Stupid DMV - so mad!!!!!

[thetreble 19]

OKay well I don't know what kind of DMV operations you have out there in WI, but that just sounds plain old weird to me. He wanted her to log into your bank account on his computer? I think in NJ someone would get fired for even asking that

As far as I know, the DMV does not work with USCIS. There would be a whollleee lotttaaa bad things happen if they did. The people that work at my DMV are pretty shady.

[Texanadian 10]

Can't you just keep your old license? In TX, you can drive on a foreign license for a year. I just got my first TX license last week. It's good until 2015. Cost me $24.

I needed a green card to get my license.

Edited November 16, 2008 by Texanadian

[Flames9_RN 358]

I would seriously report that tohis superiors about showing your bank account information and if that doesn't get you anywhere, contact ur congress dudes persons office

[badspellor 0]

They wont give her a DL on the spot no matter what, you have to wait 7-10 days for it to be mailed out from Madison.

We had to take the written test and the driving test before Ohio would give us a DL. They said those with a Japanese DL don't need to take either and with a GC they just will issue the Ohio DL on the spot! Strange they'll do that for a country that drives on the opposite side of the road and whose primary language is about as different from English as it gets! The reasoning the local BMV gave us was because, "Canada and the US aren't really getting along too well right now. Canada didn't sign the patriot act..."

[thetreble 19]

[SaysWho 3]

They wont give her a DL on the spot no matter what, you have to wait 7-10 days for it to be mailed out from Madison.

We had to take the written test and the driving test before Ohio would give us a DL. They said those with a Japanese DL don't need to take either and with a GC they just will issue the Ohio DL on the spot! Strange they'll do that for a country that drives on the opposite side of the road and whose primary language is about as different from English as it gets! The reasoning the local BMV gave us was because, "Canada and the US aren't really getting along too well right now. Canada didn't sign the patriot act..."

Yes, it's the same here in WA...I will need to take a written and road test to get a DL, but here, if you have a German DL, you can get a Washington State license on the spot. It makes absolutely NO sense!

The law in WA is also so inconsistent that I am not currently legal to drive. Here, you are only legal to drive for 30 days on a foreign license and then are required to have a WA DL....but the law will not allow me to take the test, etc, until I have a SSN, which I cannot get until I have EAD (which takes at least 3 months and then a further number of weeks to get the SSN). Man, oh man...just add it to the loooong list of frustrations and inconsistencies in this process.

...just taking it one day at a time :-)

Annie

[Texanadian 10]

No drivers or written test for me in TX. This doesn't surprise me. When my wife's son turned 16, he got a driver's license here without taking a driver's test. My wife signed a paper saying he had had so many hours of teaching by her and that was good enough.

I was utterly shocked.

[jundp 191]

Yep....I feel really lucky that P got his license so easily.

We walked into the DMV, showed his German license (which never expires so he didn't have to surrender it), his passport with the K1, and my DL. I signed a form saying he was residing at my address and that we were getting married August 1. Boom. Tested his visions, got his DL.

Now, granted, they accidentally had him listed as female and we had to get his license changed, but still. Utterly painless.

I don't understand why Canadian drivers don't get reciprocity too. Very strange.

[thetreble 19]

Considering our driving is 99.9% the same, I am really confused as to why some states allow Europeans to practically exchange their licenses while Canadians have to be re-tested? Do any of you find that at all strange?

Edited November 17, 2008 by thetreble

[DeadPoolX 9]

Considering our driving is 99.9% the same, I am really confused as to why some states allow Europeans to practically exchange their licenses while Canadians have to be re-tested? Do any of you find that at all strange?

I find it odd. I'd normally think a Canadian DL would be accepted over a German or French license. Please do note that I don't have anything against Germany or France; however, since the U.S. and Canada are neighbors and alike in many ways, it'd seem logical for each country to accept the other's driving license.

To be fair, Canada isn't easy on American drivers, either. I've been driving for 14 years. Because my DL was recently renewed, the DMV here will probably make me retake the driving and written exams. Why? Because my license isn't over five years old and renewing it after having well over a decade of driving experience isn't enough.

[warlord 73]

I remember getting my licence 10 years ago on a TN status (1 year temp work permit). Walked to the kiosk in the mall, handed them my Ontario licence. Did a quick eye test, had a photo taken and told to come back in 10 mins and that was it got my 6 year DL. A lot has changed since then. Last time I had anything to do with my licence was getting my renewal as they were only good for 6 years or something and that's when things were a lot tougher. Had to bring my greencard, passport etc to one of the very few secure DMVs in a city of millions and wait for quite awhile.

And just remember it doesn't surprise me when they have no clue about immigration. Many people have no clue at all what all the status mean, so him thinking she had to go home in Dec shows he just doesn't have a clue. Problem is you can't tell them that. So I've been hearing more and more with people having problems getting their licences now while they were in the middle status.

[Alli and Léo 0]

It is my understanding that rules and functining of DMVs differs by state as driving laws differ slightly from state to state. Also, depending on the location of the DMS and the experience of their employees...well, they don't always know how to deal with unusually situations such as non US citizens. I live in a city about 30 minutes south of Atlanta. I married a Brazilian and took my marriage certificate and translation to the DMV to renew my license and change my name. The DMV did not know what to do and turned me down so I just renewed my license with out the name change. Then I went to the SS office to have my name changed there...no problem. So I went back to the DMV to show them that the federal government did not have a problem with my name change or marriage certificate. The lady there threatened me and said that she could take away my driver's license for doing something illegal. First, I did nothing illegal since the DMV had previously told me to have my name changed at the SS office first anyways. Second, she did not have the authority to take away my license when I did nothing wrong. I could not believe she had the nerve to threaten me in the first place. Needless to say I spoke to the region supervisor about the matter. Anyways, I simply went to another DMV that was on the outskirts of Atlanta and more experienced with these matters...no problems. They changed my name, no questions asked!

[J&K 0]

Except for having the correct docs, I didn't need to be retested here in Virginia. Just surrendered my Ontario license, did the vision test (which is more of a perception test) and voila VA license.

[cdn_in_wa 1]

They wont give her a DL on the spot no matter what, you have to wait 7-10 days for it to be mailed out from Madison.

We had to take the written test and the driving test before Ohio would give us a DL. They said those with a Japanese DL don't need to take either and with a GC they just will issue the Ohio DL on the spot! Strange they'll do that for a country that drives on the opposite side of the road and whose primary language is about as different from English as it gets! The reasoning the local BMV gave us was because, "Canada and the US aren't really getting along too well right now. Canada didn't sign the patriot act..."

Yes, it's the same here in WA...I will need to take a written and road test to get a DL, but here, if you have a German DL, you can get a Washington State license on the spot. It makes absolutely NO sense!

The law in WA is also so inconsistent that I am not currently legal to drive. Here, you are only legal to drive for 30 days on a foreign license and then are required to have a WA DL....but the law will not allow me to take the test, etc, until I have a SSN, which I cannot get until I have EAD (which takes at least 3 months and then a further number of weeks to get the SSN). Man, oh man...just add it to the loooong list of frustrations and inconsistencies in this process.

...just taking it one day at a time :-)

Annie

Hi Annie,

I did not require the SSN to get my WA drivers license. I had to sign a form saying I did not have one. I went to the Bellingham office and they did make me take the written test and the practical test - for which I had to make an appt. While I was waiting to find this out, I read the driving manual, not knowing I would have to take the test - that helped when they told me I could take it right then.

WA did not sign on to the REAL ID act last I understood. They had some issues with the security of people's information I believe. So it is a bit easier to get a license here.

You should be able to get a license without the SSN, as long as you have all the other required identity and residence proofs (can't recall what I took with me!).

Got my WA license in April, GC a couple of weeks ago, and only applied SSN yesterday.

Good luck!

B)

[SaysWho 3]

They wont give her a DL on the spot no matter what, you have to wait 7-10 days for it to be mailed out from Madison.

We had to take the written test and the driving test before Ohio would give us a DL. They said those with a Japanese DL don't need to take either and with a GC they just will issue the Ohio DL on the spot! Strange they'll do that for a country that drives on the opposite side of the road and whose primary language is about as different from English as it gets! The reasoning the local BMV gave us was because, "Canada and the US aren't really getting along too well right now. Canada didn't sign the patriot act..."

Yes, it's the same here in WA...I will need to take a written and road test to get a DL, but here, if you have a German DL, you can get a Washington State license on the spot. It makes absolutely NO sense!

The law in WA is also so inconsistent that I am not currently legal to drive. Here, you are only legal to drive for 30 days on a foreign license and then are required to have a WA DL....but the law will not allow me to take the test, etc, until I have a SSN, which I cannot get until I have EAD (which takes at least 3 months and then a further number of weeks to get the SSN). Man, oh man...just add it to the loooong list of frustrations and inconsistencies in this process.

...just taking it one day at a time :-)

Annie

Hi Annie,

I did not require the SSN to get my WA drivers license. I had to sign a form saying I did not have one. I went to the Bellingham office and they did make me take the written test and the practical test - for which I had to make an appt. While I was waiting to find this out, I read the driving manual, not knowing I would have to take the test - that helped when they told me I could take it right then.

WA did not sign on to the REAL ID act last I understood. They had some issues with the security of people's information I believe. So it is a bit easier to get a license here.

You should be able to get a license without the SSN, as long as you have all the other required identity and residence proofs (can't recall what I took with me!).

Got my WA license in April, GC a couple of weeks ago, and only applied SSN yesterday.

Good luck!

B)

Congrats on the GC!

I tried here in the Tacoma area and and had all the other docs, but was told I had to have a SSN..maybe I should go up to Bellingham and see what they say! But, I am still debating on whether I'll even try and get a WA DL....I won't have any trouble with a written test, but I am very skeptical that I would ever be able to pass a road test. The traffic in this area is very bad, the drivers are EXTREMELY aggressive (I have always driven in very rural areas) and although I'm a good driver (I can navigate a couple feet of snow!), I have 36 years of bad driving habits that will be hard to overcome!

I am hopeful my EAD will be approved in a month or so, and then the SSN application should only take a few weeks after that.

...as always..taking it one day at a time :-)