A DPS office that isn't impossibly busy?

[sheikh.yerbouti]

That's true for holders of non-expired licenses from U.S. and U.S. territories, Canada, France, and Germany.

Anywhere else - you can drive for up to 1 year in the U.S. due to the U.S. and many other nations being signers of the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic.

Beyond 1 year, you are then generally required to license in the U.S. state where you reside, subject to the whims of each individual state.

Some states will require you to license within 30 days if you plan on being a lawful resident. I believe this is the case in Texas.

In Texas, if you hold a license from another U.S. state or territory, or Canada, France or Germany, the written and skills tests are waived. Vision test is still required.

If you hold a license from somewhere else, or if your license is expired, depending by how much time has lapsed, you will be required to take the written and skills tests.

Originally Posted by pharpe

If you have a valid DL in any US state you do not have to retake the test to transfer to another state. I have transferred from Maryland to Louisiana and then to Texas and never had to re take a driving test.

[TheViking85]

Originally Posted by sheikh.yerbouti

Some states will require you to license within 30 days if you plan on being a lawful resident. I believe this is the case in Texas.

Though all the information you post is 100% accurate, the part I'm quoting isn't, what shall we say, heavily enforced. I've been here over 6 months already, and the first 30 days, I couldn't even get a license, so it's a requirement that only work if you come from another state, not another country.

I also know people who drove around Dallas for 4 years on an Arkansas license, etc, without getting any trouble.

But you are right, it's technically a requirement.

[5stones]

PS- any state that you live in in America will make you re-take the state test for that state.

NO! Once you hold a valid US drivers license all you do in your new state is go to the DPS, WAIT in a REALLY long line, take the vision test and your picture and viola...you have a new license for that state!

Only time I have had to take a written test (other than at 16 for my first license!) was in Germany to get my international license.

Have lived and had a drivers license in TX,Europe,CA,WA,CO,PA,VA and back to TX.