Getting a Driver's License in Colorado with a K-1

[bluetraveller 4]

Hi all,

There's a few topics on this sub-forum related to Colorado driver's licenses. I thought I'd write a new entry that included the word "Colorado" in the title for easy finding and explain how it worked for me here. Maybe it'll help others.

Colorado.gov's "Smart Start" is quite helpful with the process, and should be used to check for general requirements first: http://www.colorado.gov/apps/dor/dmv/smartstart/cardCenter.jsf

This other page may give news about the topic and other general info: http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/Revenue-MV/RMV/1177024843078

This is a direct link to the Colorado Driver Handbook

With a K-1 you have to have filed for AOS and have the I-797C (NOA1) in your possession in order to get a Driver's License. If you already have the EAD or AP* they can be used instead of the NOA1. This info is NOT listed on the colorado.gov site, where it only says that you need your I-94 and K-1.

The deal is that with the NOA1 the license/permit you get will expire the day the I-94 expires, so you may want to wait to have the EAD or AP* so that your expiration date is of at least a year ahead. Coincidentally in Colorado you can use your foreign driver's license for up to 90 days since you entered the country, so you can use that in the meantime. However in my case I wanted the permit/license so that I could get car insurance, since the insurance company wouldn't take a foreign driver's license. Also in order to get that out of the way now that I have more time.

I used the "Smart Start" tool to schedule a written test appointment to get a driver's permit (you don't have to but this way you may wait less). By the way, other than for tests, I found that the last 1.5 hours before they close after non-holiday on Tue/Wed/Thurs is when they're less busy. I had to show this documentation:

• Passport with K-1
• I-94 printed out
• Proof of address

Because they don't give I-94 cards anymore and you have to look it up online, they need a few days to send a request to the SAVE database with your I-94 details, to see if you are "confirmed". So I took the written test, but couldn't walk out with the permit because I wasn't "confirmed" yet. So I left and about 5 days later I got a letter in the mail from the State of Colorado confirming the look up from the SAVE database. After that I went back to the DMV with:

• Passport with K-1
• I-94 printed out
• Proof of address
• "Confirmed" SAVE look up paper
• Marriage certificate
• NOA1 (I-797C) from AOS

And I got my permit, with the expiration date being the day the I-94 expires.

After a few days after passing the driving test, which I did in a driving school -otherwise it meant waiting for a month to get an appointment at the DMV- for $50, I went back to the DMV with all of the above + the certificate from the driving school, and I got my driving license.

The next step will be to go again once I have the EAD or AP* to use the expiration date on that document to renew my license. I will take all of the documents listed above just in case, but I don't think they'll need the marriage certificate or the NOA1, since the EAD/AP overrides that. The concept the DMV handles is, "you can renew/extend your license with every change of status in your adjustment process". That means NOA1-->EAD/AP-->GC. Although I read in another post that someone managed to get a later expiration date with the biometrics' appointment letter. I might try that.

The cost of the whole thing is as follows:
$14 for the permit
$21 for the license
$50 for the driving test
$21 for every time you renew/extend your license.

*I'm not so sure about the AP, but I'd think it can be used in the same way as the EAD.

Edited October 18, 2013 by bluetraveller

[HollyGolightly 72]

Very informative post. Thanks for taking the time to outline the process for those who need to apply for a DMV card while in immigration process. I too had to apply for a Colorado license after I got my EAD. I'm in AOS and had filed my papers mid July and could not get a license until I got my EAD and SSN. You are right about the long wait for the driving test. I am still waiting to take it but have an appointment this last week of October. I'm getting by with just the permit for now but hope to graduate to a real license soon as I am done with the driving test. Though I wish I had known about taking the driving test with a driving school sooner.

[Dave&Roza 748]

Two things to add. I would always go on-line and make an appointment at the DMV you are going to visit. Cuts down on the wait by 2 hours. Second, if you wait until you have the GC then the learners permit is the normal 3 years. My wife is slowly working on the driving part and will take the driving test with her instructor who is qualified to administer the driving test. Please check as not all driving schools/instructors have been blessed by the state to give the driving test. The actual plastic drivers license or learners permit is mailed to your address. All we left with that day was a paper copy (pre I-94 going electronic BTW). You can use your foreign DL until you become a resident of the State of CO which is a maximum of 120 days--90 days of presence and then 30 days to obtain the license. You can become a resident of the State of CO if you fulfill the requirements listed in the link provided. It is more about being able to obtain insurance and protect yourself should you have an accident.

Good information. Another thing is that you can renew your DL on-line once is a 10 year period if you have no violations which saves a lot of time.

Dave

Edited October 19, 2013 by Dave&Roza

[bluetraveller 4]

Two things to add. I would always go on-line and make an appointment at the DMV you are going to visit. Cuts down on the wait by 2 hours. Second, if you wait until you have the GC then the learners permit is the normal 3 years. My wife is slowly working on the driving part and will take the driving test with her instructor who is qualified to administer the driving test. Please check as not all driving schools/instructors have been blessed by the state to give the driving test. The actual plastic drivers license or learners permit is mailed to your address. All we left with that day was a paper copy (pre I-94 going electronic BTW). You can use your foreign DL until you become a resident of the State of CO which is a maximum of 120 days--90 days of presence and then 30 days to obtain the license. You can become a resident of the State of CO if you fulfill the requirements listed in the link provided. It is more about being able to obtain insurance and protect yourself should you have an accident.

Good information. Another thing is that you can renew your DL on-line once is a 10 year period if you have no violations which saves a lot of time.

Dave

Good informative additions to my post, thanks for contributing.

I wanted to comment on the online renewal possibility. According to the eligibility requirements in https://www.colorado.gov/vroom/renewlicense/index.jsf you must be a US citizen to renew online. Do you know whether a permanent resident would be able to renew? I kind of discarded that possibility when I read the requirements...

[Dave&Roza 748]

Good informative additions to my post, thanks for contributing.

I wanted to comment on the online renewal possibility. According to the eligibility requirements in https://www.colorado.gov/vroom/renewlicense/index.jsf you must be a US citizen to renew online. Do you know whether a permanent resident would be able to renew? I kind of discarded that possibility when I read the requirements...

I honestly do not remember if it asked if I was a USC or not. It asked for my current DL#, whether I had any violations and if I had had an eye exam within the last year. I paid the $22 fee with my CC and a couple of weeks later the new DL arrived in the mail. I do not see why it would matter as the DMV SHOULD have your file under your DL# and if you qualify for the 5 year license doe sit really matter if you are a USC or not. All I can say is try, but be careful about registering to vote, since they state you must be a USC they may automatically register to vote which is a no-no for a LPR.

Good luck,

Dave

[moondream 36]

Hi all,

There's a few topics on this sub-forum related to Colorado driver's licenses. I thought I'd write a new entry that included the word "Colorado" in the title for easy finding and explain how it worked for me here. Maybe it'll help others.

Colorado.gov's "Smart Start" is quite helpful with the process, and should be used to check for general requirements first: http://www.colorado.gov/apps/dor/dmv/smartstart/cardCenter.jsf

This other page may give news about the topic and other general info: http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/Revenue-MV/RMV/1177024843078

This is a direct link to the Colorado Driver Handbook

With a K-1 you have to have filed for AOS and have the I-797C (NOA1) in your possession in order to get a Driver's License. If you already have the EAD or AP* they can be used instead of the NOA1. This info is NOT listed on the colorado.gov site, where it only says that you need your I-94 and K-1.

The deal is that with the NOA1 the license/permit you get will expire the day the I-94 expires, so you may want to wait to have the EAD or AP* so that your expiration date is of at least a year ahead. Coincidentally in Colorado you can use your foreign driver's license for up to 90 days since you entered the country, so you can use that in the meantime. However in my case I wanted the permit/license so that I could get car insurance, since the insurance company wouldn't take a foreign driver's license. Also in order to get that out of the way now that I have more time.

I used the "Smart Start" tool to schedule a written test appointment to get a driver's permit (you don't have to but this way you may wait less). By the way, other than for tests, I found that the last 1.5 hours before they close after non-holiday on Tue/Wed/Thurs is when they're less busy. I had to show this documentation:

• Passport with K-1
• I-94 printed out
• Proof of address

Because they don't give I-94 cards anymore and you have to look it up online, they need a few days to send a request to the SAVE database with your I-94 details, to see if you are "confirmed". So I took the written test, but couldn't walk out with the permit because I wasn't "confirmed" yet. So I left and about 5 days later I got a letter in the mail from the State of Colorado confirming the look up from the SAVE database. After that I went back to the DMV with:

• Passport with K-1
• I-94 printed out
• Proof of address
• "Confirmed" SAVE look up paper
• Marriage certificate
• NOA1 (I-797C) from AOS

And I got my permit, with the expiration date being the day the I-94 expires.

After a few days after passing the driving test, which I did in a driving school -otherwise it meant waiting for a month to get an appointment at the DMV- for $50, I went back to the DMV with all of the above + the certificate from the driving school, and I got my driving license.

The next step will be to go again once I have the EAD or AP* to use the expiration date on that document to renew my license. I will take all of the documents listed above just in case, but I don't think they'll need the marriage certificate or the NOA1, since the EAD/AP overrides that. The concept the DMV handles is, "you can renew/extend your license with every change of status in your adjustment process". That means NOA1-->EAD/AP-->GC. Although I read in another post that someone managed to get a later expiration date with the biometrics' appointment letter. I might try that.

The cost of the whole thing is as follows:

$14 for the permit

$21 for the license

$50 for the driving test

$21 for every time you renew/extend your license.

*I'm not so sure about the AP, but I'd think it can be used in the same way as the EAD.

Hi! You are lucky that they let you take the driving exam and have a license. Im stuck in expired driving permit I went to DMV fort collins today to renew it. I showed them my EAD card and i was told by the lady that they can't renew my driving permit because the USCIS havent updated my name (married name) so she advised me to call the uscis. I called USCIS just to be told that i need a infopass for the local uscis update my name Geez! Im going nuts........

[bluetraveller 4]

I can't edit the original post anymore, but there's an update to add to it.

I got the EAD card yesterday and went to the DMV to get my license renewed, since it expired on the day my I-94 expired. I was only asked for the EAD and my expired license but... they couldn't process it. A very helpful man informed me that because my status has changed, the previous SAVE confirmation is not valid anymore, and the process has to be done again. Although, this time, it's not the DMV who looks me up on the SAVE database. This time I have to go, in person, to one of the main DMV offices with a form they gave me. I'm attaching a pic of the form in question. It was disappointing to walk out of there without a license but oh well...

[NikLR 13,220]

Just to note once you go to the Department of Revenue office for the SAVE info fixing, you have to wait for the letter in the mail (2-6 weeks) before going back to the DMV. I tried to go a week later without the letter and they hadn't made a note in my file and told me I needed the letter. Once I had the letter, there was still some kind of issue on the file but they were willing to keep going and finish the process.

Also to note: Canadians do not have to get a learners. We can hand in our provincial driver's licence and they work it like a state exchange.

[moondream 36]

Thanks for posting the save info.... helps me a lot.

[bluetraveller 4]

And I have one more update:

I went to the Department of Revenue as indicated by the SAVE appointment letter above and got verified on the spot, so I didn't have to wait for a letter in the mail and could renew my license on the same day, in the same place. I should have asked if this is common or why it happened but I didn't, sorry. Maybe the type of visa (K-1), the fact I was verified with the I-94 before and already had a license, I'm not sure, but it was really helpful to be able to sort everything out on the same morning.

Now I have a 1 year license, expiring when my EAD expires.

Green card will be next!

PS. I wasn't asked for any of the photo copies or the envelope, just had to show expired license and EAD.

[NikLR 13,220]

I had my green card in hand and still had to be verified via SAVE. I was told I had to go back to the same place to get my licence as I had originally applied.

[-Shana- 152]

This has been a really helpful thread since I'm planning on learning how to drive in Colorado. I never got around to it in the UK since it's so expensive to learn here, but my fiance is agreeing to teach me (god help him).

I was wondering...could I get a drivers permit using my I-94 and then wait for my EAD to take the driving test? My thinking is if I can do this my drivers licence wouldn't expire with the I-94, it would expire with the EAD. It'd be nice to cut out the messing around getting verified by SAVE again and I'm happy to wait and drive around with a learners permit.

[VOL 425]

I Don't know how many illegal aliens you have up there. But in Texas as long as you have Insurance the cops will overlook driver license most of the times, if you are an Immigrant.......

[-Shana- 152]

I think my question was irrelevant since I'm guessing once my I-94 expires I'd have to be re-entered into SAVE to apply with my EAD anyway...right?

I Don't know how many illegal aliens you have up there. But in Texas as long as you have Insurance the cops will overlook driver license most of the times, if you are an Immigrant.......

I'd rather not risk it!!

[-Shana- 152]

For anyone if they're looking up this information - I didn't have to go through such a lengthy process when getting my instruction permit. Perhaps it's because I didn't change my last name or they've updated the system? Either way, I went in, took my written test, showed my I-797C, I-94, passport and certified copy of my marriage certificate and I was given a permit that expires in 2018. I didn't even have my EAD, so I was expecting to have to renew it when my I-94 expiration date was up, so it was a pleasant surprise to know that I got the full 3 year permit without any hassle.