So I've been living in the US for just over a month and I've decided it's about time to get my Drivers Licence. I've been told that not only do I have to do a driving test but a written test as well --- which frusturates me to no end (I moved down from BC where I had my class 5 licence). I should also add that I brought down my car from Canada and it has been properly insured for the states.

Has anyone else gone for their US Drivers Licence? Have you been able to use your own car?

It is intresting that you have to do a driving test ... I wasn't expecting to have to do that ... Which state are you living in now ??

I've been told that I have to do a written AND road test to get my WA licence.

I'm not trying to go against their word but the employee's at the local DMV were I should I say.... pompous jerks and have never really given me a straight answer. They would cut you off mid-sentence and one employee told my husband and I to shut up, then pointed to a sign that stated "harassment of a goverment employee is a felony".

Ya the employees here at the local DMV in our town in Illinois are the say way ... I had to run down there to renew our license plate for my wife because she was at work and they really were bitchy to me ... My wife tells me that they are always that pleasant ROFL ... I think some people were never meant to be in customer service type jobs ...

I mean if you really hate your job that bad maybe they should consider finding a new career ....

Look here for info:
http://www.dol.wa.gov/driverslicense/moving.html

How to get a Washington State driver license

If you have a valid out-of-state driver license

* Visit a driver licensing office.
* Bring with you:
o Proof of identification, including your out-of-state license.
o Cash or check to pay the $45 fee for your first Washington driver license ($20 for your application and $25 for your license).
o Your social security number, which is mandatory to help enforce child support laws. Your social security number will be verified but does not appear on your license.
* Complete a driver license application, which includes:
o Address.
o Physical and mental fitness statement.
o Previous driver licenses information (if any).
o Suspensions, revocations, or cancellations of prior driver licenses.
* Take a vision test and demonstration of color recognition.
* After completing the steps above, written and drive testing is waived unless there is a medical/physical condition which indicates that testing is required.
* You must turn in your out-of-state license to the Department of Licensing so it can be invalidated.

If you still have a valid license it should be a fairly simple process, WA only mentions OUT-OF-STATE which Canada is of course out of state.

I'll try that, but they can easily say "out of state" being a US state other then WA, I'm sure.

I used my own car when I took my driving test when I was 16 here in Indiana.

Cass (bebop the great)

It wouldn't hurt to try, just a visit to the DMV, which you would do any way, US/Canada tend to share database with regard to things like driving records. A friend of mine ran through one of those electronic toll booths in Toronto a while back they ran his NY plate, and called up address data from the NY DMV and sent him a fine. So I suspect they wont have a problem with replacing your BC license.

I've asked two people and they both said "no" that's why I'm unsure of whether I can or not.

but I'm on the phone with them as we speak so cross your fingers!

I was researching Driver License requirements in Nevada (where I will be moving to) and it lists several documents I can use as proof of identity together with my SSN (when I eventually get it). These three, I feel, are the only ones I may be able to use (once I get my hands on them):

- Resident Alien Card or I-551 Receipt
- Valid Foreign Passport stamped “Processed for I-551”
- Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) with Visa or Passport

Can anyone explain, at what point in this whole K1/K3 Visa-to-AOS process will I receive any of the above documents? (i.e. what is the I-551? do we receive a resident alien card? do I have to apply for an I-94 or will this be issued at the POE?)

you would obtain that information when you receive a green card

In Georgia they have different criteria for 'out of state' and 'out of country'. As a Canadian I had to provide personal identification, proof of residency and proof oflegal immigrant status - which was an EAD. I was required, as my previous Canadian Driver's License was 'out of country' to do the eye exam, the written test and the driving test. I also had to surrender my Ontario Driver's License as it is illegal to have more than one Driver's License in your possession in Georgia.

so you're saying i can only get a driver's license when i get my green card???

I googled I-551 and Resident Alien card and all my hits came back with information regarding a green card - so I can't say for certain.

and the I-94 - is this that piece of paper/card that they give us on the plane and/or before proceeding to customs to fill out? if so, then customs has always kept mine... they have never given it back to me.

My licence expires the day my 90 days expires....well it was supposed to, because legally after that I have to provide info that I am allowed to stay longer. But the lady extended it to January to be nice.
I had to do a written but not driving test.

You can get replacement I-94 from this site:

INS Form I-94 Records

Okay this is how I understand it and I am sure someone with correct me if I am wrong ...

- The Resident Alien Card is the actual green card.

- The Stamped "Processed for I-551" is a stamp they put in your passport if you are approved for your green card at your interview but are waiting for the green card to arrive.

- The I-94 is an extra form you fill out at your POE which is very important in this whole process for AOS and what not (the office stapled mine inside my passport). I told the United customer service guy at YVR that I was activating a K-1 Visa and he asked me if I needed an I-94 so I told him I did and he gave me one to fill out while I was waiting in Customs line ... Otherwise they will give you one at customs to fill out ...

I moved down from Vancouver to San Francisco and the DMV in California made me re take the writte hand driven.. it's easy though so no worries!! just hassle and $ but u gotta go what you gotta do!!!

Each State DMV has different requirements, can be a huge pain for some!!

long story short I called the WA Licensing place and I do need to do the written and road test to get my drivers License

This is true, and I was disappointed when I first learned this but as my fiancé puts it, Washington is crazy about licensing ("If the didn't have to recognize licenses from other states they would probably refuse those too"). I am also moving from BC to Washington. Let me know how those tests go!!

I will!

I've been doing the online practice for the written exam and some questions are a tad confusing (the ones related to laws etc) but other then that I'm sure it will be ok.

Hi YuAndDan. Your friend was probably referring to using Highway 407, which is a toll road. As there are no staffed booths.... and if there is no transponder in the vehicle.... they simply mail the charge to the address associated with the license plate.

You get the I-94 at the POE when you enter the US. The I-551 and green card have been explained.

To prove "residence" at the state level, you Do Not need to have a green card. "Residence" as it pertains to state laws, just means that you live there. To prove residence in most states you just need to show that you receive mail at a physical address (not a PO box) When I went for my license I took the NOA from my EAD. In most states you do need to prove that you entered the country legally, and that you are legally permitted to stay, so you'll need to take your passport with you to show your visa stamp.

In NC, their law is that out of state and Canadians can be waived the road test at the examiners discretion. So I knew ahead of time to take an Ontario driver's abstract (driving record) with me. It was clean for 2 years, so they waived the road test.

Some states will require that you have an SSN apparently, and K3s cannot get an SSN until they have EAD, which is a pain in the arse, but check the DMV website for info.

thanks for the info!

Of course, Oklahoma has to be different! Oklahoma requires either the actual EAD card (and even that depends on the office, if they do accept it the DL is only valid as long as the EAD card is valid), or the green card. The office I went to consulted the official rulebook in front of me, and it specifically said that K-1s needed Permanent residency status (as defined by USCIS), so I was out of luck at that point. I was allowed to drive around using my Canadian DL until I had my card, then I went and exchanged my DL for an OK DL. Only had to fill out some paperwork, do the eye test, have my DL verified by Nova Scotia, and that was it.

yeah, but I'm K3, a whole different animal

K3s and K1s are treated differently by a lot of government offices, not just USCIS. Myabe because the K1 is only valid 90 days, and the K3 is valid 2 years.

That said...I think my driver's license is valid 8 years!

I'm cr-1 in VA and my VA drivers license expires the same day my cr-1 does-dec 2006. Got to get that I-751 in the mail !!