Learning to drive in the US
 

I am in the US under the VWP and never learnt to drive back in the UK.

Does anyone know if it's still possible to learn to drive in the US without being a citizen/having a visa/having a uk license

Thanks!

Re: Learning to drive in the US
 

Fifty states and a few odds and ends equals that many answers.

Re: Learning to drive in the US
 

Why would you want to?
If you do not live in the states, then the license will be of limited use in the UK. Get a license for where ever it is that you are resident.
Depedning on laws in the state you are in, you may need ID to get a provisional license (or whatever it is called in America) ID that as a visitor, you probably do not have - e.g. proof of residence or SSN#.

Re: Learning to drive in the US
 

Basically because I need a car to get about over here but am not going to be in the UK for a long enough period anytime soon to learn to drive

Re: Learning to drive in the US
 

and California is the state I'm in if that makes a difference.

Re: Learning to drive in the US
 

This might help

Re: Learning to drive in the US
 

Thank you for the help! I'm guessing I need a work visa etc to get a SSN? Sorry if I seem very naive, I'm 21 and straight out of uni

Re: Learning to drive in the US
 

I edited my post above as reading further, it does not seem that clear. Maybe someone who knows better will be along, but it says:

"If you are legally present in the US, but ineligible for an SSN, you are exempt from SSN requirements. However, you must still provide an acceptable birth date/legal presence document"

and on legal presence:

"Valid foreign passport with a valid Record of Arrival/Departure (form I-94)"

Re: Learning to drive in the US
 

I'm interested to see how this goes. I would have thought you would need a SSN but I guess maybe you don't.

Where in California will you be based?

Your first challenge is to find a California DMV office that can book you an appointment in a decent timescale (I think the waiting time for mine was about a month) and then process your application in a timely manner (the DMV is not known for efficiency). Remember that you will need to do the theory test before you can book the driving test.

Your second challenge is then to obtain a vehicle to do the test in. I've heard of driving schools that can help you with that, but generally you would use your own or a friend's vehicle.

You need to have insurance on the vehicle you use for the test.

Re: Learning to drive in the US
 

Your insurance is going to be very very expensive (if you are even able to acquire insurance on your own). Presume you would be getting insurance of course ;:)

Even if you could drive NOW you still could not rent a car since the majority of rental firms require you to be 25 and over.

Re: Learning to drive in the US
 

Have an idea that if it is possible, the license will expire with the I-94W. Also, holding a US license as a visitor is a red flag to CBP.

Re: Learning to drive in the US
 

Under the VWP, you are only here in the US for the maximum of 90 days. It is near to impossible to get a driver's license within that amount of time if you do not have a license to "swap" or at least driving experience. You are say you don't know how to drive and need to accomplish that first.

Also since 9/11, you need to present a valid visa to the department of motor vehicle to apply for a license. The need for a social security can be waived if you are ineligible for one but I don't believe the need for a valid visa in your passport can be waived.

If you were able to get a license, are you then going to buy a car? Or will you be renting one?

Re: Learning to drive in the US
 

You can't get a license without a visa, I've just had awful probems renewing my Californian license even though I had all the paperwork to extend my L visa, but didn't have the updated visa in my passport as I hadn't left the US. The DMV kept issuing me with temporary licenses, but the legal presence office kept rejecting the actual license until I had been to the UK and got my visa in my passport.

Re: Learning to drive in the US
 

It is essentially impossible to get a California driver's license if you are in the US under the VWP.

California requires "proof of legal presence" in order for you to get a drivers' license - an I-94 in your passport would satisfy this requirement but now that the physical green I-94W form has all but disappeared I am not sure if you could manage to convince the DMV that the stamp in your passport meant the same thing - even if you could convince them, they won't actually issue you with a license if your "legal presence" document expires within less than 60 days - and even if you managed to get a license it would still expire whenever your "legal presence" ends ...

See this link for details.

Re: Learning to drive in the US
 

Even if it were possible to get a drivers permit...isn't there a requirement for x number of hours of classes before getting in a car if you dont' already hold a license?

Driving schools are rare and tend to be pricey...but even using one, practice in a car afterwards would be hard. Renting a car will be a no goer, I think Enterprise is the only place that'll rent to under 25 year old and it is mentally more expensive than the regular advertised rates.

Re: Learning to drive in the US
 

Is that because unlike in the UK where most people use them even for a few lessons if dad/mum is teaching etc, kids in MA learn driving at school?

Sorry to be such a thicko, I've never driven in the UK, neither has DH, he never learnt in MA either, and said at his particular school he didn't have lessons. (Whether they did them but he didn't sign up I don't know).

I know a younger friend of our's father told us MA has one of the more difficult driving tests, not like one of these states where all you need to do is drive round some cones and park. Lol. He actually said he had to sit in with our friend (his son) while he took his test. They make the parents do that because they were complaining about the examiners, saying how dare they fail their kid, he's a great driver etc. If they sit in on the test they get to know why they failed.

Re: Learning to drive in the US
 

Same in NJ hardly any driving schools. They do not teach practical driving in school...only driver's ed. You must pass the written driver's ed test before you can get a learner's permit.

Re: Learning to drive in the US
 

Tend to do drivers education in school.

Practice driving with the folks and get taught by parents rather than schools. Around here at least.

There are a couple of schools though for driving, but they are one person band type thing rather than anything like RAC/AA.

MA might be harder than some other states, but frankly, you have to be a complete lemon to still fail here...but the test is at least on regular roads.

They even allow learners on the motorway in this state....and without anyone having L plates, you can't actually tell if someone is a learner or just especially a shit driver here.

Re: Learning to drive in the US
 

I've never seen anything like "L" plates anywhere in the US, but its possible some states out there do something like this. If you have a learner's permit, that allows you to drive on any road you want to, as long as you have a licensed driver in the car (& whatever other requirements your state has).

I think the driver's education varies by state. My home state of KY actually does not allow driver's ed in school, AFAIK. I think this is due to liability reasons. It is the parents responsibility to teach the kid, or set their kid up with lessons. I do think KY requires a certain number of hours with an instructor though (but only if under 18 I believe).

Why is the OP thinking of pursuing a license while in the US, unless he/she plans on overstaying? It seems something that can be inferred from their post.

Re: Learning to drive in the US
 

Haven't heard of L plates in any state over here...though most states do restrict learners from the motorway...only a few daft ones like Mass don't.

Drivers Ed, in school, usually consists of watching videos of people driving, of accidents and the like, rather than actual in a car lessons from the school. Here and up in Maine, like you said, would be required x number completed to get a learners permit if under 18.

Re: Learning to drive in the US
 

I've seen L plates once or twice. In NJ new drivers have to have 4 hours mandatory driving with an instructor before they can drive with parents etc. The first time she drove a car the instructor took her straight onto the motorway and said if she wanted to drive with one hand now was the time to start. :scaredhair: