Sarah

If you've only got 30days to get a license, and you're in NYC...I suggest you start queueing up at the DMV now

JimmyArtnull

MorsePacific nailed most points, here are my additions from my experience.

- When they say 30 days, this just means that you can only drive on your UK license legally for 30 days. If you don't have any intention on driving then you take as long as you want to get a NY license, its not like its mandatory.

- I went to a driving school and told them I can drive, I just need to get a NY license. They understood (its NY of course) I paid $200 for a course which covered the theory test which they booked for me, 4 hours of lessons and the driving test plus car rental (Basically the instructor takes you to the center and you use the car) I thought it was a good deal.

- The DMV test was computer based and very simple offensive. The questions are basically the same as what was in the learning material they give you. Read the material a few times and memorize and you will be fine. Once you pass, you get a paper permit and can do the lessons.

- I took a couple of lessons to familiarise myself with driving around (I had done a fair bit of driving here on holidays before) and booked the driving test for the next available date which was about 4 weeks away.

- On the day of the exam I had my final "lesson" and then went to the exam. I was somewhat nervous as the UK exam is quite strict. Here is the opposite. I drove for 5 minutes tops on 2 side roads on a quiet estate that had practically no other traffic. I then did a couple of maneuvers (3 point turn and parallel park) and boom, passed. License came in the post 2 weeks later.

Its a very different process to back in the UK and if you can already drive, you just need to learn how to pass the US test which is mainly just stopping at stop signs, the rest is driving sensibly.

rpjs

I guess they brought in since you did it, but there's also the "five-hour" pre-licensing course that you have to do in NYS before you can take your road test. Most driving schools offer this.

LouisB

I’m in the same boat in NYC.

I did the eye test (basically checks you’re not blind, it’s that easy) and a multiple choice of similar difficulty, so have the learner permit now.

I’m going to book the video training shortly then do the test, hopefully in a month or two.

The video training sounds dull and puts me off, but has to be done.

Hope the driving test is easy, suspect it will be. Only snag I see, I don’t know any roads around here and it’s super busy where we live in NYC. I guess though that’s part of the conditions taken into account.

If you somehow do fail the driving part, can you just book another?

Apparently in NJ just a mile or two away, you can just swap a Uk licence, now that would have been easier...

Nutmegger

You don't have to take the test in the city -- you could book it in White Plains or another quieter location.

rpjs

I did mine in Yorktown Heights, Westchester. Very quiet.

rpjs

It is. My examiner told me to slow down twice, and had to remind me to take the car out of park when leaving the parallel parking part of the test and she still passed me with no points deducted!

In fact you’re specifically forbidden ffom driving on roads that are a designated test area until you take the test: someone else has to drive you to the test area.

Not any more according to recent teports on this board.

LouisB

Thanks for the ideas of areas to take the test.

I’m going to see where I can do the pre-test training first and get that booed in and done, then go from there. 🙂

Rete

Closer still to Manhattan is the City of Yonkers. It is a relatively large city but perhaps you can get an appt for the driver's test sooner. The testing area is adjacent to Cross County Center. It's easy. You go up 1/2 a block, turn right, then almost an immediate left onto a residential street. There you make a broken U or as called today, a K turn, then parallel park. Then out of the space, drive to the corner, make a right and get into the left lane, make a left and drive 1/2 a block and let the inspector out of the car.

JimmyArtnull

I forgot about the 5 hour video! I think I must have blocked it out of my memory from the trauma of the day. That really was a boring day. I felt like the main focus was on driving and using a mobile phone and the dangers and punishment of it, perhaps that was the popular theme at the time, not sure about now.

LouisB

Well FWIW I’ve done the 5hr pre-license video now. Recommend Cedeno in Brooklyn by the way, interactive and enjoyable, not sit quiet and watch an old video.

Anyway, decided to book a small package that includes 3 lessons and the car for test.

Not too expensive and earlier than trying to rent a car locally for a day which is nearly as much. Also means a little practice in a car, useful since not driven for nearly a year and I never normally drive autos (yuck). They will arrange the test also and search for cancellations. 1st Lesson in a week, hopefully just formality.

I have a question or two, related though,

Under a visa, I presume the driving license will expire when that does. It was a 5 year, will it run to end of that period, or to when I need to renew I-94 record (much sooner, as that’s every 2 years), hopefully the former?

When it does expire, do I need to do the whole test again or just get new card issued from DMV?

If I move NY to NJ in a year or two, another full test or can I just swap it over?

Pulaski

I can't advise on the visa issue, but residents of the US, whether citizens or not, only ever take the road test once. .... Except if you get your license revoked by the court for serious driving infractions.

LouisB

Ahah great, in which case I shall not worry too much about that aspect then, hopefully it can be renewed just for the admistrative costs involved, as required.

I wonder about NY to NJ implications, I guess not urgent but will try to find out so I’m prepaired.

JimmyArtnull

My license expires on my birthday in 2020, which will be a little over 4 years after I got it. Not sure how the calculations are done tbh. On the license it has a note saying I am a TEMP VISITOR and has the date of the expiry of my L1 visa, which is in 02/2019. I'm not sure what will happen after 02/2019 and if I will need a new license then or can wait till 2020 (GC app in progress)

Once it doesn't expire, it just needs to be renewed which I think involves a new photo and paying a fee. There are processes in place for exchanging state licenses when moving state, I don't believe it's challenging between NY/NJ.

On the driving lessons, I did the same thing. I bought a package with about 3 or 4 lessons and I used the last lesson just to rent the car/instructor for taking the test essentially. You are not allowed to drive to the test centre yourself, so you will need someone to take you there in whatever car you have. This is where the driving instructor comes in handy and I think is pretty standard practice unless you have a family/friends car that you can borrow and will take you there.

tom169

Can only speak for NC DMV - they'd issue the DL up to the I-94 date when I arrived using a visa.