MVA frustration

[sofya 10]

If you face incompetence at one DMV office, you can go to another one. It can be in a different county altogether - for as long as the state is the same! My husband and I had to drive to a different county several times to get our DL's and ID's renewed, because the DMV office in our city was acting up. So keep this option in mind next time, it does work

[ONA 133]

If you face incompetence at one DMV office, you can go to another one. It can be in a different county altogether - for as long as the state is the same! My husband and I had to drive to a different county several times to get our DL's and ID's renewed, because the DMV office in our city was acting up. So keep this option in mind next time, it does work

Thank you! that's good advice, we'll try it next time if we have any issues.

Edited February 5, 2012 by ONA

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Here in Ohio an international DL is required and it's only valid as long as their visa is valid. After that, they have to transition to "normal" DL procedures like anyone else.

Vermont accepts a foreign drivers license for 60 days. Somewhat strange snce a visitor has to show the ability to remian legally for 180 days to get a Vermont license but is required to get the license within 60 days. If you are allowed to stay for 90 days, your foreign license would, theoretically be invalid after 60 days.

ONA...do not just slink off quietly to the next county MVA, make sure you let your state representative know what happened. Our acceptance of incompetent boobs is what promotes this nonsense. It is nothing less than denying you privileges and rights because they are ignorant of their jobs and that is NOT OK.

[ONA 133]

ONA...do not just slink off quietly to the next county MVA, make sure you let your state representative know what happened. Our acceptance of incompetent boobs is what promotes this nonsense. It is nothing less than denying you privileges and rights because they are ignorant of their jobs and that is NOT OK.

Oh... I will. I definitely will, but I'm going to do that after I get my DL.

[Oliverpb 2]

That is amazing! My financee was here this summer on her B1 tourist visa in Nebraska, and we were able to get her a DL with just her I-94, proof of residency at my house, 2 letters postmarked to her, and her passport. It took a week to verify her info from CBP but she has a valid license in the state of NE and we are still waiting for our K1 at the NVC.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

That is amazing! My financee was here this summer on her B1 tourist visa in Nebraska, and we were able to get her a DL with just her I-94, proof of residency at my house, 2 letters postmarked to her, and her passport. It took a week to verify her info from CBP but she has a valid license in the state of NE and we are still waiting for our K1 at the NVC.

Each state is different.

[baron555 934]

That is amazing! My financee was here this summer on her B1 tourist visa in Nebraska, and we were able to get her a DL with just her I-94, proof of residency at my house, 2 letters postmarked to her, and her passport. It took a week to verify her info from CBP but she has a valid license in the state of NE and we are still waiting for our K1 at the NVC.

Illinois accepts an foreign DL as evidence but it is only valid until the I-94 expires......so for us going the "normal" route was best, since she needed to relearn how to drive anyway??!!!

This is for foreign spouses....for visitors or students then it's 90 days or 1 year respectively.

Edited February 8, 2012 by baron555

[Oliverpb 2]

Illinois accepts an foreign DL as evidence but it is only valid until the I-94 expires......so for us going the "normal" route was best, since she needed to relearn how to drive anyway??!!!

This is for foreign spouses....for visitors or students then it's 90 days or 1 year respectively.

So she will probably have to re apply after she is spouse. Its good to know these things. Its such a learning process. we are really just getting our feet wet.

[Derek and Callie 7]

I got pulled over today for not pulling into the fast lane while passing a cop on the side of the road, she said I needed to get an international drivers license from MVA (I didn't know they existed, I just had my Australian drivers license). When she came back to the car she gave me a warning for not pulling into fast lane and said I have to get a Maryland drivers license within 2 years.... Maybe I won't get a maryland drivers license afterall...

[ONA 133]

Actually, after getting the translation and exchanging SS card, I easily passed the knowledge test and I'm now waiting for the skills test. I was told in MVA that I can drive with my Russian DL (even though the website says that you're only allowed to drive with an out-of-state DL for 60 days only) while I'm waiting for the test. And the soonest day for the test was April, 30th

[GGG1975 9]

My husband has a license from Morocco. We now reside in Maryland. Based on what I read, he can get an international license from MVA? I'm assuming he'll have to get his license translated, yes? I've been getting mixed messages. My insurance company allowed me to add him with his Moroccan license. They said as long as he was working on getting his license he's fine to use his Moroccan DL. But another Moroccan told my husband that he can't drive and if pulled over he risk being suspended for 5 years. Does anyone know anything about this? Also I called a driving school and they said he could drive with Moroccan license and all he needs to is do the 3 hour course. By the way is there a test in the sober drinking class? Last question, will MVA take his Moroccan license away. He wants to keep it because eventually we plan to return to morocco to live and there driving test is no joke compared to the US. Thank you . I get mix messages from MVA. It's frustrating calling them.

[vbtwo 54]

My husband has a license from Morocco. We now reside in Maryland. Based on what I read, he can get an international license from MVA? I'm assuming he'll have to get his license translated, yes? I've been getting mixed messages. My insurance company allowed me to add him with his Moroccan license. They said as long as he was working on getting his license he's fine to use his Moroccan DL. But another Moroccan told my husband that he can't drive and if pulled over he risk being suspended for 5 years. Does anyone know anything about this? Also I called a driving school and they said he could drive with Moroccan license and all he needs to is do the 3 hour course. By the way is there a test in the sober drinking class? Last question, will MVA take his Moroccan license away. He wants to keep it because eventually we plan to return to morocco to live and there driving test is no joke compared to the US. Thank you . I get mix messages from MVA. It's frustrating calling them.

It all depends on the state you're in. An "international driver license" is just an English translation of a driver license. If the foreign driver license already contains English, there is no point of getting the international one.

I know in NY you're allowed to drive on your foreign license if you're visiting. No need to have an international license at all, but if your license is not in English and you're stopped you might be taken in until they can establish that you have a valid license. If you move here you must get a NY one after 30 days or you can't drive anymore, and you must do everything from scratch (take written test, 5 hour class, driving test).

[Nick_Moscow 2]

Based on what I read, he can get an international license from MVA? ... I get mix messages from MVA.

Right, hopefully, if you follow the instructions here, you'll be just fine. As Americans, we love rule-of-law and transparency. Unfortunately, bureaucrats' (statists?) love of power and regulation leads to confusion where no one can give a straight answer because no one but the highest-level chinovnik has the ultimate power to make the decision. And life is so highly regulated that it's impossible to even add a carport to your property without a permit. My wife and I had a similar situation to the OP when she applied for a Learner's Permit in '09. We brought as I recall many documents to show proof-of-identity, two of which were the two-year green card and her external Russian passport. Just like Gary said,

The worst part is these dumb@sses don't just say "let me check on that I never did one of these" NO! They fabricate some wacko story and reason! I mean just right out of thin air.

...they never check their facts. The low-level bureaucrats are so power hungry, or scared, or both, that they make stuff up. So in '09 the (of course obese) MVA bureaucrat shouted at my wife that her visa was expired and she was in the country illegally, WHILE HOLDING MY WIFE'S GREEN CARD IN HER OTHER HAND. Admittedly, this was right at the time MD cracked down on giving licenses to illegal aliens, so the woman must have been nervous about getting the documents right, but still, this was an unacceptable level of service for one of the few government offices taxpayers frequently utilize.

Each state is different.

Sady, Gary, every state (international or domestic) is the same: the more liberty you take from the citizens as you grant power to the state, the more difficult it becomes to carry out the most basic daily tasks. ...and the less free we all become.

[paws057 9]

If something ever has to go wrong somewhere - it happens at an MVA office (well, MVA for Maryland, can be DMV or whatever in other states).

So I planned to get done with my vision screening and knowledge test today and schedule the skills test, so I can get my Maryland DL. I gathered all the necessary paperwork: proof of residence (including a copy of the marriage certificate), social security card, my passport, certificate of completion of Safe and Sober class (local requirement for out-of-country drivers), my Russian DL and my international DL.

Me and my husband waited in line and finally got to the clerk... And after looking at my Russian DL for about 5 minutes straight, she says that they need a translation! And not just a translation, but the one made by an MVA certified translator (and there are only like 7 or 8 of them). I said that it was clearly stated on their website that they might need either a translation or an international DL (which is basically just a book with translations to a bunch of different languages INCLUDING ENGLISH). She acted like she didn't know what the website said, so my husband asked her to look it up on her computer - she said that they weren't allowed to look at their OWN website while they were at work She called 2 supervisors and they weren't any help. I don't know what's wrong with this whole office, I wanted to find somebody to complain to, but my husband stopped me.

It's all fine - we already arranged a translation with a very nice Russian lady, who happened to be a certified translator and it will be done tomorrow, so we can go back to MVA. I don't understand though - you either work according to the information provided on your official website or just get the website straight, stop giving people information, that's clearly misleading!

Just wanted to share, I got really frustrated because of that today.

Sounds like a typical day at the BMV. Believe it or not they are better than they used to be.

[Noel194 53]

Make sure he name on your SS card matches the name on your greencard or the Maryland MVA will reject you. They also have a nasty habit of wanting to verify your documents in writing. We produced Katya's Greencard, ss card passport, UA DL and marriage certificate along with proof of address in MAryland and they still took 6 weeks to "verify" our documents in writing with the USCIS. I had to call my MD Senator and he finaly got them to issue the DL. You will have to take the written, vision and driving. You can take the written in Russian, just ask for it. Oh, and they are all sub-contractors now, very few state employees so yes you are dealing with the lowest bidder.

Edited June 25, 2013 by Noel194