How long is valid your DL from your contry in US?

[malego77 2]

I have a Driver License from my country, but here in Texas I cannot have yet the total requirements for file for one of this state, The EAD is missing, my GC... So, I don't know if I'll have a big broblem if I'm driving with my country's license and the license from US God For how long is valid my DL from my country??

[DeadPoolX 9]

If you check the Texas Department of Public Safety website, it says that someone with an out-of-country driver's license may use that for up to one year if the person's home country has reciprocity with the United States.

So it really all depends how long you've been here.

[malego77 2]

Thanks, I've read that but I don't know if my home country has reciprocity with the United States. It sounds like "teeth for teeth and eye for eye". It doesn't matter? I'll thinking that I have a DL for 1 year...

[Texanadian 10]

I wouldn't worry about it. As long as you have a valid license from somewhere, you should be good. Mexicans are allowed to drive in the USA as tourists, so I don't see why they wouldn't be allowed to drive with Mexico driver's licenses as US residents.

Places like Nigeria or Mongolia probably wouldn't be allowed to drive in the US with their driver's licenses.

Having said that, it would probably make things easier if when you do get your EAD or Green card, to go and get a TX license. I'm from Canada, but plan on using my Canada license until the 1 year point. Why pay for two drivers licenses for that first year if you don't have to.

[The Robinsons 0]

I think it differs from state to state. Here in NC the police told me that my European driver's license would be good for 3 months.

Another thing is insurance. If you get a car most insurance companies will not insure you if you do not have a valid US driver license.

[Ivelina_Andrew 0]

Another thing is insurance. If you get a car most insurance companies will not insure you if you do not have a valid US driver license.

They would insure you - at least all the ones we checked - but they will make sure your driving licence is internationally accepted - I think they refer to that Road Treaty sth. I read on the NJ MVC site. So we did get joint insurance, just the price was a ltl higher.

[BelwinMills 0]

In IL it was good for 90 days!!

[malego77 2]

90 days?? Some family members told me that but I'm not sure. And I don't know how log the EAD will take yet...

[Blues Fairy 0]

I went to DMV here in Raleigh and was told my home country's DL is NOT valid in NC. They also wouldn't give me a learner's permit because my I-94 will expire in a month. I wonder will I have to wait until the Green Card or does EAD do the job? How does the EAD prolong my I-94 exactly?

[malego77 2]

I went to DMV here in Raleigh and was told my home country's DL is NOT valid in NC. They also wouldn't give me a learner's permit because my I-94 will expire in a month. I wonder will I have to wait until the Green Card or does EAD do the job? How does the EAD prolong my I-94 exactly?

When you have the EAD, you can get a DL without problems. When you apply for an EAD you must have submitted an I-485 first or jointly with it. I don't think that the EAD prolong your I-94 (if you came with K1 visa) due to the I-94 expires after 90 days of your entry. If it expires and you have got married and sent the AOS you are in adjusting status status (redundant, but it is). The original I-94 doen't work more...

I'm in the same "boat" but if you need to drive you can use your foreign license, if you'll have a problem you can argue that you don't know that your DL of your country wasn't valid in US... A lot of tourists drive while they are visiting US with a DL from their country, so, for a while GC will come and for drive I think we are considerate like "tourists".

[Blues Fairy 0]

When you have the EAD, you can get a DL without problems. When you apply for an EAD you must have submitted an I-485 first or jointly with it. I don't think that the EAD prolong your I-94 (if you came with K1 visa) due to the I-94 expires after 90 days of your entry. If it expires and you have got married and sent the AOS you are in adjusting status status (redundant, but it is). The original I-94 doen't work more.

So DMV does accept EAD as proof of legal status? Because the officer was very particular that she needed a valid I-94 to issue the permit, and nothing less than that.

[Minya's wife 25]

When you have the EAD, you can get a DL without problems. When you apply for an EAD you must have submitted an I-485 first or jointly with it. I don't think that the EAD prolong your I-94 (if you came with K1 visa) due to the I-94 expires after 90 days of your entry. If it expires and you have got married and sent the AOS you are in adjusting status status (redundant, but it is). The original I-94 doen't work more.

So DMV does accept EAD as proof of legal status? Because the officer was very particular that she needed a valid I-94 to issue the permit, and nothing less than that.

The EAD sort of replaces your I-94. It is not just proof of legal status, but also proof of identity. In TX for example, if you use your passport to prove your identity, your I-94 must have a validity of at least one year before they accept the passport from you. K1-ers do not have this, so they cannot get a DL if their state has this requirement. But once you apply for AOS and get your EAD, you can use the EAD, in most places to get your DL. A caveat is that the expiration date on your new driver's license may be tied to your EAD's date of expiry (1 year).

-P

Edited February 12, 2008 by Paula&Minya