andy kerry

can any body help out there.
i have just been offered my first job yipee, i have my ead and have applied for my ssn which will take 2 weeks. can i register a vehicle without a ssn or a new jersey drivers licence i cant seem to get through to new jersey dmv on the phone and there web site is not very helpfull, i am on my wifes car insurance and the company will also insure me for any vehicle that is registered to me with a british driving licence. this insurance company is not in new jersey and has no idea what new jersy law is regarding registration

Duncan Roberts

You have to have a SS# and OH license to register a car in OH. I'm guessing it is going to be the same in most States.

andy kerry

this is what im thinking but i cant seem to get a straight answer
everything seems to need that ssn,
do you know wheather i will have to sit another driving test to get a usa licence bearing in mind i have had my uk licence for over 15 years .many thanks

Rete

Having family that lives in New Jersey I can tell you that you will have take a driving test as well as the written test. If you were Canadian you could swap the license but not the case with a UK license.

Yes, a social security number is required for everything in the US. In New Jersey they recently passed new regulations that require you to have a SSN in order to get a license, as well as proof of your immigration status. Since it is required for a license, I would assume it is required for registration of a vehicle.

Good luck

Rete

Duncan Roberts

They have the same requirements in OH, as well as saying you must be signed up for the selective service. I'm in the process of registering a new car and the just needed the license, title and if it's not on your lisence, your SS card.
If you have just got the car you should have 30 day temp tags so it wont really matter if it takes 2 weeks to get a ss card.

mandpete

We didn't have our SSNs 2 years ago when we got our licences. We went to the main DMV in Trenton and went to the "foreigners" window. We were then taken into a side room whilst they checked out our visas which took next to no time. We were then told to join the regular line for licences.

Be prepared to wait in line for ever and then to be told to go to the next line and so on. 6 hours after arriving at DMV we took our written tests and both failed. We had never read the "NJ Highway Code" and had assumed the questions would be easy. They were easy but we did not know the laws for drinking and what fines you get for certain offences. I would say 50% of the questions were unrelated to actual road regulations but fines etc. So do read your book.

Took the test 4 weeks later at out local DMV and passed with flying colours. Went to the window for the licence only to be told that the lovely people at Trenton had processed our applications wrong. We then had to do another 5 hours at Trenton which closed before we got to the line for our licences. Next day back to local DMV and had our photos taken and voila NJ Licences. The whole process was one of the most frustrating things we went through so be prepared for the not so helpful people at main DMV offices. The local DMV employees were much more helpful and friendly.

As long as you have a full British licence you only have to do the written test in NJ.

Hope this helps.

mandpete

Sorry forgot to say you cannot register a car without a NJ licence.

THFC1

Having family that lives in New Jersey I can tell you that you will have take a driving test as well as the written test.
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I've just moved from the UK to NJ and have gone through the whole process. You will need to sit a theory test but not an actual driving test. First you need to go to a Regional Center (Wayne, Trenton....) to register. Be prepared for a long wait in the queue. They check your documents and you need to have a SS#. I queued for 2 hours before I received my SS# only to be turned away at the counter.

Once registered you pay $10 to take a theory test. If you fail you have to wait 7 days until you can retake it but you can sit the test at any DMV - not just the Regional Center. The following web site is good to practice the test on......

http://www.edisondriving.com/test/online.shtml

Good luck!

andy kerry

many thanks for the info ive been here since dec last year and i swear most of the time ive spent in a queue somewhere. the ss office in north brunswick is pritty quick with queues i only waited 1 hour . but immigration in newark is a whole different ballgame the staff are rude and have no idea how to treat people at all

Ben

Do I remember that NJ Wayne office. Nightmare of a place!

Can confirm that in order to register a car in NJ you have to have a NJ licence and a SS# I had a NJ licence but couldn't reigster a car because I didn't have a SS#. I had to get a special letter from the SS office stating that I was here legally but I didn't need a SS# to get my licence. Same in NYstate too.

g1ant

Ah the wonderful advantage of Hicksville, USA.

I took my test in Georgetown, Texas. The office is little more than a shack by the side of the road. Went in 9am. No queue. Filled in the forms, took the theory test at 9:10. Passed.

Told to come back at 3pm for practical test. 3pm - returned - no queue. 3:05 started test. 3:12 finished test - pass.

Took the pass slip inside - no queue. Signed a form, got licence in the mail in two weeks.

And all done without a SS number.

Easy peasy.

andy kerry

so youre driving test lasted 7mins did you actually get in the car ?