Drivers license - Maryland

[AshMarty 360]

It appears my husband and I over looked the drivers license process in Maryland. We just filed our AOS packet with EAD yesterday. His I-94 expires 9/2/2017, we assumed that he would be able to transition to a drivers license before this date. After reading some threads it appears he will likely not be able to drive for a month or two? He lived in the states for 6 years for work prior to moving back. Does he need to start the entire license process again (as like learners permit, classes, drivers test). He had a Maryland License until the past year when it expired. It seems silly he wont be able to drive. I feel bad he will be house bond while I am working?

Edited July 11, 2017 by AshMarty

[yuna628 9,702]

28 minutes ago, AshMarty said:

It appears my husband and I over looked the drivers license process in Maryland. We just filed our AOS packet with EAD yesterday. His I-94 expires 9/2/2017, we assumed that he would be able to transition to a drivers license before this date. After reading some threads it appears he will likely not be able to drive for a month or two? He lived in the states for 6 years for work prior to moving back. Does he need to start the entire license process again (as like learners permit, classes, drivers test). He had a Maryland License until the past year when it expired. It seems silly he wont be able to drive. I feel bad he will be house bond while I am working?

Standard procedure for MD:

 

Check to make sure that he's in the I94 database.

Wait for your EAD (you can get a license based off of an I94 but good luck getting the MVA to understand that and it doesn't matter because when the I94 has expired any license obtained will also expire).

Get your SSN (if you haven't done this already)

Bring some bills or something with his name and address on it - ideally a bank statement or official mail.

Bring any other required documents

Apply for license.

They will send you off to a 3hr drug/alcohol lecture - you'll need to make the appointment for it at whatever recommended locations and pay the fee.

Does he have a valid Australian license? If so you may bypass any steps involved for learners permits and provisional licenses, and all the hours of classes and practice driving and proceed straight to the road test.

Take the written test, followed by the road test (not usually on the same day). Road test is easy and since he already knows how to drive it'll be pretty simple.

Get license - keep in mind it's expiry date will coincide with the EAD - so about one year.

Return to the MVA with the green card and upgrade the license to a full one that you won't have to worry about for many years to come.

 

If you don't have an EAD + SSN don't bother. It's not worth the headache and arguing.

If the employee says they can't find you in the system, or they say he can't obtain one, or they don't seem to know how to handle a K1 - 1) ask for supervisor or 2) try a different MVA location. Read up on the documentation on the MVA website, bring a printout of how to proceed if they don't know their own rules.

 

Some foreign nationals can bypass some of these steps if there is an agreement between their country and MD - see website for the list. Yes it will unfortunately take a while to be able to legally drive. Technically you can potentially drive for a short period of time using the foreign license + I94, but the rules on this varies - and should you get pulled over you'll need to rely on the officer's understanding of the subject. It is legal for foreign visitors to drive in MD (one reason why my husband was well experienced driving here before he moved) but the rules regarding when you take up residency officially (which requires a license) are complicated.

Edited July 11, 2017 by yuna628

[AshMarty 360]

18 minutes ago, yuna628 said:

Standard procedure for MD:

 

Check to make sure that he's in the I94 database.

Wait for your EAD (you can get a license based off of an I94 but good luck getting the MVA to understand that and it doesn't matter because when the I94 has expired any license obtained will also expire).

Get your SSN (if you haven't done this already)

Bring some bills or something with his name and address on it - ideally a bank statement or official mail.

Bring any other required documents

Apply for license.

They will send you off to a 3hr drug/alcohol lecture - you'll need to make the appointment for it at whatever recommended locations and pay the fee.

Does he have a valid Australian license? If so you may bypass any steps involved for learners permits and provisional licenses, and all the hours of classes and practice driving and proceed straight to the road test.

Take the written test, followed by the road test (not usually on the same day). Road test is easy and since he already knows how to drive it'll be pretty simple.

Get license - keep in mind it's expiry date will coincide with the EAD - so about one year.

Return to the MVA with the green card and upgrade the license to a full one that you won't have to worry about for many years to come.

 

If you don't have an EAD + SSN don't bother. It's not worth the headache and arguing.

If the employee says they can't find you in the system, or they say he can't obtain one, or they don't seem to know how to handle a K1 - 1) ask for supervisor or 2) try a different MVA location. Read up on the documentation on the MVA website, bring a printout of how to proceed if they don't know their own rules.

 

Some foreign nationals can bypass some of these steps if there is an agreement between their country and MD - see website for the list. Yes it will unfortunately take a while to be able to legally drive. Technically you can potentially drive for a short period of time using the foreign license + I94, but the rules on this varies - and should you get pulled over you'll need to rely on the officer's understanding of the subject.

Thanks for this information.

 

He has a SS# (has had it for years since he lived here since 2010 for work and already went to the ss office to pick up a new card for our marriage license).

He has a valid Australian license which is good for the length of the I-94 (we assumed we would be able to use NOA from I-485  for his new license and are disappointed that we can't now).

He has had his mail forwarded to my house for years (including bank statements and we just opened a joint account).

We are hoping he can by pass the classes and proceed straight to the road test.

 

 

It's such an inefficient process just having him sit at home and not even running errands while waiting for approval to work. Luckily we live in the city and a lot of stuff is walking distance.  

Edited July 11, 2017 by AshMarty