Hoping to take my Ohio driving test tomorrow
Nov 24th 2008, 2:16 am
#16
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Re: Hoping to take my Ohio driving test tomorrow
Do NOT let them confiscate your UK license. When my OH went for his KY license originally, he did not even tell them that he had UK license or show it to them, since it didn't matter. To be honest, I wouldn't take your UK license with you because it just may confuse them a bit, and they may think they have the right to take it off you. The UK license will get you nothing extra, so why bother bringing it? Your passport can serve as your picture id.
Nov 24th 2008, 2:18 am
#17
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Re: Hoping to take my Ohio driving test tomorrow
we just turned up in the columbus office and they did some paperwork and gave us a slip of paper (some kind of temp licence i think but it was a while ago). we did eye tests on the spot (just look into a machine on the counter) and then straight over to the terminals to take the theory. The test auto stops after you have gotten 70% so you might not have to finish the last few questions if you do the beginning well enough. they were fully booked then for the manoever/practicals so we booked then for another day.
I had to do the manoever first - essentially drive through some cones in the parking lot forward and then turn in the direction the tester tells you and straighten again. Then reverse out. (ie imagine a Y shape - the examiner will tell you to go left or right). The bollards had sticks with flags in them so you could see from an suv. I went forward okay but felt i was a little close to the flags when i was reversing so asked if i could pull forward and take it again. They were fine with this. I reversed perfectly that next time. I think they docked me 1 point for that so i got something like 39/40 score.
The practical test then took approx 7 minutes (straight after manoever unless you fail manoever). Some of that time was spent at trafiic lights too so it wasnt even 7 mins driving. We went out of the car park and round the block going both left and right. I didnt take the right turns on red and they were fine with that. It was really very simple and easy.
the only other thing that slipped us up was the date stickers on the rental being out of date (they wouldnt let us take the test in it with out of date stickers) so worth checking your rental beforehand.
They give you your pass cert which you then take to a licence office to get the actual licence card made and issued. (there was one next door to the test centre - but there are a lot of them scattered around columbus).
hope that helps. This was all done approx this time last year.
I had to do the manoever first - essentially drive through some cones in the parking lot forward and then turn in the direction the tester tells you and straighten again. Then reverse out. (ie imagine a Y shape - the examiner will tell you to go left or right). The bollards had sticks with flags in them so you could see from an suv. I went forward okay but felt i was a little close to the flags when i was reversing so asked if i could pull forward and take it again. They were fine with this. I reversed perfectly that next time. I think they docked me 1 point for that so i got something like 39/40 score.
The practical test then took approx 7 minutes (straight after manoever unless you fail manoever). Some of that time was spent at trafiic lights too so it wasnt even 7 mins driving. We went out of the car park and round the block going both left and right. I didnt take the right turns on red and they were fine with that. It was really very simple and easy.
the only other thing that slipped us up was the date stickers on the rental being out of date (they wouldnt let us take the test in it with out of date stickers) so worth checking your rental beforehand.
They give you your pass cert which you then take to a licence office to get the actual licence card made and issued. (there was one next door to the test centre - but there are a lot of them scattered around columbus).
hope that helps. This was all done approx this time last year.
I will need to check the rental car but it's almost new so I presume all is in order.
Nov 24th 2008, 2:38 am
#18
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Re: Hoping to take my Ohio driving test tomorrow
Maybe that's unique to OH then. My OH did not require that because he had no choice but to hold the permit for 30 days, before taking the road exam (per KY state law). I've heard of people that are told that they have to turn in their UK license, which is why I mentioned it to you. IMO, no DMV here in the US has the right to confiscate your license to drive in another country. Ask MsElui if they had to show their UK license. If they didn't, I wouldn't bother bringing the license.
Nov 24th 2008, 4:13 am
#19
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Re: Hoping to take my Ohio driving test tomorrow
...but if you fail, please, please tell us all ASAP so we can all point at you and laugh!
Nov 24th 2008, 1:52 pm
#20
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Re: Hoping to take my Ohio driving test tomorrow
Well it's raining here today, and I haven't even made it half way through the PDF yet...
...or maybe I'm preparing a cover in case I fail?
...or maybe I'm preparing a cover in case I fail?
Nov 24th 2008, 4:01 pm
#21
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Re: Hoping to take my Ohio driving test tomorrow
All three tests are a piece of piss and if you fail you need to hang your head in shame! I didn't show them my UK license because they didn't ask, I think if I was under 18 then maybe I would have though as a way of getting round the drivers ed course and number of hours driving.
They didn't seem too bothered with anything and it was basically a formality. Theory was easy. Maneuverability was easy. Drive round the block was easy. I had my radio on, rolling stopped at a stop sign and turned rather than stopped when a fire engine was approaching. They didn't give me a single docked mark. The whole thing took about 15 minutes and that includes walking to the machine, taking the test getting the result, going to my car and doing all the stupid stuff that they make you do (horn, wipers, indicators, etc), driving to the maneuverability location, having it explained, doing it, having where the examiner wanted me to go and the entire driving test and explanation of the results and what to do next.
They didn't seem too bothered with anything and it was basically a formality. Theory was easy. Maneuverability was easy. Drive round the block was easy. I had my radio on, rolling stopped at a stop sign and turned rather than stopped when a fire engine was approaching. They didn't give me a single docked mark. The whole thing took about 15 minutes and that includes walking to the machine, taking the test getting the result, going to my car and doing all the stupid stuff that they make you do (horn, wipers, indicators, etc), driving to the maneuverability location, having it explained, doing it, having where the examiner wanted me to go and the entire driving test and explanation of the results and what to do next.
Nov 24th 2008, 4:59 pm
#22
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Re: Hoping to take my Ohio driving test tomorrow
DOH!
They aren't open Mondays.......
They aren't open Mondays.......
Nov 24th 2008, 5:24 pm
#23
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Nov 24th 2008, 5:42 pm
#26
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Nov 24th 2008, 7:02 pm
#27
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Re: Hoping to take my Ohio driving test tomorrow
I got my OH License when I first came here and like everyone else has said it's so easy its laughable.
I turned up at the test station initially to just ask them the procedure for getting a license and before I knew it I was taking the multiple choice test and the driving exam there and then.
I drove round one block only, past a school with a posted 25mph sign and was asked what the sign meant. D'uh!
To be honest I was most fearful of the eye test machine because my variable lens specs don't work well in that kind of 'fake distance' arena, but I got through it OK.
I scored a total of 99/100 dropping one point for slightly nudging a flag during my reverse into a space procedure.
The female tester told me I was now legal to drive in America as long as I remembered to stay on the right. (Ha-*******-ha) and I went and got my actual license the same day, even without my full GC.
Swapping the license out for a KY one was a matter of new pic, $20 and the surrender of my OH license.
No mention ever about my UK license, although I was asked how many years I had been driving in England.
I turned up at the test station initially to just ask them the procedure for getting a license and before I knew it I was taking the multiple choice test and the driving exam there and then.
I drove round one block only, past a school with a posted 25mph sign and was asked what the sign meant. D'uh!
To be honest I was most fearful of the eye test machine because my variable lens specs don't work well in that kind of 'fake distance' arena, but I got through it OK.
I scored a total of 99/100 dropping one point for slightly nudging a flag during my reverse into a space procedure.
The female tester told me I was now legal to drive in America as long as I remembered to stay on the right. (Ha-*******-ha) and I went and got my actual license the same day, even without my full GC.
Swapping the license out for a KY one was a matter of new pic, $20 and the surrender of my OH license.
No mention ever about my UK license, although I was asked how many years I had been driving in England.
Nov 25th 2008, 12:42 am
#29
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Re: Hoping to take my Ohio driving test tomorrow
Well I did pop down there just to check where the office was, the BMV office was actually open but the testing centre next door was closed. I went into the office to ask a couple of questions.
I had to explain that the stamped visa was infact the legal equivalent of a green card.....she phoned Columbus to check on that, didn't believe me (but I guess why would they take my word for it). Then she said I needed to get a temporary learner's permit. I said that Columbus told me I didn't need that as I can just take the eye, knowledge and skills tests on production of my valid UK license.
She told me that only licenses from an approved list of countries were valid for skipping the temporary license part of the process, and 'England' wasn't in the list of countries. I pointed out to her that the country of issue of my license was the United Kingdom, and surprise surprise, the United Kingdom IS on her list....
...but again it required a phone call to Columbus.....
So in the end she said fair enough....you just turn up next door tomorrow and run through everything then, and they will give me my license. The only thing is that because I only have the temp I-551 (stamped visa) they will only give me a license that expires one year from my entry stamp (makes sense). They said after I get my actual green card and SSN I should pop back and they will give me the 4-year license.
I had to explain that the stamped visa was infact the legal equivalent of a green card.....she phoned Columbus to check on that, didn't believe me (but I guess why would they take my word for it). Then she said I needed to get a temporary learner's permit. I said that Columbus told me I didn't need that as I can just take the eye, knowledge and skills tests on production of my valid UK license.
She told me that only licenses from an approved list of countries were valid for skipping the temporary license part of the process, and 'England' wasn't in the list of countries. I pointed out to her that the country of issue of my license was the United Kingdom, and surprise surprise, the United Kingdom IS on her list....
...but again it required a phone call to Columbus.....So in the end she said fair enough....you just turn up next door tomorrow and run through everything then, and they will give me my license. The only thing is that because I only have the temp I-551 (stamped visa) they will only give me a license that expires one year from my entry stamp (makes sense). They said after I get my actual green card and SSN I should pop back and they will give me the 4-year license.
Last edited by BritishGuy36; Nov 25th 2008 at 12:47 am.
