Mark Ridley

Hi guys. I'm a Brit moving to Mass and I wondered if anyone knows if getting a licence is quicker/easier based on the fact I've held a full UK licence for 25 years?

Or do I have to go through the same written and road exams as the youngsters?

Pulaski

How long you have had a British licence makes not a scrap of difference.

Having a foreign licence means you can avoid the need for a provisional license and go straight for the testing process. I'm not sure about MA, but there is usually some sort of drivers ed and/or computer test before you are allowed to take the road test. ..... The road test is embarrassingly easy, seriously.

DexterBerkeley

So for MA, you need to take the multiple choice test at the DMV, along with an eye test that gets you a provisional license. Then schedule a road test, which as Pulaski says is monumentally easy. The hard part can be finding a car and sponsor for the test. The car has to had a regular handbrake and it's easier if it's owned by you or your sponsor. Sponsor has to have had a license for a year I think.

Bob

If you've had the UK license longer than 3 years, you can come here, take the theory, take the test and be done.

If you've had it less than 3 years, you do the theory, hold that for a month, book the road test.

Though with a UK license, you'll be able to drive without someone with you and you can avoid doing the drivers ed classes.

Heading out to the burbs and hitting a test centre in somewhere like Milford might be quicker, but not much as there arent' that many test centres in MA.

Theory will be about 90% on DUI and other penalty points related to those under 21, so read and remember those.

Taking the test, the "sponsor", does have to have held a MA license for a year and be over 21.

MidAtlantic

Check out: Massachusetts RMV - Converting an Out-of-State License

This includes:

Converting a License from any Other Foreign Country

If you are converting a license from a country other than Canada, Mexico, the Republic of Korea, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of France, or one of the US Territories, you must take the full - written and road test, plus the eye test.

David.Susman

Shouldn't have an issue with it. I live in MA, the test is not that difficult. The RMV (Registry of Motor Vehicles) will try your patience beyond reason, but that will be the hardest part of the day. As for a hand brake, the car will need a parking brake but it doesn't matter if it is hand or foot operated. Automatic transmission will make the test easier too.

Mark Ridley

Thanks to all who responded. Much appreciated. Mark.

tonrob

Assuming you take the test in an automatic - check that the hand-brake will hold the car, otherwise the test won't even be allowed to start. At Springfield RMV, where the road tests take under 5 minutes, they seemed to be 'failing' 50% of the cars when I did mine (including my sponsor's own car, meaning that I had to reschedule my test after he had the handbrake fixed).

tht

I had to do this in NY not MA, but I just paid a driving instructor so I could use his car for the test. I drove there, we went around the area for 30 mins he talked me through what would be in the test. And we went and lined up by the sign to wait for the tester. If MA test is anything like NY one their lisenes should not be accepted in the UK... They are so easy... Mine was about 5 mins long, drive off, tuned left at a traffic light, parallel park with no car behind me, pull off, turn in the road and back to where we started. I don't know if they go easier on people who already have a lisence, but they don't seem to look anywhere as closely as a UK test.

Afterwards I took an additional online training/test to reduce my insurance.

Pulaski

Sounds like my test in Herkimer, NY. Pretty pathetic really, it no wonder that dtiving stanards are so atrotious.

Mark Ridley

Thanks for this. Mark.

Derekdunn1873

My wife and I both went through this recently.

There is a grey area where you can technically drive for 12 months on a UK license, and even longer if you leave the country. My insurance company were fine with this approach (send me a message if you want their details, they will also take into account your no claims bonus in the UK, where a lot of companies will not).

For the test, we paid a driving instructor 180 bucks to use him as the sponsor and use his car for the test. We couldnt use my car as it has a backup camera and a foot break instead of a handbrake.

joto

When my DH did his test at Reading, MA, he was just required to pull out of the parking lot, turn right, up a hill, turn right and turn right back to the parking lot and passed. The examiner just wanted to make sure he could stay driving on the right hand side of the road. He did have to do the computerized multiple choice questions before that though.

Pulaski

There is no such grey area once you meet the requirements for establish residence in a state. The "12 months" is for visitors to the US who do not meet the requirements of establishing residence in any one state.

There are numerous indications that you have established residence, including but not confined to: buying or renting a house, sending your children to school, taking employment or setting up business, registering a vehicle, or registering with a doctor. These have nothing to do with "residence" as related to a visa, and indeed may be in conflict with other definitions of "residence", but once you have established residence you only have a short time to obtain a local license or run the risk of being charged with driving without a valid license, ..... which leads to your insurance being voided and you (i) being charged with driving without insurance, and (ii) being personally liable for any damages or injuries caused.

There is really no good reason not to obtain a local license as soon as is reasonably practical, and several reasons while postponing obtaining a local license is a very bad idea.

Bob

That's proper bad advice unfortunately.

Things that'll happen if you got into an accident include the insurance company voiding your coverage because you didn't have a valid license, so you'll get done by the police for driving without a valid license, driving without valid insurance and also because the insurance is pulled the RMV will void your registration and you'll get done for driving without valid registration. Then you'll have lost the license before you even get it.

It does happen and if you're pulled over on the interstate and get a arsey cop, you'll also have to pay to get your motor towed to the pound and the release cost. Not to mention the hassle of having someone having to come out and pick you up.