. Christina & Terence Edgar's 'Driving in California' Page

Advice for anyone wanting to drive in California
(written 5th August 2004, last updated 13th November 2004)

Upon arrival in the USA we had to get from the airport to our accommodation, which meant a joyful drive along the freeway...

AAARRGGHH?!?

Six lanes of traffic with cars passing on the left and cars passing on the right. Knuckles white from clinging to the steering wheel. Steering wheel on the wrong side of the car, everyone on the wrong side of the road or is it the right side of the road? Quite a frightening experience!

Well, it can be quite daunting so we decided if we are going to be here for a year and with driving being 'the way to go', it made sense to obtain a Californian Drivers License and then buy a car.


Here's how we did it...


 Paperwork & Preparation

If you already have a UK drivers license then things can be a lot easier. (I have and so has my husband.) The first thing to do is get hold of a copy of the California Drivers Handbook. You can possibly get one from your International Officer or certainly from the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles). The closest DMV office to SLAC we found to be in Redwood City.

300 Brewster Avenue
Redwood City
California
94063
(800) 777-0133
Street Map 		Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday: 8:00am to 5:00pm
Wednesday: 9:00am to 5:00pm
Saturday: Closed
DMV offices provide Saturday service the third Saturday of each month.
The offices are closed on the Monday before the Saturday service.

Read this book from COVER to COVER...

You may feel like skipping sections - my advice is DON'T!
You will think that they couldn't possibly ask questions on some of the sections - take it from me, they do! But don't worry too much - a lot of the test is common sense.

The handbook does say that if you are a visitor in California, over 18 and have a valid drivers license from your home country, you may drive in California as long as your home license remains valid BUT if you take a job here or become a resident, you must get a California driver license within 10 days.


 The Theory Test

This is very similar to the theory test now administered in England. In fact, if you took your UK test around 1999, it is just like the paper test that you had to sit then. It is a simple case of multiple choice questions. Some are purely text whereas others contain a picture of a roadsign, for example.

Test yourself...

 Once you have taken in all that driving knowledge from the handbook, why not test yourself by having a go at these sample tests...

Sample Test 1
Sample Test 2
(These are saved as Microsoft word documents.
The answers are at the bottom of the page - upside down.)

If you want a PDF version, please email me (from my Comments page).

 First visit to the DMV

 If you feel good and confident then you are ready to meet the lovely people at the DMV. It pays to phone and make an appointment otherwise you could find yourself having a really loooong wait.

Upon arrival you must queue for a number and the relevant form (DL44), then take a seat in the waiting room and fill in your form. Eventually your number will be called for one of the many 'help desks'.

Take with you your... Depending on who is dealing with you, you may be asked for a Social Security Number. Students on LTA at SLAC are currently not eligible for this number so stand your ground and insist. (Your liaison officer may be able to give you a copy of a letter explaining this.) When I went to apply along with my husband, we were dealt with at separate windows. Neither of us had a Social Security Number: where I was rejected, my husband's application was accepted. We decided to question this and found that my application should not have been refused. Eventually it was accepted.

After answering numerous questions you will be given an eye test...
Hanging from the ceiling at the centre there are numerous cards with letters on - just like you would find at an optician. You will be asked to read from one of these cards with one eye covered, each eye in turn.

You will also have to pay a fee of $24 but that covers... The only reason you may be asked for more money is if you do not pass the behind-the-wheel test on your first attempt. Retaking the test has a retest fee of $5.

After all this, you will be sent to another desk to have your lovely picture taken and give a thumbprint.

 The real thing...

 You will be given an exam sheet and sent to the test corner.

Do your best... Good luck!

 You need six or less errors to pass. (You do have three chances to pass this test.) Take your exam sheet back to the same window for marking.
Pass
 You will be issued a permit if you have never
been licensed. You can now leave the Centre with
a BIG smile and get prepared for the next stage!
Fail
 You will need to retake the test on another occasion.

The Practical Test

When you practice for the practical part of the test, you must have an accompanying adult who...
This person must be close enough to you to take control of the vehicle if necessary. It is illegal for you to drive alone.

If you have a valid UK license this is not necessary.

 Behind the wheel...

 Depending on how confident you are at driving on the opposite side of the road to the UK, you may think you need lessons before your on-the-road test. If you haven't driven much (or if you haven't driven at all!) in the UK, then we suggest you take some lessons. There are quite a few tutors available. Driving on the right doesn't come naturally!

Some differences between the rules of the road in the UK and here...
(This is definitely NOT an exhaustive list!)

As soon as you have the hang of it all, make sure you contact the DMV test centre to book your on-the-road test appointment.

 The skills needed...

 This link will take you to a large jpeg image of a "driving performance evaluation score sheet".

Driving test score sheet

Here are a few tips on some of the sections on the score sheet...

The day of the test...

 Arrive in good time and check in at reception. Don't forget your temporary driver's licence (the little slip you were given when you passed your theory test). You will also be asked for proof of valid insurance for the car you are taking you test in and your vehicle's registration form.

Once checked in, sit back and relax(!?!) until you are called.

Good luck... Drive carefully!

 Make sure you know the operations of your car - where the turn signals/hand brake/horn are, for example. You will also be asked to demonstrate all the arm signals so make sure you know them too.

Once the examiner climbs aboard it's time to go! They will give you directions - all turns will be given in plenty of time so you will always know where you are being expected to go. So it pays to listen!

You will be taken around the streets close to the test centre, taking in many different maneuvers. Take a look at the driving test score sheet (via the link in the previous section). It will hopefully give you an idea of the kind of thing to expect during the test.

When the examiner is satisfied, they will direct you back to the test center, where they will check your score on the test sheet and inform you whether you have passed (Woo hoo!) or failed (Boo hoo!). Either way, be polite and thank them for their time because if (by some bad luck) you fail, when you come to take your test again, you may get the same examiner!

Pass or fail, take your completed test sheet back to reception...
Pass
 You will be given a temporary driver's licence.
An ID-card-style licence will appear in the post
about 2 or 3 weeks later.
Fail
 An appointment will be made for you to take another test.
You will be asked to pay a small fee ($5) for the retest.
Happy Driving!
I hope this page will be useful to many people.

If you have any comments or questions, I would be happy to hear from you.
Or if you have recently gone through the process and something has changed, please let me know.

!! Don't forget !!

Check out my pages on Shopping and Recreation in California!

!! Don't forget !!