UK > Ohio - driving license questions (rental, insurance)

[BritishGuy36]

Hi all! First post here. I found this forum while googleing for some answers about getting my drivers license in Ohio.

I should emmigrate from the UK soon and will need to get up and running with an OH drivers license as soon as possible.

I have read what seems like the whole of the BMV website and searched on this and other forums, but I could do with some clarification, if anyone who knows the answers to my questions would be so kind as to assist.

1) I will arrive in Ohio with the following documentation:


a) UK passport complete with photo, date of birth and correct USCIS documentation (I-551 stamp, which will be the legal equivalent of an unconditional 10-year green card).


b) UK birth certificate detailing full name and date of birth.


c) Full and clean UK drivers license bearing date of birth and photo.


Will presentation of the above documents be sufficient to take the written and skills tests, and apply for an Ohio drivers license?


I will not have the actual green card itself for several weeks after my entry into the US, due to the time it takes USCIS to process the issueance of the card. As stated above, I will have the I-551 stamp in my passport, however.


2) I will not own a car immediately upon my arrival. Can I take the driving test in a rental vehicle?


3) Assuming the answer to 2 is yes - as the rental vehicle was rented using my UK drivers license and is fully insured using that license as a non-learner driver, can I drive myself to and from the testing centre for the “skills test”? I understand the custom is to have someone else drive you to the centre, but would I be allowed to drive myself there and back under these circumstances?


4) Can I take the driving test without a Social Security Number? At the point of entry into the US, I will never have been assigned one, and will not be assigned one for several weeks while the Social Security Office processes my application. The BMV website states that I must supply documentation proving an SSN, “if ever assigned”. I hope to take the test within a couple of weeks of arrival, which will be prior to me ever being assigned an SSN.


5) How long can I drive in Ohio on my UK drivers license without taking an Ohio driving test?


6) This page Non-Renewable/Non-Transferable Driver License dealing with non-US citizens is a little confusing. It states that non-US citizens will be allocated a non-renewable, non-transferrable license. Then in the paragraph below it states that green card holders will be assigned a regular license, which is both renewable and transferrable.


Can anyone confirm that upon passing a driving test I would obtain a regular license, and not a restricted one?

Thanks for reading!

BG36

[Paddington]

Why don't you drive on an international license for a while, before you get yourself situated with a social security card and perhaps a friend who will let you borrow their car to take the test. I'm sure you can rent a car, but I haven't heard of anyone doing it. The lack of social security number may be a deal breaker, but I'm not sure about that. Go check the Ohio BMV site for details.

Acceptable Identification Documents

[BritishGuy36]

Thanks for replying.

There's no such thing as an international driving "license", that's just a translation of the license from your home country to other languages. As my license is a UK one, and both countries have a first language of English, it would be redundant.

I want to get a US license as soon as possible as I believe it may the case that I can only drive for 30 days on my UK license. In addition, I am told that insurance premiums are significantly higher should one get insured whilst holding only a non-US license.

I have checked the BMV site thoroughly, and the point about SSN isn't clear, hence my question. I might see if I can email the BMV directly and see what they say.

I'd be interested in any other forum members' responses in this thread though.

[DeoGratias]

The BMV site is very unclear on several points. The only way you'll get a decent answer is to call one of the State Police offices listed on the site. Keep asking questions until you get some answers.

[Crew Chief]

Welcome to Ohio, BritishGuy 36! My wife is German and we went thru the same process. The big difference she had a license fromt the U.S. forces in Germany and she was able to surrender THAT license for her Ohio license. When we first returned to the U.S., we weren't sure which side of the Atlantic we wanted to retire on, so she was loathe to turn in her German D/L on a U.S. one. If there's a chance you might return to the U.K., I'd consider telling them that you didn't need a license since public transport is so readily available over there... (U.S. law requires you to turn in your previous license to get one from a U.S. state)

If you do that, you''ll have to do all of the steps to get an Ohio license. But that's not really a big deal. If you don't want to surrender your British license, you must have someone else drive you to the license testing facility. (And away from the facility in the unlikely event that you don't pass)

Normally, most states require you to obtain their license within 30 days of arrival in the state. Also, if you plan on getting a Commercial Driver's License (CDL) that's a whole 'nother ball game.

Best of luck, BritishGuy36!! And watch out for us U.S.-ers; we drive on the wrong side of the road!

[aquila]

This thread is from April 2008 - not 2009.

[ray325]

im 17 and i heard that you could just go get your license in lima ohio without permit is that true?

[truemuck]

Don't know about the whole procedure going from a UK license to an Ohio one. But from everything I've heard about the UK driving test, the one here in Ohio is a joke in comparison and its quite apparent the way people drive here!
You don't even do REAL parallel parking on an Ohio road test! I'm originally from New York and got my license there and was shocked when I had a friend here who had a license and didn't know how to parallel park!