Gina

Yeah, my husband says it's not hard too, he says you'd have to be pretty
awful to fail the test, heh. It's just a pain in the you-know-what more than
anything else. If I'd been told I need a drive test, I would have already
had it done the same day I took my written!

"berga" <member11049@british_expats.com> wrote in message
news:...
    > Originally posted by Gina
    > > Hi everyone... you all don't
    > know me, but I feel like I know you because I
    > > come looking here to
    > find all my information whenever I have questions...
    > > and usually a
    > search helps me out. So hello and thank you! :)
    > >
    > > I'm hoping someone
    > has tried to get a California drivers license recently,
    > > so they tell
    > me if they had to take a drive test or not.
    > >
    > > My dilemma is this.
    > Last month I finally sucked it up and sat at the stupid
    > > DMV, talked to
    > someone about getting my license. I'm an Australian national,
    > > I have
    > an Australian license. The staff at the DMV were really nice and it
    > >
    > seemed very simple. They said all I need to do is pass a written test
    > and I
    > > would be issued a CA license.
    > >
    > > The fact is, I'd been in
    > there several times and each time I'd been told I
    > > didn't need to take
    > a drive test, all I needed to do was take a written
    > > test. Which last
    > month I finally did and they said my license was in the
    > > mail.
    > >
    > > I
    > ended up moving earlier than anticipated and I know government mail
    > isn't
    > > supposed to be forwarded (although lord knows all my INS stuff
    > has always
    > > been forwarded no matter how much they say it won't be). So
    > I called because
    > > I was worried about my license being returned to the
    > DMV.
    > >
    > > The rep says I need a drive test. I questioned his information
    > and he got
    > > all defensive saying "how can you expect to come to this
    > country and have us
    > > just recognize your license like that? you need a
    > drive test"...
    > > Ehhhh...Excuse me buddy, I don't "expect" anything, I'm
    > going by what YOU
    > > PEOPLE told me, on numerous occaisons... get it
    > right.
    > >
    > > OK, he refuses to get me a supervisor, my husband calls back
    > to complain and
    > > so do I... Both reps are adamant that I DO NOT need a
    > drive test. The second
    > > rep I talk to looks up the status and tells me
    > my license is "in process"
    > > and is just awaiting for my SSN and
    > associated info I provided to
    > > validate... she then transfers me to a
    > supervisor and the supervisor backs
    > > up the rude rep and says I need a
    > drive test too.
    > >
    > > I know I went off on a tangent there (apologies...
    > venting)... but I'm
    > > hoping someone here has been through this process
    > here in California and can
    > > tell me whether they needed a drive test or
    > not. I'm so busy. I work
    > > full-time, I go to school, the next time DMV
    > is open on a saturday is 3
    > > weeks away... If I don't have to take a
    > drive test, I don't wanna, just
    > > because some crusty old f___ at DMV
    > wants to make my life a little more
    > > difficult. I don't think thats
    > unreasonable of me. If I have to take it
    > > though, I have no problem
    > with that either... I just want the right
    > > information, thats all.
    > >
    > >
    > I searched and I found lots of DMV experiences, but none very recent or
    > > specifically for California... Again, I really appreciate your help.
    > I don't
    > > know where I'd be without this forum! Maybe I should post my
    > AOS
    > > experience/timeline so that I can give back a bit and contribute
    > some...
    > >
    > > Regards, Gina
    > Hi Gina
    > I got my DL last autumn,
    > the test is not that hard actually
    > but I had to take both. However they
    > issued a interim DL while I was waiting for my SS number and so that I
    > could take the behind the wheel test.
    > Good luck
    > D
    > --
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com

Gina

Yeah I know... But since the DMV employees seem to say different things, I
wondered if others had to take the drive test too, or if they scraped by
without it. It sucks to have to devote another Saturday morning to that
hole.

I'm originally from Sydney... I've been in CA for about a year and a half
though. Used to live in Maryland though! :)

    > Sorry, but if you were told you do not need a behind the wheel test to
    > get a California drivers' license when all you have is an Australian
    > license then multiple people misinformed you. The regulation has always
    > been such, unless it changed since Derek (also an Aussie - where are you
    > from? :)) got his license finished last November. Here is the link to
    > the website itself about licensure, which contains the rule about
behind-the-
    > wheel tests for those holding a foreign license:
    > http://www.dmv.ca.gov/dl/dl_info.htm#2500
    > Sorry you got
    > all that confusion.
    > --
    > Dekka's Angel
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com

Gina

Yeah, I saw that too, but I kinda wanted to know if others scraped by
without having to do it!

"Richard Cochran" <> wrote in message
news:...
    > "gina" <> wrote in message
news:<83khc.53412$>...
    > > Hi everyone... you all don't know me, but I feel like I know you because
I
    > > come looking here to find all my information whenever I have
questions...
    > > and usually a search helps me out. So hello and thank you! :)
    > >
    > > I'm hoping someone has tried to get a California drivers license
recently,
    > > so they tell me if they had to take a drive test or not.
    > I haven't gone through the process recently, but the California DMV has
    > a website with all the detailed info at http://www.dmv.ca.gov The
    > info you're looking for is on http://www.dmv.ca.gov/dl/dl_info.htm#2500
    > It says, in part
    > "If you have a license from another country, you will be required to take
    > a driving test. If you have a license from another state, the driving test
    > can be waived."
    > That first link also points toward the California Vehicle Code, the
    > actual words of the laws passed by our legislators. It's not easy to
    > read, but I think the relevant law is section 12804.9(1)(D), which
    > says in part:
    > "12804.9. (1) The examination shall include all of the following:
    > [snip Sections A-C about written test, English proficiency, and signs]
    > (D) An actual demonstration of the applicant's ability to exercise
    > ordinary and reasonable control in operating a motor vehicle by driving
    > it under the supervision of an examining officer. The applicant shall
    > submit to an examination appropriate to the type of motor vehicle or
    > combination of vehicles he or she desires a license to drive, except
    > that the department may waive the driving test part of the examination
    > for any applicant who submits a license issued by another state,
    > territory, or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia,
    > or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ..."
    > The full text of that section is at
    > http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d06/vc12804_9.htm
    > I'm afraid you have to take the driving test unless you already have
    > a valid license from the USA, and whatever clerk(s) told you
    > that another country's license could be used to waive the driver's
    > test were probably confused.
    > --Rich
    > (not a lawyer, not even pretending to be one, just looking up
    > info on the web).

Gina

It is, once someone told me... but Iwanted to know if others had to do it,
or if they got issued one anyway, by talking to employees who think they
don't need a drive test.

I'd still be clueless unless I just happened to call the DMV about a totally
separate issue!

"mrtravelkay" <> wrote in message
news:vQmhc.39204$...
    > gina wrote:
    > > Hi everyone... you all don't know me, but I feel like I know you because
I
    > > come looking here to find all my information whenever I have
questions...
    > > and usually a search helps me out. So hello and thank you! :)
    > >
    > > I'm hoping someone has tried to get a California drivers license
recently,
    > > so they tell me if they had to take a drive test or not.
    > My wife had a Russian license and had to take the road test. I think it
    > should be something easy to find out about on the DMV website.