Alistair

It looks like I am getting close to having my EAD card, which should allow me to finally get a NJ driver's licence (sorry, I do of course mean license). Does anyone know whether I will have to take the written/road tests, or will they just look at my UK licence and issue the local one? I am sure that this must have been asked before, so apologies if this is going over old ground...

Thanks in advance
Alistair

sphyrapicus

See http://www.state.nj.us/mvc/cit_licen...ts_abroad.html

Alistair

Thanks for the quick response. I was actually hoping for some personal experience from K1/K3ers - I seem to remember that some clients of mine from England moved to America not so long ago and weren't asked to take a test. They were on the work transfer, though (H1 Visa?), so not sure if that applies to me too.

CaliforniaBride

I don't know if it varies from state to state but in California you have to take both the written and road test.

sphyrapicus

The link I provided says the following:

Foreign drivers may use their native driver licenses as proof of driving experience if their countries are members of the United Nations Convention on Road Traffic, and if the applicants have their licenses translated into English by a consulate or an MVC approved translator or an International Driver License issued by there country.

Last I checked, the UK had signed the convention but not ratified it.

Alistair

Just an update if anyone is interested, I went along to the MVC this morning with my shiny new EAD card and came away with a full license (valid for a year and a week - don't ask me where they get the expiration date from!). I expected to get a learner's permit and have to go back for a road test, but they assured me that (at least here in NJ) if you have a license from England (and I assume other countries?) then you only need to take the written and vision tests.

I thought I had heard that somewhere, but nice to have it confirmed, and even nicer to actually have a license now!

cew602

I am new to this forum...are you allowed to drive with a UK driver's license while you are waiting to receive your EAD?

Alistair

I got all kinds of misinformation on this, with people telling me that I could not drive after being here for 2 weeks (!!), then changing their minds to 90 days, and then eventually I explained the state of the immigration system and they looked it up. It will depend on your state, probably, but eventually I got confirmation that I could use my UK licence for up to a year, or until they said I was eligible to get a local license, whichever was sooner. If you are here on a K1, then you will probably have to wait for your EAD card before you can get a license. Here in NJ, they would only accept a 1 year card, not a 90 day card.

Hope that helps

Noorah101

Again, this varies state to state. In Arizona, a K-1 entry can get a license by showing the 90-day temp. EAD. After that, they do accept the NOA for the EAD as proof, if you haven't gotten the 1-year OR the interim yet.

Rene

Rete

When my sister and family moved to NJ they all had NYS driver's licenses. They had to take the written and driving test. So I would assume that someone who is not the holder of any type of US issued driver's license would have to as well.

Ree

Alistair

That's pretty weird - moving from another state they had to take the road test - I moved from UK and didn't need to... Maybe they just caught the MVC people on a bad day? Last time I went in they told me that I just needed to fill out a state-to-state transfer form, as England is a state...

Hypertweeky

Hey there Alistar

Here in Colorado I needed to re-take the written and road test even though I showed them my Spanish driving licence, but like we have said so many times, it varies wildy from one state to another!
Good Luck!

Aliluv

My husband had to take the written and the road test. He is from Germany and we live in California.

sphyrapicus

That reminds me of the time I was getting my Florida DL and the DMV clerk kept asking me what state British Columbia was in. No matter how many times I told the clerk that it isn't a state she kept insisting on knowing what state it was in so she could input it into her computer. She eventually realized that Canada was a different country and didn't have states. Oh brother...

Hypertweeky

Last month while at a Birthday Party Mark told one of the guests that I was from Spain, he looked at me and said, Oh yeah Spain is a state in Mexico, right?, I chuckled and said.. No, Spain is in Europe