I moved from the US to the UK last year and am thinking of getting a car. Do I really need to take a driving test to get a UK license if I am licensed in the US?
2006-07-11 02:14:16 · 5 answers · asked by technoboy 2 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Insurance & Registration
The DVLA says:
"Provided your full licence remains valid, you can drive any category of small vehicle shown on your licence for up to 12 months from the time you became resident. To ensure continuous driving entitlement a provisional GB licence must have been obtained and a driving test(s) passed before the 12 month period elapses. If you obtain a provisional licence during this period, you are not subject to provisional licence conditions e.g. displaying `L' plates or being supervised by a qualified driver or being precluded from motorways.
However, if you do not pass a test within the 12 month concessionary period you will not be allowed to drive as a full licence holder and provisional licence conditions will apply.
If you do not apply for a provisional licence within the first 12 months you must stop driving and obtain a British provisional licence with a view to passing a driving test. Provisional licence conditions will then apply."
And in their "How to apply for a provisional driving licence" section:
"If you are required to pass a GB driving test in order to gain a full British licence you must first apply for a provisional driving licence. To do this you should complete an application form D1 (previously D750), available from Post Office® branches, and return it to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1AD with the correct fee.
Once you are in possession of the valid provisional licence, you must comply with the conditions applicable to provisional licence holders. These are printed on the back of the licence itself. You may not take a test unless you are resident in this country. Once you have passed both theory and practical parts of the driving test, you may then apply for your full licence."
For more information, you can visit their website at www.dvla.gov.uk
2006-07-11 02:20:54 · answer #1 · answered by HM 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, you will need to go through the full licensing procedure, just like the locals do. There is NO direct exchange of a US license for a UK license.
From personal experience, having lived in the UK for about 7 years total, you WILL need some formal driving instruction to make it through the test. The test you took when you got your US license is a bad joke by comparision to the road test in the UK.
You'll probably tank it the first time or two that you take it, even with driving instruction. That's pretty common, especially for us "Yanks" and our relatively poor driving habits.
BTW, your US license is only valid for one year from arrival. Once you've been in the UK for 12 continuous months, you may NOT legally drive on it. There is a way around this, though. Just leave the country and return and make SURE that your passport is stamped. A day return on the Dover-Calais ferry works quite nicely for this! This is all quite legal -- the family members of US military personnel stationed in the UK do this to avoid having to get a UK license. Do keep in mind that this is only good as long as your US license is valid. Once it expires, you have no option but getting a UK license.
Also, the so-called International Driver's Permit is a myth. All that it is is a translation of your license. It must be accompanied by a valid license from your home country or state, and is NOT valid in the country where it was issued. As English is the prevelant language in the US and UK, there's no need for a translation, so no need for the IDP.
2006-07-11 03:48:53 · answer #2 · answered by Bostonian In MO 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A British driver's license is perfectly valid in both the United States and Canada. The only purpose behind an International Driver's License is to translate the information on the driver's license into the language of the country you are visiting. Many law enforcement officers in both the United States and Canada can read the English printed on a British driver's license without much trouble. The same cannot be said for the German driver's license.
2016-03-27 00:57:52 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe that you can get an international drivers license that will suffice if you are not planning to move permanently there
2006-07-11 02:19:46 · answer #4 · answered by peter r 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First you will have to learn to drive properly....
2006-07-11 02:16:14 · answer #5 · answered by eriverpipe 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋