Help with Maryland Driving License

[peterkay 0]

Hello,

My dad is arriving on IR5 visa, this week. He is 75 years old but very sprite and active for his age. He has been driving all his life in Russia and it is his at-most wish to continue driving. The MVA website is a complete and utter mess. Apparently, one can take these tests in nearly all the world's languages, except russian. I cannot even find the driver manial in Russian, but it is available in Nepalies.  Dad's English isn't at all fluent. He plans to boost it and  I fear it will take a long time before he gets to the level where he can pass the license test in English. Has anyone gone through all the steps of getting a Maryland license for a relative in a similar situation. He has brought his Russian and international driver licenses. He applied for his SSN but hasn't got the card in yet.

[amul 229]

1 hour ago, peterkay said:

Hello,

My dad is arriving on IR5 visa, this week. He is 75 years old but very sprite and active for his age. He has been driving all his life in Russia and it is his at-most wish to continue driving. The MVA website is a complete and utter mess. Apparently, one can take these tests in nearly all the world's languages, except russian. I cannot even find the driver manial in Russian, but it is available in Nepalies.  Dad's English isn't at all fluent. He plans to boost it and  I fear it will take a long time before he gets to the level where he can pass the license test in English. Has anyone gone through all the steps of getting a Maryland license for a relative in a similar situation. He has brought his Russian and international driver licenses. He applied for his SSN but hasn't got the card in yet.

My hubby is about to get his DL and his English is excellent, so I’m not quite in the same boat as you, but here goes. 

 

Your Dad can use an interpreter during his test, so all he needs is the basic info memorized and practiced. My friends in Maryland were able to use a Russian interpreter at their local DMV.

 

Lastly, have you tried looking over some other states’ DMVs for Russian manuals? I mean, US driving laws apply across the entire country (with minor nuisance like, you can make a right turn on red in parts of Maryland unless posted). 

 

I snagged a manual from California fot you to review - https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/pubs/pubs

 

I checked it briefly and the drawings seem to go over the basic US driving rules, so this might help you out a bit when it comes to studying.

 

Let him drive with you in quiet places and try to build his knowledge. When he feels comfortable, he will be less stressed out and less nervous too!

 

Best to your Dad!

Edited October 9, 2017 by amul

[amul 229]

36 minutes ago, amul said:

(with minor nuisance like, you can make a right turn on red in parts of Maryland unless posted). 

Please ignore all the typos etc., as I’m uber sleep deprived lately 😅

 

Obviously I was trying to say nuances up there  😁

[peterkay 0]

1 hour ago, amul said:

 

Thanks you very much! That was very useful

[amul 229]

3 minutes ago, peterkay said:

Thanks you very much! That was very useful

Awesome sauce 👍🏽 

 

Best to your Dad!! 

[Noel194 53]

The Maryland MVA is difficult.  My wife is from Ukraine and she had a valid Ukraine DL.  They required a translated certified copy of her birth certificate, her passport, her green card and SS car, two proofs of Maryland residency and a certificate of completion for a 3 hour drug and alcohol class.   The letter addressed to her at our residence from the USCIS was 1 document and bank statement was another.  You can sign and date an affidavit for a parent.  They then had to send off to the State Department to verify that the green card was valid.  They did this in writing by snail mail and it took 8 weeks.  They then notified us by mail and she went in and took her written test.  We went to the Frederick MVA and they had a copy of the test in Russian.  She then took her vision test, paid her fee and was issue a "learners permit" until she passed the driving test which we had to schedule online.  The first appointment was two weeks later.  After taking the driving test she was issued a full licenses.  It is my understanding that any licenses issued on an IR5 will expire on the same date as the IR5 and he will have to go back before it expires with his greencard to get it extended.  Here is a link for the drug and alcohol classes  http://www.mva.maryland.gov/drivers/schools/3-hour-alcohol-and-drug-education-program-providers.htm. 

I want to further caution you that your fathers Russian DL and international DL will not be valid to drive in Maryland.  only visitors are allowed to drive on a foreign DL and since your father is an IR5 visa holder he becomes a temporary permanent resident as soon as he lands so if he is pulled over Maryland State Police like to write tickets for driving without a valid licenses in theses cases.  That can complicate his status as well as his ability to obtain a Maryland DL.  The other issue we ran into was car insurance.  My insurance company would not insure my wife while she still had her Ukraine DL and international DL even though it was valid until we were married and applied for AOS.  

[peterkay 0]

Thanks Noel for a very thorough reply. Yes indeed, they don't make it easy. We have quite a bit of progress to report. I have hired a translator from the MVA approved list. My dad has passed his vision test, took the alcohol and drug awareness class and got registered for the the first exam. Trouble is, the nearest available date to take the test in russian is Nov. 28th. Thanks for warning about this catch-22 when it comes to the foreign DL. I was planning to let my dad drive the car with me in the passenger seat. However, it doesn't sound like a good idea, now. He wants to get a feel for the car. He has driven cars with manual gears all his life. All my cars have automatic gearbox and he wants to get acquainted with it before the driving test. Perhaps, we will just stick to the roads in our neighborhood where meeting a policeman would be unlikely.