An au pair from abroad applies at a DMV office: an application, identity and residency documents, a vision exam and a knowledge test, then a behind-the-wheel drive test. An international driving permit isn't a California license. Whether the au pair can drive before then depends on the law, the agency and the host family's insurer.
Sometimes. California law lets a nonresident over 18 drive with a valid license from the place where they live, carried with them (Vehicle Code §12502).
That changes once someone becomes a California resident. The law defines residency as a person's "true, fixed, and permanent home". After becoming a resident, a person can drive on their home license for up to 10 days, and not at all for work, without a California license (Vehicle Code §12505). If driving your children is part of the au pair's job, treat it as driving for work. Whether an au pair counts as a resident depends on their situation, so ask your agency.
Two more checks before the first drive:
Our host family guide covers the insurance and ride-along checks in more detail.
With a license from another country, the DMV process is the same as for someone with another state's license, plus a drive test (DMV: driver's licenses).
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Apply | Fill in the application online, then finish it at a DMV office. |
| 2. At the DMV office | Show your documents (below), pay the fee, have your thumbprint and photo taken, and pass a vision exam. The application and fee are valid for 12 months. |
| 3. Knowledge test | Multiple choice, based on the California Driver's Handbook. You get three attempts. |
| 4. Drive test | By appointment only. Bring proof of insurance. With a license from another country, the DMV requires an accompanying driver to and from the test. |
| 5. Retakes | The fee covers three tries at the drive test. A retake is on another day, with a retest fee. |
To study for the knowledge test, our DMV practice tests are $24.99 and come in 100+ languages.
From the DMV's documents list for a standard license:
A license for someone with temporary legal status expires on the same date as their legal presence document (DMV: driver's licenses).
Allow time. Bay Area drivers often report that drive-test appointments are booked weeks ahead, so book the drive test soon after the knowledge test.
A license from home shows someone can drive. It doesn't show how they handle a stop sign halfway up a San Francisco hill, a 101 merge, or a school pickup line. Our guide to driving San Francisco's hills covers the hills part.
Our lessons need an original, valid California instruction permit or California driver's license, so they start once your au pair has one.
Our Au Pair & Nanny lessons come two ways:
Both are private, in a dual-control car, with pickup at an approved address in San Francisco or listed San Mateo County cities.
Private 2-hour lessons in a dual-control automatic car, with pickup in San Francisco and listed San Mateo County cities.
Lessons from $200 for a 2-hour lesson. See all lessons and prices
