Driver's License California

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

3 hours ago, Gro said:

After reading som more I think you are correct about this, I will get one of those permits at most, not the provisional. From what I can see on their website a provisional license is for those who are under the age of 18. So I will have to drive with my husband in the car at all times until I pass the road test.

No you won't, I'm not sure why tamaara only got a learner permit. Make sure they know you already have a valid license and you'll get a temporary driving license (I'm not sure of the exact terminology but it will allow you to drive on your own).

[cosmonauts 125]

10 hours ago, SusieQQQ said:

FYI, we got provisional/temporary licenses that allowed us to drive on our own, and they did check our foreign licenses to give us these. No learner permits. If you already had a drivers license I'm not sure why you only got a learner permit? It took us nearly 2 months to get an appointment for  a behind the wheel test, having only a learner permit wouldn't have been at all practical for driving to work etc.

I'm not sure either, maybe I didn't bring it up because the Chilean driver's license looks sketchy af xD but it didn't take that long to get an appointment for me because I checked different DMVs, made one appointment and then checked the website daily in case there was a cancellation. I wasn't in a hurry to drive either, I mostly needed it for ID purposes

 

10 hours ago, SusieQQQ said:

GEICO gave us car insurance on our home country licenses. We just updated them when we got our CA licenses. 

Ah I see, bigger companies are more flexible. Still, I think the car being insured is enough because what about people who don't have a foreign or local license, right?

[Orangesapples 1,954]

13 hours ago, SusieQQQ said:

No you won't, I'm not sure why tamaara only got a learner permit. Make sure they know you already have a valid license and you'll get a temporary driving license (I'm not sure of the exact terminology but it will allow you to drive on your own).

This was not my experience. I had a license from my home country and I received a regular permit. 

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

46 minutes ago, Orangesapples said:

This was not my experience. I had a license from my home country and I received a regular permit. 

A learners too? And they knew you already had a license? How bizarre. Maybe they only accept certain countries, though you'd think Africa would be seen as less "reliable". My husband and I did our written tests at different DMVs on different days and we both got permits that allowed us to drive on our own. I've checked with 5 different local immigrant friends now and they all say the same thing (licenses were from South Africa, UK, Spain). No-one was unable to drive on their own. 

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

3 hours ago, tamaara said:

 

Ah I see, bigger companies are more flexible. Still, I think the car being insured is enough because what about people who don't have a foreign or local license, right?

I don't understand what you mean by people who don't have a "foreign or local" license...that sounds like they don't have a license at all. So how can they or the car be insured when they drive in that case?? Or did I misunderstand you?

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

It's not entirely detailed on the website but the DMV itself clearly differentiates between those who have never had a license - who are the people who get a learners permit and need someone else with them - and those who hold an out-.of.-country license, who just need to take a CA driving test:

 

You will then be issued a permit if you have never been licensed before. When you practice, you must have an accompanying adult who is 18 years of age or older, with a valid California license. This person must be close enough to you to take control of the vehicle if necessary. It is illegal for you to drive alone.

If you have a license from another country, you will be required to take a driving test. If you have a license from another state, the driving test can be waived.

 

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/dl/dl_info/!ut/p/a1/lZBNa8MwDIZ_yw49GvljSduj2UqypmWHQRf7Ejw7bj0Sxy0mlP362d25lAkkEHp5pUcgoQXp1eyOKrrJqyH3suyat9cNqSvcVMWOY97U9fthc6DVmsEnSJDaxxBPIMw4d3rysfex6_0Cpz6VIWfnvJ2yNmhnQDBaElVYjfolseiZaYzW_ZdBxBLKDKbWsBUIEHJ5d3lRwsc_DbePaFoQ9LJ_2R-TrYondDu6NUPOP4KkcN_ns-SJOpNeY5o9wr49KW3Gd4JjCOO4YkWYf3b1MAf-9AsQLhUC/dl5/d5/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/?urile=wcm%3Apath%3A%2Fdmv_content_en%2Fdmv%2Fdl%2Fdl_info

[cosmonauts 125]

4 hours ago, SusieQQQ said:

I don't understand what you mean by people who don't have a "foreign or local" license...that sounds like they don't have a license at all. So how can they or the car be insured when they drive in that case?? Or did I misunderstand you?

Yeah that's what I meant, no license at all/first time license. If you use a friend's car it will be insured in their name, that's what I did and had no problem. They have to assume not everyone owns a car I guess.

[Ontarkie 14,493]

~~Moved to Moving to the US and Your New Life, from Working and Traveling During Immigration - As the OP is asking about getting a US drivers licence.~~

[Orangesapples 1,954]

9 hours ago, SusieQQQ said:

It's not entirely detailed on the website but the DMV itself clearly differentiates between those who have never had a license - who are the people who get a learners permit and need someone else with them - and those who hold an out-.of.-country license, who just need to take a CA driving test:

 

You will then be issued a permit if you have never been licensed before. When you practice, you must have an accompanying adult who is 18 years of age or older, with a valid California license. This person must be close enough to you to take control of the vehicle if necessary. It is illegal for you to drive alone.

If you have a license from another country, you will be required to take a driving test. If you have a license from another state, the driving test can be waived.

 

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/dl/dl_info/!ut/p/a1/lZBNa8MwDIZ_yw49GvljSduj2UqypmWHQRf7Ejw7bj0Sxy0mlP362d25lAkkEHp5pUcgoQXp1eyOKrrJqyH3suyat9cNqSvcVMWOY97U9fthc6DVmsEnSJDaxxBPIMw4d3rysfex6_0Cpz6VIWfnvJ2yNmhnQDBaElVYjfolseiZaYzW_ZdBxBLKDKbWsBUIEHJ5d3lRwsc_DbePaFoQ9LJ_2R-TrYondDu6NUPOP4KkcN_ns-SJOpNeY5o9wr49KW3Gd4JjCOO4YkWYf3b1MAf-9AsQLhUC/dl5/d5/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/?urile=wcm%3Apath%3A%2Fdmv_content_en%2Fdmv%2Fdl%2Fdl_info

Thank you, I didn't realize that was possible! Not that it would have been useful to me but it could be for other people. 

[Gro 8]

Forgot to update. I took the written test, passed all questions. And I can confrm you don't get a provisional license despite having a valid foreign license. I specifically asked about it, you only get a regular learner's permit.

 

I will hopefully take the road test soon!

[Suss&Camm 2,213]

Just now, Gro said:

Forgot to update. I took the written test, passed all questions. And I can confrm you don't get a provisional license despite having a valid foreign license. I specifically asked about it, you only get a regular learner's permit.

 

I will hopefully take the road test soon!

Well good job  Yes hopefully you'll be able to take it soon.

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

13 minutes ago, Gro said:

Forgot to update. I took the written test, passed all questions. And I can confrm you don't get a provisional license despite having a valid foreign license. I specifically asked about it, you only get a regular learner's permit.

 

I will hopefully take the road test soon!

Where did you do your test!?

becasue I can specifically confirm that myself and at least five other people I know specifically did not get a learners permit. In fact the lady at the DMV said "oops I nearly gave you a learners permit but you already have a license, you don't need someone with you".

Maybe the trick is to do it in the Bay Area

Or maybe you just got unlucky with one of those dmv people unfamiliar with foreigners, we see often enough on here people complaining about them not knowing various things that they are supposed to...

Edited October 4, 2017 by SusieQQQ

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

 

looked on the net, I'm pretty sure this is exactly what we got - you'll see it states it is a license to drive, nowhere does it say anyone needs to be with you like a learners does, it mentions also that it forms part of an application for a DL and the 60-day validity of this temporary license is when you must have done the behind the wheel test by.

[Gro 8]

11 minutes ago, SusieQQQ said:

 

looked on the net, I'm pretty sure this is exactly what we got - you'll see it states it is a license to drive, nowhere does it say anyone needs to be with you like a learners does, it mentions also that it forms part of an application for a DL and the 60-day validity of this temporary license is when you must have done the behind the wheel test by.

That is for after you have taken your road test and passed, you get a temporary "paper license" like the one in the pic and it's valid for 90 days. You should receive your real license in the mail sometime during those 90 days.

Edited October 4, 2017 by Gro

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

Just now, Gro said:

That is for after you have taken your road test and passed, you get a temporary "paper license" like the one in the pic and it's valid for 90 days. You should receive your real license in the mail sometime during those 90 days.

It was almost identical to the one we got after we passed the license. I seem to recall one was called "interim" and one was called "temporary", I may have mixed up which was which, but I one hundred percent guarantee you that what we got was a license to drive unassisted. At no point were we ever issued with learners permits or anything that said we had to have another driver in the car. Also the one we got before the behind the wheel test was valid for 60 NOT 90 days, like the example above. One from Oakland Claremont DMV and one from Walnut Creek. 2 other friends got same from Walnut Creek and another from concord.