Officially any resident of New York state is required to get a New York State driver license within 90 days as can be read on homepage of the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
The term “resident” shall mean domiciliary, that is, one who lives in this state with the intention of making it a fixed and permanent abode. It shall be presumptive evidence that a person who maintains a place of abode in this state for a period of at least ninety days is a resident of this state.
Following that law we were obliged to get a US, more specifically a New York State, driver license to be allowed to officially operate a vehicle. From colleagues and friends we heard different opinions whether this is actually needed to get along in real life. You will still be able to rent a car with your foreign license. However, if you get into a traffic control and the police officer is thoroughly and finds out that your latest date of entering the county is more than 30 days in the past and you are considered a resident, you might run into problems if you operate a car.
Besides that, most people in the US use their driver license as their primary form of identification and proof of age, e.g. when ordering alcoholic beverages in a restaurant or bar…and since Americans often follow rules rather than applying common sense, this is very often the case – no matter if you look like Clint Eastwood and show up somewhere with your children in their fifties.
Last but not least, if you plan to own and register a vehicle in the US, there is no getting around getting a US/New York State license. Since Franziska and I bought motorcycles we were forced to get a license.
Unfortunately this process is not as straight forward as in Germany, especially when you plan to get both, a car and a motorcycle license. While in Germany you just sign up at an official driving school and from that moment on have a single point of contact for all necessities, in the US multiple entities, not aligned with each other are involved.
Some basics before we get into the details:
- A car license is called class D, a motorcycle license is called class M
- Getting a license requires a written test and a road test
- After successful completion of the written test you will get a Permit that allows you to operate a vehicle with a New York State licensed accompanying person
- Taking a road test requires to bring a New York State registered vehicle (for the motorcycle road test, you need to bring both, a motorcycle and a car including a driver for the examiner)
Primary the fourth bullet leads to some complications for foreign drivers that just moved to the country. Luckily we learned there is a way around bringing your own motorbike to the road test. You can take a so called Motorcycle Safety Course under New York State’s official motorcycle safety and training program (NYSMSP) at a Motorcycle Safety School (MSS), which gets you a road test waiver if completed successfully. Unfortunately, you need a car license to get the motorcycle road test waiver. So, that’s why we decided to get both classes, D and M.
In the following section we want to provide an overview for everybody interested in getting a New York State license an overview of the process and whom to involve. The chart below provides a “simple” overview of all process steps. I will not explain every single step, but will focus on the most important points.
It all starts with a visit at the local Department of Motor vehicles (DMV). To expedite the process at the DMV, fill out the required forms at home. They can be found here. If you are older than 18, you only need the form MV-45. You also need to bring 4 Points of Proof to verify your identity, in addition to your birth certificate and your Social Security card. There is a “points calculator” on the DMV website here. Once, the documents are processed by a DMV employee you will get a ticket with number, which puts you in line for getting a mug shot for your permit and future license. Once this is completed you are allowed to queue up for taking the written test.
For each license class there is an individual test. Other than in Germany there is no such thing as “basic questions” that only have to be answered once (e.g. understanding signs or general driving rules) plus class specific questions (e.g. how a motorbike reacts to counter steering). Instead you take two tests with a huge redundancy in questions. If you are in possession of a driving license and have the slightest hint of common sense there is no need to prepare for the written test upfront. If you want to salve your consciences find some online practice questions here.
Once you pass the written test you have to pay a fee to get your interim permit ($73.25 for class D and $23.50 for class M). This fee includes already the charges for taking the road test. From that moment on you are allowed to operate a vehicle together with a supervising driver, which can be any person older than 21 years with a New York State license. When riding a motorbike the supervising driver has to “remain within one-quarter mile of you, keeping you in sight at all times” or has to be the passenger on your bike.
Next you have to sign up for a “5-hours Prelicensing Class” to receive the Pre-licensing Course Completion Certificate (MV-278), which is required to make a road test appointment. Unfortunately, it is not possible to sign up for the course with your interim permit. You have to wait until you receive your actual photo permit which takes about two weeks. If you plan to plan ahead – not possible – sorry!
The good thing, there are many options available in Manhattan to take the course, so there is no wait time for an appointment once you receive your actual permit. Sorry for my language, but the course itself is a joke. The facilitator starts a DVD, leaves the room and would only show up after each chapter ends to click the “nest chapter” button. Again, the majority of content is around drug abuse and driving. Luckily the course does not last five hours, but rather three hours. It seems that all parties involved try to get this done as fast as possible. The unfair part, shortening the course really drives up the hourly pay of the provider. The course is between $40-$50 per person.
For class M only: In case you are also aiming to get a motorcycle license you can use the time waiting for your photo permit to arrive, to complete the “motorcycle road test”. As explained above, taking a road test requires to bring a New York State registered vehicle to the test. For the motorcycle road test, you need to bring both, a motorcycle and a car including a driver for the examiner. Since this was no option for us, we signed up for the MSF Basic Rider Course 2- LW, which qualifies as New York State License Waiver course. This means you complete the course and do not have to complete an actual motorcycle road test. The downside: The course is an additional $120 and the schedule is usually pretty booked. The more flexible you are in terms of location the better. There are numerous course locations in New York state. The catch on this matter: You can sign up for the course with an interim permit but you will only receive the actual license waiver if you are in possession of a New York state class D license. This means a) you cannot plan too far in advance and thus will have to cope with waiting times between 3-6 weeks to find an open spot and b) if you do not have a class D license (as Franzi and I), you will only receive a course completion certificate that you can convert into a waiver once you receive your class D license.
The course itself is quite entertaining and some kind of useful if you are a little out of routine or a beginner. Due to the limited availability of open seats within the targeted time horizon of Franziska and myself, we chose to attend courses at different locations. Franzi went up to the Bronx and I went down to Brooklyn. In both cases the course took place at a parking lot of a community college. Small 125cc motorcycles are provided by the MSF. For about four hours we completed mall exercises related to cornering, breaking and balance at low speeds. In the end there is a “test” which is a combination of all disciplines. There is no way someone who is able to operate a Bobby car or bicycle can fail this test. As a reference: Franzi had a chap in her course who was intellectually not capable of driving a figure 8 (180 degree left corner, 360 degree right corner and 180 degree left corner), even after looking at 20 people completing the challenging task before him, and he still passed the test successfully. Anyways, overall an entertaining experience.
Back to class D: Once you hold the valuable MV-278 Prelicensing course completion certificate in your hands, you have reached a significant milestone. Finally everything needed to make an appointment for the car road-test is at hand. Actually, the fact that you cannot plan ahead is the most frustrating part of getting a license in New York. Of course there is a huge demand for getting a license in a densely populated area like NYC, but this does not explain why the system does not allow to make an appointment when starting the license process. The DMV homepage states: “Usually, the earliest date is within three to five weeks, but at peak testing periods during summer and school breaks it may be up to 10 weeks away. There are no waiting lists.” In case you need a license urgently you can find a driving school/service that offers “rush appointments”. Be aware that they charge for this service (approx. $100)! Franzi and I were lucky and found two open slots only 2 weeks away at the Queens MASPETH DMV test site.
Next is taking the road test. Franziska and I were lucky that Rosemarie allowed us to take her car (Our “Welcome Agent” who helped us finding an apartment when we arrived in the US). We arrived early at the test site, just to find out that we were not allowed to take the test without having a New York state driver with us. After some discussions with the examiner we came to the conclusion that we will ask a friend with a NYS license and come back later that day. Obviously, chances to find someone who has time to join a road-test spontaneously after living in the country for about a month were almost zero. We decided to head to the closest cafe and ask a random person whether she or he wants to help some desperate Germans trying to fight the American system. The first attempt was a success. Priya, who was about our age, accepted to help us after we could convince her that this was not a kidnapping attempt. Surprisingly quick we returned at the test site. Priya’s glory performance as a New York state driver took about 5 seconds. She presented her license to the examiner and was asked to leave the car. I was first to take the test. After only 0.7 miles and 10 minutes of driving I returned to our starting point with my test completed successfully. Since I was now an official New York state driver there was no need for Priya to assist as a licensed driver a second time for Franzi. This time I had the honor. No surprise, Franzi passed her test equally fast. We dropped of Priya back at the cafe and exchanged numbers to have cocktails together some time to say thank you before returning to work that Friday as official and proud New York State license holders.
Waaaaait! Not yet completed! We were only interim license holders and also our class M license process was not completed yet. With the interim class D license we were able to exchange the MSF Basic Rider Course 2 Completion Certificate against a Road-test waiver. To do so I needed to drive to their office in Brooklyn – again 2 hours of wasted lifetime.
Finally, having everything at hand required to get an official class D AND M license there was only one final march to the DMV missing. Well prepared to invest another four hours of lifetime Franzi and I queued for a license update. A breakdown of the number-ticket system was the icing on the cake that day. There is really no way I could imagine to spend my Friday night better than waiting in a 90°F (30°C) warm hall with a crowd of slightly aggressive and annoyed people to pay another $12.50 to update a license.
In summary, getting a license in the US is a highly inefficient process involving multiple non-coordinated parties that try to avoid benefits from digitization by any means. Besides hours spend with waiting and coordinating, there is also a significant amount of travel required. Below find a map showing the locations of all bodies involved. The moment you hold the license in your hand feels like a real achievement!
Have fun!
