Stupid DMV...

[miastarrx]

OK, here is my extrapolated little circumstance - I am trying to get a California driver's license and the DMV here are really stupid. That's the short version. I'm hoping that perhaps a foreign national who got their California license can tell me what the procedure was, because the DMV can't seem to get their story straight

Comments

[redscarfboy]

Is there any documentation on the web about this? If you go to the DMV with the documentation in hand, hopefully you won't have to continue hearing two stories.

[gyre]

Between states it's optional for them to require you to take a driving test. I think it's actually at the discretion of whoever you end up with at the DMV.

[cigale]

Taken from the california DMV website:
If you have a license from another country, you will be required to take a driving test. If you have a license from another state, the driving test can be waived.

You can read the whole thing here: http://www.dmv.ca.gov/dl/dl_info.htm#2500

[fraisinette]

I'm fairly sure that in New York they will only do a license swap if you earned yours in another US state or a Canadian province.

[ktnflag]

I went through this process in 1998, as a Canadian citizen living in Los Angeles. All holders of a foreign driver's license are required to take both a written test and a road test, despite what a few clueless DMV employees have told you.

One thing you'll learn about American bureacracy is that they have no idea how to deal with anyone who isn't American. Even organizations that are designed to deal with foreigners don't seem to have a handle on it. For the purposes of the American professional association I still belong to, I even have to rewrite my address [apartment number after the street name, rather than at the beginning] so my mail doesn't get sent into outer space. I live in Australia now, and no matter how many times I tell them that the apartment and building number are separated by a "/", they still insist on interpreting it as the digit "1". It's easier just to do it their way, unfortunately.

By the way, where in Australia are you from, and where in California do you live now?

[miastarrx]

I guess I'll set a saturday appointment if I can... but it really is a pain in the butt... I was set up with the expectation of getting my license in the mail any day now, so I'm bummed.

I know what you mean in general about not knowing how to deal with anyone "furrin"... If I'm not in a big city like SF or NY and I open my mouth, 4 out of 5 times the person will either get all doe eyed or look at me like I have a disease! "what 'cho say?"... heh.

Someone once asked me what language we speak in Australia. Seriously.

Anyway... I'm originally from Sydney, I live in Sacramento right now :) Your icon gave me the warm fuzzies! I love my city too! :)

[miastarrx]

Really? Even in the bay area? I never have a problem in bigger cities. I got accused of faking my accent in LA though, lol. Apparently my friend and I were just doing it to "sound interesting"... LOL! Okie dokie then. But LA is full of fake people putting on airs, so I guess it isn't that far fetched!

I always get the British thing too... and believe it or not, I people who ask me, with knowing smiles, which part of New England am I from? LOL! It's so fun to burst their bubble. Boston? Um... no... Australia!

I'm lucky with the beaurocracy thing, because usually the only thing I need to do is show my military id or explain that my husband is in the Marines... and I immediately get different treatment. Like, all of a sudden I'm validated and "one of us"... and not the furry green martian they thought I was a few minutes before!

So dumb, I know.