Cannot get drivers license?

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

This issue comes up often and it's kind of annoying.

One cannot get a CA Driver license until being formally a resident. Residency is documented by the Green Card. Until your wife has her Green Card, she drives with her current license, perfectly legal. If you (and others) want to look at the residency requirement beyond the Green Card, let's take it from a horse's mouth under which conditions the California DMV considers someone to be a resident of the Golden State, shall we?

http://www.dmv.ca.gov.dl_info.htm

"If you become a California resident, you must get a California driver license within 10 days. Residency is established by voting in a California election, paying resident tuition, filing for a homeowner’s property tax exemption, or any other privilege or benefit not ordinarily extended to nonresidents."

Once she can document that she is a resident, she's required to apply within the 10-day time frame.

[Kevbev09 1]

Hmm, I'm about to go apply for my learner's permit in New York state this afternoon. Didn't know about the 60 day thing. My I-94 has 58 days left on it, I have my marriage certificate, letter from the SSA, etc, so we'll see what happens.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Hmm, I'm about to go apply for my learner's permit in New York state this afternoon. Didn't know about the 60 day thing. My I-94 has 58 days left on it, I have my marriage certificate, letter from the SSA, etc, so we'll see what happens.

Do you have your Provincial DL? If so, what is its expiry?

If later than I-94, keep it (Provincial DL) until you have at least EAD in hand.

[mathranik 2]

A quick question here - My AOS is under process and I have already received my EAD card - and I applied for SSN today. Would it be possible for me to show my Indian passport and EAD card to get a driver's license in California? Is SSN mandatory, or are there exceptions to it? Any help please? Thanks.

[Kevbev09 1]

Do you have your Provincial DL? If so, what is its expiry?

If later than I-94, keep it (Provincial DL) until you have at least EAD in hand.

I don't have any license at all, which is why I'm applying for a learner's permit.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

A quick question here - My AOS is under process and I have already received my EAD card - and I applied for SSN today. Would it be possible for me to show my Indian passport and EAD card to get a driver's license in California? Is SSN mandatory, or are there exceptions to it? Any help please? Thanks.

Robbing from Bob's link...

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/dl/dl_info.htm#two500

[Mahalusha 1]

My husband (fiancé at the time) arrived in CA on March 17 on K-1 visa; we got married on March 20th. The week after I went to city hall to submit our marriage license and they gave me two copies the same day. My husband applied for CA ID card the same week, and he got his card within a week, but it was just up to of his I-94 expiration date, which was sometime in July. The week after we went to Social Security office and he applied for SSN. At the same visit, I update my status and change of my last name. We just needed our marriage license and my husband needed his passport, too. Within 10 days we both got our SSN cards. Week after, third week after his arrival, he went to do DMV to do his writing test for driver’s license and he failed. Week after, we went again, he passed his written test and got his temporary driver’s license, that he could drive with, but with somebody in the car that has driver’s license, too. The same day he passed his written test, we made an appointment for his driving test, which was the beginning of May and he passed it, too. So, he got his permanent driver’s license card in about 10 days. Also, I changed the name on my driver’s license, too, with no problem. They just asked at DMV, did I already change my name at Social security office and I said that I did, and that was it. We applied for AOS right after my husband got his driver’s license and in less than two months he’s got his Green card. I don’t know, if there is any difference between DMV’s in California about these rules, but my husband went through all of this smoothly and with no problem at all. I hope this story will help people with K-1 in the future and I hope everybody will be as lucky as my husband in getting it done with no problem at all.

Good luck!

[Liam and Kara 6]

The reason K1 get hard time is coz K1 is kinda temp status.

Most govt agency want to wait until you are married before they would start issueing you and identity in the country.

There can be and have been cases where K1 entered the country and it did not workout and never got married and returned back to home country, in such cases they would never get back to issuing authority to get the DL revovked or anything.

I understand that and accept that we were not in the norm that there are difficulties in getting SSN & Drivers Licence that if we never had the ear of the Senators Office we would never have gotten our stuff so easily. I even managed to once I got a job and had been in for a few months arranged with my bank over here to get a short term minimum loan to start building up my credit again I am not sure if this is the norm but was certainly made easier through my Senators office getting in touch.

I hope all goes well in the future, I have my Green Card interview this Thursday so hopefully all goes well then.

[sunandmoon 450]

A quick question here - My AOS is under process and I have already received my EAD card - and I applied for SSN today. Would it be possible for me to show my Indian passport and EAD card to get a driver's license in California? Is SSN mandatory, or are there exceptions to it? Any help please? Thanks.

you'll need your SSN. http://www.dmv.ca.gov/dl/dl_info.htm#SSN

[AzuomaObidiya 1]

Hi,

We got turned down for a California drivers license for the second time today.

I didn't think it was a big problem, and I work, and she stays at home and

studies english (she is the K1 visa holder). She went to the CA DMV with passport

in hand, including attached I-94 form, and they sent her away and told her

"you cannot get that until you are married".

Well, now we are, and I found out that they had no reason to deny the license

from another office. So I went in with her. This time they said the I-94 is "about

to expire", and they won't issue a license for it. They tell me that the I-94 is

only 60 days (she arrived here August 20th). As for the employee that sent

her packing the first time, they told us "tell is the name and we will inform

her of the policy", ie., they won't do anything for us.

Is there anything to be done at this point? The only obvious alternative

is to wait for the AOS, get a permanent resident card, all of which is a few

months and an interview. Is there another way?

Thanks,

Scott

The I-94 needs to be valid for at least 90 days, especially since it takes up to 90 days just to get the hardcopy in the mail. As long as her name is the same on all documents they can give the DL in her maiden name then when you get married, you will have to go back to the DMV to change it. You can apply for the DL if you have 60 days but it will be a waste of time if you cant produce an extended document to complete the application. Sadly you cant even get an ID card until the legal presence doc is extended. Good luck and hope this helps

[samiam95124 1]

This issue comes up often and it's kind of annoying.

One cannot get a CA Driver license until being formally a resident. Residency is documented by the Green Card. Until your wife has her Green Card, she drives with her current license, perfectly legal. If you (and others) want to look at the residency requirement beyond the Green Card, let's take it from a horse's mouth under which conditions the California DMV considers someone to be a resident of the Golden State, shall we?

http://www.dmv.ca.gov.dl_info.htm

"If you become a California resident, you must get a California driver license within 10 days. Residency is established by voting in a California election, paying resident tuition, filing for a homeowner’s property tax exemption, or any other privilege or benefit not ordinarily extended to nonresidents."

Once she can document that she is a resident, she's required to apply within the 10-day time frame.

Yes, but if she cannot drive, and does not have a licence in her home country, she is locked out of the system!

This is VERY common in large cities in south America. And they have a bus system that actually works.

Here in CA it takes 3 hours to go what takes 10 minutes by car, the majority waiting for connecting

buses.

Oh, and with an equal chance of getting mugged.

Scott

[kennym 275]

This issue comes up often and it's kind of annoying.

One cannot get a CA Driver license until being formally a resident. Residency is documented by the Green Card. Until your wife has her Green Card, she drives with her current license, perfectly legal. If you (and others) want to look at the residency requirement beyond the Green Card, let's take it from a horse's mouth under which conditions the California DMV considers someone to be a resident of the Golden State, shall we?

http://www.dmv.ca.gov.dl_info.htm

"If you become a California resident, you must get a California driver license within 10 days. Residency is established by voting in a California election, paying resident tuition, filing for a homeowner’s property tax exemption, or any other privilege or benefit not ordinarily extended to nonresidents."

Once she can document that she is a resident, she's required to apply within the 10-day time frame.

What exactly is annoying about this question?

[SuperDuper! 230]

Before going to the CA DMV to get an ID or Driver's License, you have to have ALL your ducks in a row. You see, the Governor put the workers on Friday Furloughs, and thus they are pissed off and not very helpful.

So.....

Be sure not to give them any excuse to cause YOU a problem. Just bring all these things, and say, give me my ID.

You must bring:

1. Green Card (Updated w/ married name)

2. Passport

3. Social Security Card (Updated w/ married name)

4. Birth Certificate and Marriage License and any utility bills showing your residence (These are called "Shut-Up" Documents for the petty Bureaucrat who tries to throw up problems to you)

Then, call DMV ahead for form DL 44, and have them mail it to you.

CA is a highly dysfunctional state, so you gotta be ready for weirdos and lunatics who's mission in life is to spoil your day.

Good luck, and GoGoGadget!

[Kevbev09 1]

The I-94 needs to be valid for at least 90 days, especially since it takes up to 90 days just to get the hardcopy in the mail. As long as her name is the same on all documents they can give the DL in her maiden name then when you get married, you will have to go back to the DMV to change it. You can apply for the DL if you have 60 days but it will be a waste of time if you cant produce an extended document to complete the application. Sadly you cant even get an ID card until the legal presence doc is extended. Good luck and hope this helps

Is that just in California? I was told everything is fine and I will get my permit once I have a SSN card, but she said I would have to show proof of my continued residence in the US for me to be able to use the permit after my I-94 expires (which is the end of November). I'm putting my AoS application package together and hopefully will have it mailed off within a week, will the NoAs from that be enough proof?

[Saddle Bronc 124]

What exactly is annoying about this question?

Having only 10 days after establishing residency (as opposed to 30 in other states) to swap-over the licence for one.