Exchanging your australian driving licence to a U.S one

[MADDEN 40]

Looking for information or experience from anyone who has obtained their U.S driving licence. Was wondering if you can exchange your Australian one or do you need to resit a driving theory test, also how soon after arriving in the U.S on the K1 can you apply.

Any info much appreciated.

[Boiler 45,670]

Check with your State DMV, they each vary.

[aruadha 58]

My hubby (we live in Tennessee) had to retake the whole thing. Written test, vision test, and driving test. And he was not able to do so until he had the EAD card. And even then, they continued to do background check to see if his AOS was submitted and being processed. He got his EAD mid December last year, and didn't have his license until February 2015.

License was also only good until his EAD expires. So, since his EAD expires this December, he has to take in either his Green card (which we just recently got) or his renewed EAD and have new license made.

But I agree with pp that each state differs and from what others have said, it even differs within the states, at each place you go.... Sorry. Oh, and you do not surrender your Australian license.

Best of luck.

[acgmph 42]

Looking for information or experience from anyone who has obtained their U.S driving licence. Was wondering if you can exchange your Australian one or do you need to resit a driving theory test, also how soon after arriving in the U.S on the K1 can you apply.

Any info much appreciated.

I'm also in Pennsylvania and was looking into the same thing. You need to sit through both theory and practice tests, unfortunately. There are only two European countries which can just exchange the licenses, France and Germany, as they have an agreement with the state of PA, everyone else needs to pass theory and road, plus you need medical and eye and the whole shebang...

[MADDEN 40]

Thank you everyone so much for all the fantastic information. It's been over 20 years since I had to sit a driving theory/practice test so this will be very interesting, lets hope I remember to drive on the correct side of the road .

[Boiler 45,670]

US test is a joke, whichever State.

I did not believe what I was told, they were right.