How To: Get a US driver’s license

The US and Germany have an agreement stating that a foreign driver's license is valid for one year to rent a car. It is not necessary to have an international driver's license for the US, but it might come in handy. An international driver's license is only valid in combination with your German driver's license. Quite frequently people use their time in the US to acquire a US driver's license. This, however, raises a number of questions. What do you have to know about acquiring the license and will it be accepted in Germany? Is there a minimum legal age? How does the transcription work? Do you have to repeat the test in Germany? Who is responsible for the transcription?

In general, each US state has its own rules for acquiring the driver's license and for every state's driver's licenses there are other rules for acceptance in Germany. Find detailed information on adac.de. The days when you could acquire a driver's license in Florida for $20 as a foreign tourist or long-term resident are long since gone. A driver's license is also the usual form of ID in the US, similar to the German "Personalausweis" that doesn't exist separately in the US. If you don't have a driver's license, however, you can always get a Florida ID that looks very similar to a driver's license. Find more information on www.hsmv.state.fl.us.

Before 9/11 the validity of the Florida driver's license was not dependent on the validity of the visa. And after that? A lot has changed. Now, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and the US Citizenship and Immigration Services work more closely together and have access to each other's databases - and thus access to illegal immigrants. And if you just want to change the address on your card, you might get it back with an earlier expiration date. Not because the authorities made a mistake, but because they follow the new regulations. We will inform you about what you need to apply for a driver's license and how long it will be valid with the example of Florida.

Application documents: All legal residents of Florida may obtain a driver's license. Applicants with a temporary visa will first get a preliminary license, the real one will be in the mail within 90 days. This is what you should keep in mind and submit with your application:

1. Documents: passport with I-94 card, valid visa, old (European) driver's license, green card application (if available), work permit (if available)
2. Please note: the DMV needs originals, copies will not be accepted.
3. Addition: in case your documents are of a temporary nature, e.g. a work permit (EAD) or I-94 arrival/departure record, your license will expire at the same date your other documents expire. With the I-485 Receipt Note, however, the license will be issued for two years.
4. A Labor Certification alone is not sufficient, because this is for the employer and not specifically for the employee.
5. A mistake? If you discover only after your application has been submitted that you could have had a longer validity on your license if you had submitted other documentation (e.g. the I-485 Receipt Note) the DMV allows you to re-apply (extra fee!).
6. "Florida Only" driver's license: you may apply for this in case you already have a driver's license from another US state - and you want to leave your primary registration in that state. Otherwise you will have to hand in your other driver's license and it will be invalidated.

Validity: driver's licenses with a two-year validity may be obtained by submitting

1. I-130 (green card application for foreign family members) or I-140 (immigration application for foreign workers) Receipt Note. This document must not be older than two years. Otherwise you will need an extra confirmation that your application is still pending.
2. I-130 or I-140 Approval Notice, not more than two years old.
3. I-130 Approval Notice, if the petitioner is a US citizen (1st or 3rd category or immediate relation).
4. I-485 Approval Notice in case of a pending green card application
5. Notification by the court about a hearing with the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA); document of the appeal; BIA appointment
6. I-102 application and copy of the I-94 card
7. I-94 for Advance Parole Document
8. Receipt Notice for the I-539 change of non-immigration status application (less than two years old)
9. Asylum seekers under the reservation of deportation
10. Control order

Driver's licenses dependent on the visa validity may be obtained by submitting

1. Limited residence permit (TPS Approval Notice) until the expiration date on the TPS Approval Notice
2. Work permit (EAD) until the expiration date of the work permit, application for asylum (I-589 notification) for a driver's license limited to two years.
3. I-94 Arrival/Departure Record for non-immigrant visas (B, E, H, L, O, P, etc.) with expiration of the I-94. In case your non-immigrant visa is extended (I-539 Approval Notice) your driver's license will be extended as well for the new validity period.

PLEASE NOTE: Each US state has different regulations for driver's licenses. The website www.carbuyingtips.com/dmv.htm offers links to this for all 50 states including the respective DMV offices.