US (Illinois) Driving License

culchie_abroad

Hi Folks,

I moved over to Chicago mid last year and now require a driving license. Can anyone advise on what the craic is with applying for a US license?

Will I be required to surrender my Irish license? (If so, what happens if I decide to return home?)

Is their theory test a separate item like at home or do you sit it on the day of the practical test in the DMV?

Any other relevant advice would be appreciated, thanks!

él statutorio

Go to the DMV.

Fill out form, do quick exam on computer, get in car with tester, drive round the block. Get photo and taken and temporary license.
Leave and wait for license to be mailed to you.

That's how it went for me in CA.

They don't care about your Irish license. I wouldn't mention it.

SweetSand

Start with DMV, it will give you the exact step by step instructions for your state. It was slightly different for us in Massachusetts. I did theory test, which was very easy. I practiced few times on their website at home and had no problems at all. Then had to wait for few weeks for week-end driving test slot as we have young kids so that was the best option for us. In MA there are 3 requirements for driving test: your car should have hand pulled hand break rather than pedal, no reverse camera and you should have a sponsor with you, who is MA resident, is over 21 years old and has valid MA license. Both of our cars have pedal break and reverse camera so we ended up going through local driving crowd who provided us with proper car and sponsor Driving test was very easy in comparison to Irish one, I watched few YouTube videos re driving test in MA and passed no problem. It was very quick and tester was very nice and kinda heplped few times No harm mentioning Irish license but it doesn’t give you any benefits. Good luck!

culchie_abroad

Excellent, thanks guys!

NSAman

Want a quicker way? Instead of going to the DMV in Chicago go to an office outside Chicago, the wait times are nothing, minutes instead of hours (sometimes).

They also ask you to sign up as a voter at the same time, be careful unless you are a citizen.

Also, the test is a joke... literally 2 minute drive and a written test that you would have to be an eeejit to fail.

dennyk

Check with your local Secretary of State office on the exact procedure. You may be able to exchange your Irish license for an Illinois one without having to take any tests, but you'd likely have to surrender your physical Irish license if you do so.

Otherwise you can take the driving test as a new driver. You don't need to get a learner's permit beforehand in Illinois, from what I know; you can just jump straight to the full license if you can pass the written and practical tests. Written test is fairly similar to the Irish one, multiple-choice questions on road rules, road signs and markings, and various minutiae about fines and penalties and such, so make sure you've read the state's Rules of the Road carefully. The practical driving test is much easier than the Irish one, though I do think they actually take you out on the road in Illinois, and they may also require you to parallel park, so make sure you've practiced that a bit if you haven't been doing it much lately. As an experienced driver, you shouldn't have much trouble passing; just make sure you watch out for any bad habits you've picked up over the years that might get you dinged (driving one-handed, rolling stop signs and RTORs, failing to indicate, not doing your observations, etc.).

Note that if you don't have a US social security number, you'll have to apply for a Temporary Visitor Driver's License rather than a standard Illinois license. The application procedure is basically the same, except that you don't need proof of your SSN and you will need your passport and proof of your legal status in the US. The TVDL expires a bit sooner than the normal license.

Baggly

If it were me, id prefer to take another test and keep the Irish license. Irish license is a form of ID for life, and if you are back here, you can drive with it (obvs).

Test in the US isnt as arduous as the Irish test, so seems a good idea to go for the test first?

HDMI

I mentioned my Irish licence to my instructor and he gave me a heads up of what to expect. He believes more mature drivers have bad habits, so it was just a friendly warning. He also advised that testers do not have the same discretionary options as the police regarding speed limits. Generally you can get away with driving around 7 or 8 miles over the speed limit and a police officer will not pay any attention. According to the driving instructor they must automatically fail you for a couple of mph over the stated limit.

Also some states are bringing in "Real ID" and this permits you to fly without needing your passport within the US. It shows up as a star or some symbol on your licence, to get it you must bring a couple of extra documents with your home address on them, bank statements and utility bills.

The theory test I believe is 20 correct answers out of 25 and ends as soon as you meet the percentage. All common sense answers, really strict regarding school buses so don't get them wrong. As others have stated the test is a 5 minute trip around the block, I didn't have to go over 25 mph on mine.

Best of luck

knockoutned

HDMI wrote: »

Also some states are bringing in "Real ID" and this permits you to fly without needing your passport within the US. It shows up as a star or some symbol on your licence, to get it you must bring a couple of extra documents with your home address on them, bank statements and utility bills.

Just on this, currently you can fly domestically on your state drivers ID without it having "RealID". The act that is changing this does not come into effect until October 2020, and all state ID's will have to comply.

It seems that some states are trying to introduce it before then, with California originally planning on implementing it early, but were granted an extension only a couple of days ago.

https://dmv.ny.gov/driver-license/federal-real-id

NSAman

Thanks for the information about the "Real ID" guys. I had no idea. I always carry my passport with me anyhow, but this is something I didn't realise. License is about to expire in 2 years so will get new "real" one..lol