Driving in New York with German License

[soch 2]

Please help....

My husband has a German drivers license and would like to drive in NYS. We learned that a valid driver license from another country is also valid in NYS. And that if you become a resident of NYS you can apply for a NYS drivers License BUT would have to surrender you foreign license. Well we do not want to surrender his German drivers license (even though the DMV in NYS holds it and we can request it back) because we travel often to Germany and drive there.

So after speaking with the DMV in NYS they said to contact the German Emabassy and get a translation of his German drivers license and then he would be able to drive. BUT to always carry both his German Drivers license and translation form at all times... and that would allow him to legally drive in NYS. Has anyone on vj done this?

OR, apply for an international drivers permit which is a translation of a foreign drivers license.

Has anyone heard of this? Surrendering your foreign license? Translating your foreign license? Basically how have German's who moved to NYS handled this in the past.

Your help and reponses are greatly appreciated. thanks in advance.

[densusan 0]

As far as I know in NY state once you become a permanent resident you MUST apply for a NY state drviers license(I think withinn 30 days). We live in upstate NY and I used to drive on my Australian DL but if you go to the website it will tell you what to do once you become a resident. They did not ask me for my AUDL, so I did not offer it. I had to do a written test to get my permit, then a 5 hour driver education course before I was allowed to sit for my on rode test. Check out the DMV website it has all the info you need.

[soch 2]

As far as I know in NY state once you become a permanent resident you MUST apply for a NY state drviers license(I think withinn 30 days). We live in upstate NY and I used to drive on my Australian DL but if you go to the website it will tell you what to do once you become a resident. They did not ask me for my AUDL, so I did not offer it. I had to do a written test to get my permit, then a 5 hour driver education course before I was allowed to sit for my on rode test. Check out the DMV website it has all the info you need.

Thanks for your response. I did check the website and it clearly says if you become a NYS resident then you need to take a written test, a 5 hour driver education course and and surrender your foreign license at the road test examiner. The surrendering part sounds so wrong. So confusing....

thanks again

[soch 2]

As far as I know in NY state once you become a permanent resident you MUST apply for a NY state drviers license(I think withinn 30 days). We live in upstate NY and I used to drive on my Australian DL but if you go to the website it will tell you what to do once you become a resident. They did not ask me for my AUDL, so I did not offer it. I had to do a written test to get my permit, then a 5 hour driver education course before I was allowed to sit for my on rode test. Check out the DMV website it has all the info you need.

Thanks for your response. I did check the website and it clearly says if you become a NYS resident then you need to take a written test, a 5 hour driver education course and and surrender your foreign license at the road test examiner. The surrendering part sounds so wrong. So confusing....

thanks again

One more thing.... we think that perhaps (hopefully) they dont ask him to surrender his German license because since his becoming a resident status is for only 2 years. Just a thought.

[Susanne 0]

@soch if your husband needs to take the written test etc anyways, just dont tell them that he has a german license. I live in MA and switched to a MA license and I did not have to surrender my german license. They even told me that they wont take it away because I will need it to drive in Germany!

[Otto 83]

Thanks for your response. I did check the website and it clearly says if you become a NYS resident then you need to take a written test, a 5 hour driver education course and and surrender your foreign license at the road test examiner. The surrendering part sounds so wrong. So confusing....

thanks again

The surrendering usually applies to another state's driver's license - not a foreign one (Karin still has hers - of course we're in Texas).

Also (in Texas) you have to take the written and driving portion of the tests (if you had a license before) - which is really easy (especially compared to what you go through in Germany).

[MIDUVIL 34]

Hello,

The DMV website is not really clear, and when you call them, everybody has a different version of what to do.

I'm living in NYS state with a french driving licence and with an international driving licence and now a NYS DL.

It's true that NYS recognizes your foreign driving licence until you become a resident.

But being a resident of NYS (don't have the same meaning for USCIS, DMV, and policemen).

For USCIS you need to have your permanent resident card.

For policemen, they can ask you some questions and said that if you are living for a long time in NYS, it's that you have the intention of becoming a resident (they can consider that you are a resident, even if you did not receive your green card- i read that on the NYS DMV website).

For DMV, you have to become a resident, they talk about 30 days...... and they never really tell you what it is being a resident for them, they don't think really like USCIS and they don't think like the policemen. So you don't really know.

My husband called DMV, everybody has a different version....

And the page 17 of the driver's manual doesn't explain you anything.

So i forgot the policemen, and I wait for my green card (i thought it would be difficult to take my test with my I-94- i didn't understand their explanations).

But i was driving my husband's car with my french and international driving licence and praying for not meet policemen (Oh! policemen also don't know how to deal with that, we ask one of them what is the truth, he didn't know).

I received my green card in september and even after that i drove without NYS DL, I succeed in december.

But nobody asked me to surrender my driving licence, they never ask me if i had one, nobody.

And i went 3 times for my DL (I drove during 13 years in my country ) !.

I was worried, but they didn't ask me.

Good luck!

Edited January 31, 2009 by MIDUVIL

[Mint518 0]

Please help....

My husband has a German drivers license and would like to drive in NYS. We learned that a valid driver license from another country is also valid in NYS. And that if you become a resident of NYS you can apply for a NYS drivers License BUT would have to surrender you foreign license. Well we do not want to surrender his German drivers license (even though the DMV in NYS holds it and we can request it back) because we travel often to Germany and drive there.

So after speaking with the DMV in NYS they said to contact the German Emabassy and get a translation of his German drivers license and then he would be able to drive. BUT to always carry both his German Drivers license and translation form at all times... and that would allow him to legally drive in NYS. Has anyone on vj done this?

OR, apply for an international drivers permit which is a translation of a foreign drivers license.

Has anyone heard of this? Surrendering your foreign license? Translating your foreign license? Basically how have German's who moved to NYS handled this in the past.

Your help and reponses are greatly appreciated. thanks in advance.

I do not think it is necessay to surrender foreign dirvers license.

I got my NY drivers license over 7 years ago when I was F-1 student (I had Japanese DL and international driving permit, but my friend advised me to get NY DL because it is hard to get a car insurance if I do not have NY DL). When I went to DMV first time, I showed my Japanese DL and international DL and asked whether I can get any credits from them (such as exemption from driving test, etc.), but I was told I need to take written test and driving test as other people who never had DL do. Nobody told me to surrender my Japanese DL at that time or at the driving test, so I am still have Japanese driver licnese.

[antda 13]

Hi Soch,

A few years ago, while my AOS was pending, I drove my husband's car with my still-valid unexpired Canadian driver's license (very carefully), and hoped that I didn't get caught driving without US insurance (which I didn't). Thank goodness though; I don't have to worry about that anymore now!

Unfortunately, here in New York State where I am, they require everyone to have an SSN before they issue a driver's license, regardless of immigration and/or other situation. So because of that, I had to wait until my green card, then another 8 weeks afterwards for my SSN (stupid SSA delay there) to get my US driver's license (see my VJ timeline for more information).

After getting my green card and SSN, I was glad that I could exchange my Canadian license right away (NYS has a "direct no-testing transfer" agreement with Canada), just by surrendering/giving up my Canadian driver's license (which I was glad to do), passing the eye test, and paying the appropriate $45 fee, good for 4 years. For me, it was in and out of the DMV in 10-20 mins...with a US driver's license (that arrived in the mail a week later)...easy peasy...Lol...if only the USCIS can be as efficient and as quick as the NYS DMV!!!

Funny though, now, I can drive and work legally in the USA for 4 years and longer, with a 4yr driver's license and an unrestricted SSN, yet I cannot live here for more than 2 years, unless I get my 2yr green card renewed for a 10 yr green card with the I-751 removal of conditions process...Weird....

Hope this helps. Good luck on the rest of your immigration journey too.

Ant (Still waiting at the VSC for the I-751, Still waiting for Baby…)

Please help....

My husband has a German drivers license and would like to drive in NYS. We learned that a valid driver license from another country is also valid in NYS. And that if you become a resident of NYS you can apply for a NYS drivers License BUT would have to surrender you foreign license. Well we do not want to surrender his German drivers license (even though the DMV in NYS holds it and we can request it back) because we travel often to Germany and drive there.

So after speaking with the DMV in NYS they said to contact the German Emabassy and get a translation of his German drivers license and then he would be able to drive. BUT to always carry both his German Drivers license and translation form at all times... and that would allow him to legally drive in NYS. Has anyone on vj done this?

OR, apply for an international drivers permit which is a translation of a foreign drivers license.

Has anyone heard of this? Surrendering your foreign license? Translating your foreign license? Basically how have German's who moved to NYS handled this in the past.

Your help and reponses are greatly appreciated. thanks in advance.

Edited February 3, 2009 by AntandD

[Mint518 0]

Unfortunately, here in New York State where I am, they require everyone to have an SSN before they issue a driver's license, regardless of immigration and/or other situation. So because of that, I had to wait until my green card, then another 8 weeks afterwards for my SSN (stupid SSA delay there) to get my US driver's license (see my VJ timeline for more information).

Actually, SSN is not required to obtain NYS drivers license (but you need to get a letter from Social Security Office stating you are not eligible to obtain SSN). I got my drivers license before my SSN. Here is the relevant link from DMV site. DMV Requirements for Social Security Cards and Social Security Numbers

[panterchen 1]

I would rather not drive at all in the US if I had to surrender my German driver's license

DL in Germany is insanely expensive and a crapsh*** of what you have to go through.

[Dr. Obvious 49]

I think the giving up of the license is only symbolic. It doesn't do anything to affect the status of the license in your own country.

To get a German license, I had to surrender my Indiana license. Oh well, the first trip back to Indiana, I went to the BMV, just said I lost it, showed some ID, and had replacement in 15 minutes. I don't know why something similar wouldn't be true for Germany. I can't see them making you go through all that ####### again just because you 'lost' your license somewhere.

[soch 2]

Thank you all for all your help! Written test: Passed :-)

[*julez* 124]

Hi soch...long time no see! My husband took and passed the road test in NY in Nov. 2008. They did not ask him to surrender his UK license. Although they indicate that on the DMV website, I've never heard of anyone who actually had to surrender a foreign license.

[Liebi 0]

I think it is more that Germany does not want people to have more than one valid driver's license, I do not think the United States care wether or not a person surrenders a foreign license, mostly it is the person's home country that wants that.

I told the DMV in Colorado that I had a German license but wanted to keep it and they just accepted that without making a big deal out of it. Even if a person surrenders the German license it does not mean that they would have to take the test again and pay all the money if moving back home, you would just have to go to your city hall (like you would if you had lost the license), your name will still be on file and you will be able to get a new license.

The one thing everybody has to make sure though while driving with a foreign license is if the insurance company provides coverage in case of an accident (I believe in alot of cases they do not provide that without an actual US license, but that may vary).