Calif. Driver License

[* Kristin * 49]

Hi there-

Hoping someone might have some advice?

I was on the California DMV web site and I notice that you can get a Calif. driver license with your EAD card. Is this advisable? Or it it better to wait 'til a full green card is received...?

Thanks!

Kristin & Richie

[SuperDuper! 230]

You can only get a CA drivers license for as long as you immigration documents are valid.

So, it is better to wait until you have your conditional GC for 2 years.

Really, where are you going to drive around for 90 days after you get here.

Have your man do the driving until you get GC.

Enjoy yourself!

[kcoyclay1 98]

Yes you can, but it's not worth it. It's best to wait for the GC

[ceadsearc 516]

In most cases, if you get a driver's license using an EAD your driver's license will expire when your EAD expires. For us, that was worth it, since that was several months earlier my husband could start driving and all he had to do was renew it once he got his green card. If you don't want to have to pay for extra renewals, you can wait, but there's no reason you need to if your state allows you to get a green card with an EAD.

[Brother Hesekiel 2,235]

The new California Driver Licenses (thank you for not using an apostrophe!) are being made in Connecticut. They are so safe and contain so many safety features that the company that makes them can't make them right. In plain English, California rejects many of them. It takes a long time to get such a license, and how pretty it is!

If you apply for a Driver License at any of the California DMV offices now you'll get a piece of paper, not unlike what you have in the bathroom, certainly not prettier, nor softer, and it doesn't have a photo on it, meaning it's pretty much worthless as you can't use it for identification purposes. Since that's the case, you might as well drive with your British license for a few weeks longer and then only spend the money on a shiny new California Driver License once.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Or, you can get one with your EAD, which will expire when the EAD expires, which is one year after date of issue. Since you already paid for five years to drive, they will extend your Driver's License for the the length of your two year LPR and for even longer, when you get your 10 year card, at no additional cost, other than a first class stamp. Just photocopy your proof of legal presence document, and send it in with the request form, when you receive it from the DMV. That way, when you get pulled over and can't show a valid California Driver's License, having resided in California for more than 10 days, you will not get a ticket, or risk having your vehicle impounded.

[* Kristin * 49]

Thanks for all the responses, all... (and apologies for my delay here; new year got in the way of things.)

Our interview is just over a month away and to make things easiest on us, I suppose, we'll hold off this next month and Richie will take his test after the GC arrives.

Cheers!

The new California Driver Licenses (thank you for not using an apostrophe!) are being made in Connecticut. They are so safe and contain so many safety features that the company that makes them can't make them right. In plain English, California rejects many of them. It takes a long time to get such a license, and how pretty it is!

If you apply for a Driver License at any of the California DMV offices now you'll get a piece of paper, not unlike what you have in the bathroom, certainly not prettier, nor softer, and it doesn't have a photo on it, meaning it's pretty much worthless as you can't use it for identification purposes. Since that's the case, you might as well drive with your British license for a few weeks longer and then only spend the money on a shiny new California Driver License once.