMV, pick up a manual and read it. The answers are in the manual. Here's the website: http://www.dot.state.az.us/mvd/mvd.htm

Re: Driving license in AZ
 

mstracy wrote:

    > Here's a question, if arriving with PR1 status, when are you officially
    > resident? In Arizona, there is no grace period on your international
    > drivers license, you have to get an Arizona one as soon as you are
    > resident. So when I move there, can I hire a car from the airport to
    > drive home or not? If I haven't got home yet how can I be resident? Any
    > thoughts anyone?
    >
    > Mark

Whether you can hire a car likely depends on the rental agency but I
don't see why you would be refused if your international license is valid

My wife and I moved to NC in 2002 from the UK and she was a PR. Each
state is slightly different but in NC she proved 'residence' by showing
a copy of our apartment lease. We didn't try to get the license without
the docs mentioned on the DMV website. I used most of the same documents
to get my own license so the fact that she is a PR didn't really matter
in this case

Re: Driving license in AZ
 

Wish you luck with AZ DMV – they have no idea where they’re going!

I give you the following anecdotes from their Tempe office:

On arrival Phoenix, we just rented a car with an international licence and a UK credit card – no problems whatsoever.

On my first visit to the office, they seemed to think I was German and said if I had a German license they could just exchange it for an AZ one without having to take either parts of the test
“No�, I replied, “but it’s an EU one.�
“So�, she asked me, “is the EU part of Germany?�
It was all downhill from there, I’m afraid.

Scraped the written test without reading the book. Then went for practical part. They wanted to see car’s insurance, so I just gave them the rental car contract; they said that they’d just have to ring and check. I could hear the rental car manager scream down the phone: “What, they haven’t got a licence!� Pandora’s box opened for next 10 minutes but all happy again after seeing international licence. Test was a parallel park and round the block; female tester started with: “I know you can drive so let’s get this over with.� She spent the whole time gabbling.

Initial licence issued for only 1 year, despite the fact visa was clearly marked “indefinite�. No idea why. When I renewed it with the GC a year down the road, they made it valid till my sixty-fifth b/d.

Had problems later with them changing address on vehicle title. First time, no problem; second time they demanded my GC before they’d do it. Of course, I never carry it with me. Went back following day to do it and this time they never even asked for it.

Think they make most of it up as they go along. Hence, if you’re not getting anywhere, go back the following day and/or try a different office.

Re: Driving license in AZ
 

mstracy <member13497@british_expats.com> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
    > Here's a question, if arriving with PR1 status, when are you officially
    > resident? In Arizona, there is no grace period on your international
    > drivers license, you have to get an Arizona one as soon as you are
    > resident. So when I move there, can I hire a car from the airport to
    > drive home or not? If I haven't got home yet how can I be resident? Any
    > thoughts anyone?
    >
    > Mark


Since there are US citizen homeless without residencial address, I
say, you GC stamp poves that you are a resident of US and when you
apply for DL in Arizona, you ar making Arizon your hoem state. You
will have to have resided for 1 year in Arizona to get instate tuition
fees rate and may be other benefits.

Renting a car with int'l Driver's License whould cost you a lot of
money for insurance coverage. Do you have any friend form whom you can
rent a car with responsibility to fix it if anything happans?

Re: Driving license in AZ
 

S somebody said, all States are differant, more like seperate countries in some respect.

From what I can gather, being Resident depends on who you talk to. You might be Resident for one purpose but not another

Colorado has an exemption for non resident aliens. If you work here or have lived here for more than 90 days you are resident.

However you also need to provide proof of lawful presence, B, H, J, F do not count unless you have an EAD and are working or in education.

So whilst waiting my EAD and AoS I am working on the basis that I am not yet 'Resident' but who knows, certainly not the DMV.

In practice of course, I show any Police a UK license and their eyes glaze over.

i would like to take the test for amusement sake, but looks like I just have to wait.

As an aside my USC wife was in the UK for 3 years and somehow never got around to taking the UK test, I do not know any of her friends or colleagues who did. There was a general agreement taht none would pass. But whenever she was stopped she just showed the US driving license and what member of the Police is going to be up on querying Residancy status.

Re: Driving license in AZ
 

Now, which office of DMV did you go?

My brother in F1 status just went to DMV in Tempe, showed them the
Visa and passport and student ID card. Take the written and road test.
Got the DL on the same day, something like 1 hour. Try that in
California... forget it.

The only problem is, it expires exactly the date on the visa.

As for a new comer, you have similar requirements. Written test is
easy if you drive before, all the questions are ok. There is a case
they will skip the road test but you have to take the written test
Showed them your passport with INS stamp on it. And one more picture
ID. You have a choice of using your Social Security Number as your DL
number or ask for random number. I personally will ask for random
number. You might need to apply for SSN first since they need that
number in their file.

For more info... you can look at AZ DMV site at:

http://www.dot.state.az.us/MVD/mvd.htm

Oh yeah... one more thing... you can get renewal of your car plate
online and valid for 2 years. And yes your license expires at your
65th birthday. Other states only 3 or 5 years. So, they make it very
convinience.

Oh yes... there is also a German Consulate in Phoenix that can be very
helpful... nice guy... I know him....

Welcome to Arizona!

"It is a dry heat, man :-))"

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 18:09:06 +0000, fatbrit
<member24289@british_expats.com> wrote:

    >Originally posted by mstracy
    >> Here's a question, if
    >arriving with PR1 status, when are you officially resident? In Arizona,
    >there is no grace period on your international drivers license, you have
    >to get an Arizona one as soon as you are resident. So when I move there,
    >can I hire a car from the airport to drive home or not? If I haven't got
    >home yet how can I be resident? Any thoughts anyone?
    >>
    >> Mark
    >Wish you luck with AZ DMV – they have no idea where they’re going!
    >I
    >give you the following anecdotes from their Tempe office:
    >On arrival
    >Phoenix, we just rented a car with an international licence and a UK
    >credit card – no problems whatsoever.
    >On my first visit to the office,
    >they seemed to think I was German and said if I had a German license
    >they could just exchange it for an AZ one without having to take either
    >parts of the test
    >“Noâ€?, I replied, “but it’s an EU one.â€?
    >“Soâ€?, she asked
    >me, “is the EU part of Germany?â€?
    >It was all downhill from there, I’m
    >afraid.
    >Scraped the written test without reading the book. Then went
    >for practical part. They wanted to see car’s insurance, so I just gave
    >them the rental car contract; they said that they’d just have to ring
    >and check. I could hear the rental car manager scream down the phone:
    >“What, they haven’t got a licence!â€? Pandora’s box opened for next 10
    >minutes but all happy again after seeing international licence. Test was
    >a parallel park and round the block; female tester started with: “I know
    >you can drive so let’s get this over with.â€? She spent the whole time
    >gabbling.
    >Initial licence issued for only 1 year, despite the fact visa
    >was clearly marked “indefiniteâ€?. No idea why. When I renewed it with the
    >GC a year down the road, they made it valid till my sixty-fifth b/d.
    >Had problems later with them changing address on vehicle title. First
    >time, no problem; second time they demanded my GC before they’d do it.
    >Of course, I never carry it with me. Went back following day to do it
    >and this time they never even asked for it.
    >Think they make most of it
    >up as they go along. Hence, if you’re not getting anywhere, go back the
    >following day and/or try a different office.