Moving to California with a foreign driver’s license: the steps, and getting road-ready

How long can you drive on a foreign license after moving here?

Once you become a California resident, you can keep driving on your license from home for up to 10 days. Driving for work is different: after you become a resident, you need a California license before you drive for a job (California Vehicle Code §12505(c)).

Ten days is rarely enough to get through the tests, so start your application as soon as you move.

How do you get a California license with a foreign license?

1. Apply. Fill in the application, bring your identity and residency documents, and pay the fee. You'll take a vision test and the knowledge (written) test.
2. Get your instruction permit. If you don't hold a license from California or another U.S. state, the DMV issues an instruction permit before the drive test.
3. Book the drive test. Schedule a drive-test appointment, and bring valid proof of insurance and registration for the car you test in (DMV Handbook, section 3).
4. Bring a driver with you. With a license from another country, the DMV requires an accompanying driver to and from the test.
5. Take the test. One application gives you three tries. Each retake is on a different day, with a small retest fee.

Sources: DMV: driver's licenses, DMV Handbook, section 2, DMV: new to California. The DMV counts you as a resident if you intend to live here six months or more in a year.

Which California rules catch experienced drivers out?

You already know how to drive. What trips people up is the handful of California rules and habits that differ from home:

• Four-way stops. Whoever stopped first goes first. If two cars arrive together, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right.
• Right on red. Allowed after a full stop, unless a sign says no.
• Left turns on a green light. Often unprotected: you yield to oncoming traffic and turn when there's a gap.
• Pedestrians. They have the right of way at crosswalks, including unmarked ones at intersections.
• Miles and mph. Speed limits and distances are in miles. On residential and business streets the limit is 25 mph unless signs say otherwise.

The California Driver's Handbook covers all of these, and it's what the written test is based on.

How do you get ready for the drive test?

On the drive test the examiner watches your habits as much as your skill: full stops, head checks, speed and lane position. Drivers with years of experience sometimes lose points on exactly these, because they drive the way they did at home. If you'll drive in San Francisco, our guide to its hills covers hill starts and curbing your wheels.

Our International Driver Lessons are private, with pickup at an approved address in San Francisco or listed San Mateo County cities:

• One 2-hour lesson, $200: an honest look at your current habits and the California rules that differ from home.
• Three 2-hour lessons, $575: structured practice, including freeways when you're ready, and driving-test guidance.

You need your California instruction permit before your first lesson. A license from another country or an international driving permit isn't enough on its own for our lessons. So pass the written test first, then book. Our DMV practice tests ($24.99, in 100+ languages) help you study for it.

No one can promise a pass. Lessons help you practice what the test looks for.

What do you need on test day?

You'll need a car that's safe to drive, valid proof of insurance and registration, and an accompanying licensed driver (DMV Handbook, section 3). They come with you to the DMV. During the test, only the examiner rides with you. Our sister company DMV Rental Car provides a test-ready car and a licensed driver.