How I got rights in America

It so happened that any blogger about the USA has an article about how to get American rights. Now here's my turn, because a week ago I was able to get the coveted card. No kidding, this article is very useful because it contains a detailed guide to obtaining a driver's license and warns against all the pitfalls that may occur.

Фото: Depositphotos

I had the idea to get American rights as soon as I arrived. Rights are needed for several reasons. Firstly, without them, you most likely do not buy a car. Some even buy cars on a tourist visa and with our rights, but in many states you will need local rights.

Secondly, I had to carry my passport everywhere instead of id, and local rights can be used as a passport, and it is even better and safer. If you lose your passport ... I can not even imagine what to do. And the rights can be restored.

Thirdly, it turns out, you can drive according to our rights only a year from the date of arrival. Of course, if the policeman stops, you can dance with a tambourine around him, proving that you are not a camel. But this is an extra hemorrhoids, which still do not understand how it will end.

The problem in obtaining rights is that all states have their own laws. And sometimes they differ dramatically. For example, I know that in Connecticut, you need to translate your Russian rights into English. Then you need to go and listen to the 8-hour lecture on how to drive and what to drink while driving is not good. This is all in addition to the theoretical test and driving.

On the other hand, one blogger about the USA told how in less than a day he decided to take the rights, registered for all the tests, passed the theory and driving and got a card. I do not quite understand how this is possible if the elementary exam is recorded a couple of days after passing the theory. Plus, the queue at the local traffic police, and it is even if the first time brought all the documents. But that blogger was getting in Texas. In general, I repeat once again that obtaining rights in different states can be completely different, as if in different countries.

First I advise you to go for DMV website. This site gives a complete description of what documents are needed, what process and where the nearest local traffic police. The general process of passing on the rights for those who already have a license from another country begins with the filing of documents and looks like this:

Form DL-180. You download this form from the above site. This is your application for rights, there is no special wisdom.

Medicine. This is where I first got. It turns out that in this form DL-180 there is a point where the doctor must fill in your indicators and confirm that you are healthy. I found out about this when I’ve been in the 2 queue for hours on Saturday morning and went to the front desk to apply. Where and which doctor should fill, they did not tell me. I ran to the nearest pharmacy and was advised to go to the Minute Clinic at one of the CVS pharmacies. There the queue was an hour on 4. In general, on this day I could not apply.

The next day, as a typical woman, I came to this clinic for 8 in the morning and I filled out everything in 7 minutes ... and $ 89. They knocked on the knees with a hammer, checked their eyesight and asked if there were any complaints. In addition to the price of medicine, there were no complaints, so they let me go with God. With such success, I could issue such certificates for $ 89 and 7 minutes of work.

The remaining documents. When the DL-180 is full, you need to prepare an I-20 form (for students), social security, i-94 form, passport. The important point is that the I-20 form must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of filing.

If you file for rights in August, I-20 should be at least until February !! I was almost completely wrapped up on this when I came the second time with medicine. I did it back to back!

Proof of residence. I was not asked, but it may require confirmation that you are a state resident. These may be letters from the bank (with your name and address), a bill for paying gas bills, an apartment rental agreement. In general, any evidence that you live in this state

Payment. You pay by mail money order on $ 35.5 and bring this order to the traffic police with all the documents

Traffic regulations This is the end of the documents and it remains to learn the theory. Download a traffic book from the above site to prepare for the exam. On the same site, they offer 20 bucks to buy online tests and the most popular questions. If there is no time to read the 100 pages of rules, then I think this is a good time saver. This test gives 18 questions and needs to answer 15 correctly. The theory in America seemed easier to me than in Russia.

Filing documents. Now you, in theory, should be all ready to be served on the right. Google where the nearest PennDot (GAI) is for you and come there during business hours. PennDot looks like this:

Photo za-bugrom.com

People are always different. It is better to come to the discovery. In Fili, I had to wait 2.5 hours, when I came on Saturday to 11 in the morning. Another time I came to the discovery and waited all 15 minutes. PennDot will tell you what to do. Immediately there pass the test on the computer.

From the moment you were called, until the time you passed the exam and you were registered, 15 minutes would pass, everything is very operational. If everything is ok, then you will be given a Learner`s Permit. This is your pass to driving test! You can even drive with this document, if a person with the rights sits in the car with you and you do not drive at night.

Road test. Now we have to pass the driving. And here is the main ambush. When I received my Learner`s Permit, the employee told me that I can register for the test ... on Wednesday morning at 3 !! I asked her several times, but she repeated it all. I still do not understand what was happening, what are 3 mornings and why Wednesday. And when I started to register, it began to increase. If you register for test driving in August, the nearest date will be JANUARY! I was sure that this was some kind of site bug. How can I wait for the 5 test months? And if not passed? But it turned out to be a reality, all confirmed. My head did not fit, as in advanced America there can be such a monstrous flaw.

I checked all the PennDots. I found the closest date in October for 150 kilometers. However, there is a small loophole: some cancel the test and new places are thrown into the system on Wednesday morning at 3. This is a chance to find an earlier date. That's about it and the employee said. I started to google and accidentally found on one forum advice to contact the school driven2drive. That saved me. This school can take the road test officially and at any time. For $ 79, they signed me up for the next week with them.

Plus, it was a savings! If I rented from PennDot, I would have to rent a car for about $120 on a weekday. They also provide a car (mini Cooper) and a young female instructor who takes the exam. You complete the “mother-in-law’s pocket” in 3 attempts, a small circle around a quiet suburb of Philadelphia - and that’s it, the test is passed! No dead Russian “sixes” with broken gears, no evil police instructors who want to overwhelm you. Moreover, all tests are taken automatically!

After delivery, you need to wait for the Camera Card in the mail. She usually arrives in 1 week. With this card, you go to PennDot to take photos and get rights for 10 minutes. In the end, I did not show my rights and did not translate my rights. They didn't even know if I could drive!

Such is the procedure for obtaining rights in Philadelphia. If you know all the nuances, it turns out very simple! Write in the comments, and what experience did you have on the rights?

Published with permission from the author of the magazine "Over the hill«

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