confiscation of foreign driver's license?

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

If you let it happen, only you are to blame, not the brainless DMV drone that dropped out of High School at 8th grade and is an inch away from being legally mentally retarded.

So when you are now driving back home to Canada, you go to the Canadian DMV, have them take your Florida license and wait for a new Canadian one? And you do this how often?

Edited November 15, 2010 by Just Bob

[Marilyn. 340]

in the California DMV handbook it says that they are supposed to take your license..like I mentioned earlier they didn't take mine though but they did look at it but handed it back to me and they didn't snip any corners or anything.. it has since expired but I don't have any plans to renew it as I can drive in Canada using my US license...

Edited November 15, 2010 by Marilyn.

[nylonmac 10]

Does it really matter to give up your original license?

If you ever go back to your original country to live, you can just reapply for a new one, and you'd be able to drive on your US license anyway.

I passed my UK driving test (for the 2nd time - long story) last month, and you know what, I will have no qualms surrendering it when I take my NY State driver's test.

[Hugglebuggles 60]

So when you are now driving back home to Canada, you go to the Canadian DMV, have them take your Florida license and wait for a new Canadian one? And you do this how often?

Or she can just drive on her US license like everyone else? If she ever moves back to Canada, it's a simple transfer.

In Ontario at least, your license is only valid for 5 years and in order to renew it, you need to be a resident of the province. The Colorado DMV punched a hole through my Ontario license, and I didn't mine at all. It expires this year and is of no use to me.

[HeatDeath 430]

In Utah, the DMV web site says they will take your license, but they didn't take my Canadian license. Might have something to do with the fact that it was expiring in about a week. [Which was the major impetus for switching over to the Utah license at that particular point in time.]

They did make me take a driving test though. I almost failed it from driving too cautiously.

Oh well, once you pass, it doesn't matter if you passed by 15 points or 1 point!

Hey, it's not my fault if in Winnipeg, every single residential intersection is a 4 way stop, and slowing way down at them is a deeply ingrained instinct!

Edited November 17, 2010 by HeatDeath

[Dakine10 5,452]

If you let it happen, only you are to blame, not the brainless DMV drone that dropped out of High School at 8th grade and is an inch away from being legally mentally retarded.

So when you are now driving back home to Canada, you go to the Canadian DMV, have them take your Florida license and wait for a new Canadian one? And you do this how often?

One difference b/w Canada and other countries is that most Canadian provinces and US states have reciprocal agreements for exchanging drivers licences. As a general rule, you can just exchange the Canadian drivers license for a US one without taking the full drivers test. And as a general rule, the old drivers licence will then be invalidated, either by surrendering it, destroying or altering it, or inactivating it electronically.

There is no reason to think of it as being forced to surrender the license because that's not what it is. If someone likes doing things the hard way, they are free to take the entire road and written test along with completing any other requirements to get the drivers license. The residential requirements that all states and provinces have makes it pointless to try to use the out of state license any longer that necessary. You can find out the hard way, (as I did) that an out of state license may be invalid much sooner than the expiration date.

For foreign licences I agree. Reciprocal agreements are rare. If you have to take the whole road test again, there is no benefit to surrendering the license and one may still need it when returning to the other country, as the US license would not be valid there. For California I believe they invalidate the foreign license electronically, but do not take it.