samills610

After arriving in the USA yesterday, I was wondering about how to obtain a USA driving license. I don't have any urgent requirement to drive here and certainly won't have a car for a couple of years, but it would be good to get a license so I can potentially use hire cars or zipcars on the few weekends when one would come in handy, or alternatively drive the in-laws car on the odd occasion.

I am, or in a couple of weeks time, will be living in NYC, but the in-laws are in Connecticut and will spend a lot of time here as well. We plan to live in NYC for probably only 2-3 years at the most before purchasing something in CT later on.

• Can I use my UK license to drive here and do I need to do anything in advance if so? Would this differ from driving my own car / in-law's car / hire car? And presumably this only lasts a year or so?
  
• I don't believe I can just transfer a UK license to either an NY or CT one, and will therefore be required to take a test again? Is this correct?
  
• Is there any difference from an NYC license to a CT license? Is there any benefit to taking a test in either state? The in-laws are adamant I should take it in CT without really giving a reason why - but considering it will be a lot easier for me to take a test in NYC without having to take time off work to travel to CT this would make more sense to me to do so, but keen to understand any reasons against doing this? (other than the fee to register an NY license in CT when we finally move to CT permanently)
  
• Is there any requirement to do so many physical driving lessons before booking a test, or could I just drive with the in-laws for a while and then take a physical test? Likewise is there a requirement for any classroom based lessons before taking the theory/paper test?

Wondering if there is anything else I may be missing or failing to take in to account please? Any horror stories or personal experience? I couldn't find much on the process for new immigrants to obtain a license other than an awful amount of information regarding CT's policy to offer a license to any illegal immigrant.

Thank you in advance

Nutmegger

Once you become resident in New York, you need to obtain a state license. Driving on a UK license is OK as a visitor, but not once you actually live there. You can't get a CT license if you don't live in the state. Here is the link to the NY DMV site so you can read all about the procedure.

New York DMV

When you do take up residence in CT, you will be able to do a simple "trade in" of your NY license at the CT DMV.

Pulaski

As Nutmegger advised, US drivers licenses are issued by the state, so if you apply for one you must obtain it from where you live; so for example you apply for one in CT but actually live in NY, then you might find that CT will be wanting to levy state income tax on your income! That said, a drivers license is used in the US as a de facto ID card, so it is definitely worth getting one ASAP, and if for any reason you don't want to take the test yet, then I would strongly advice that you obtain a state ID card, which is literally a drivers license without any attached driving privileges.

Once you have a state license, issued in any state, it can be freely swapped for a license in another state for a nominal fee when you move to another state.

TheKingOfHearts

And a retest (written AND/OR physical), in some states.

Octang Frye

Hire cars are called rental cars over here. If you say hire car, no one will have a clue what you're talking about.

Pulaski

What do you mean by "retest"? I have never heard of anyone being asked to take another road test when moving between states! And I have never heard of anyone needing a physical to get a license, I didn't need one even for my first license (in NY), nor do I know anyone who has, though there is a very basic sight test, for obvious reasons. That might be different if you are disabled, have chronic illness, or are just a decrepit old f@rt. I think one is also required for a commercial/ HGV license.

I think it is customary to ask a very few very basic questions about road signs when you move to another state, but I wouldn't call that a "retest".

robin1234

Pulaski

I mostly stand by my previous comments, as I have obtained licenses in two of the mid-colour states on the page you linked, and I think all I had in each case was a rudimentary sight test and being asked 4-6 questions about road signs.

Of the "palest" states, I checked Alaska, and Illinois - both require surrendering a valid license from another state, Ohio says the road test will "usually" be waived". Indiana apparently does require a road test. For Idaho I can't find any reference to a road test for people who move there and already have a US state license. All states appear to require a sight/vision test, and some sort of basic knowledge of road signs and driving rules, but only of the sort that you could train a moderately intelligent chimp to pass!

robin1234

Rete

I have known several people who emigrated to the US, NY in particular, and yes, there is a test you will need to take to 'exchange' your license to a NY license. It is the written test, now done on computer. Perhaps this is what Pulaski took 20 years ago. Today it is not just road signs but about safety issues and driving while impaired. If you hold a current license from any countries outside of the US you only take that test and the vision test and there is no need for the actual road/driving test. If you are exchanging out of state issued driver's licenses, other than the vision test, there is no further testing but in a handful of states as indicated above in another post.

Pulaski

I know, which is why I asked him (first line of my reply to him).

Pulaski

Nope, that's exactly what I experienced, because in NY a holder of a British driving licence has to go though the whole licensing process from scratch, including the 5 hours classroom training! This is not necessarily true of people who hold licenses from other countries, as some states will swap licenses from certain other countries, perhaps because they are countries that "drive on the right" like the US.

However this thread got slight side-tracked into discussing the process of swapping a NY license for a CT license, which seems to have confused you.

tht

Pulaski

Yup, about the same for me, in December 2001, except I lived in Valhalla (Westchester County) and didn't want to wait until March 2002 which the local official who attended my 5 hour training snottily assured me was the earliest possible test date. Mrs P checked multiple test centres progressively further and further away from NYC until she found me a date on Friday of the next week in Herkimer. And so we made a long weekend of it, drove out to Herkimer, and that is where I did my road test. It lasted about 12 minutes IIRC, and ironically included a parallel park maneuver, which I hadn't had to do in the UK. But otherwise yes, the test was an utter joke.

Hotscot

Actually a very good point, especially for people moving between States.
California, for example, sinks it's bear claws into you and is reluctant to give up any opportunity for tax revenue when you move to another State.

Keep an active library card or newspaper subscription and you're tapped.

You do not want any official presence in another State if you can help it.

Just something to keep in mind. YMMV.