Licence Exchanging

[snodog]

There's a good chance that we will be off to the US for several years with a Green Card. It looks likely we will have to hand over our UK licences to get a US one. I know the DVLA will have the surrendered one sent to them.

If we decide to return to the UK as residents, and want our UK licences back - would we be able to just quote the old Driver Number and have it re-issued or does the fact the DVLA don't recognise the US driving standard as being that good, mean we'd lose the credit of having passed a UK driving test and have to fo through the whole procedure again?

[flemke]

snodog said:

There's a good chance that we will be off to the US for several years with a Green Card. It looks likely we will have to hand over our UK licences to get a US one. I know the DVLA will have the surrendered one sent to them.

If we decide to return to the UK as residents, and want our UK licences back - would we be able to just quote the old Driver Number and have it re-issued or does the fact the DVLA don't recognise the US driving standard as being that good, mean we'd lose the credit of having passed a UK driving test and have to fo through the whole procedure again?

Why not just get a licence in whatever state you'll be residing in?
The US tests are very much easier to pass than the UK test is.
With a local US licence, there would be no need to hand in your UK one.

[Flat in Fifth]

What flemke said.

DVLA being DVLA there is a chance that they would have lost all trace of you ever having held a UK licence, the fact that you'd passed a test, and the categories that you were entitled to drive.

Thus on return you'd be able to drive for a while on your US licence for up to 12 months, and then you would have to either stop driving, or sit a theory and practical DSA test. Then you would be subject to the probationary rules and only get the categories of licence that new drivers get today. Also you'd have to sit another bike test if you have that now and so on and so on.

Keep your UK licence and get a second USA one, you know it makes sense.

edited typos

Edited by Flat in Fifth on Saturday 16th June 18:08

[walm]

I have lived in California for a number of years. I had no idea it was possible to exchange and, as advised above, I simply took their theory and practical tests to gain a license. The tests are far simpler/easier than ours in the UK. I also felt that doing the test was helpful since it informed me of a number of little differences between UK/US driving. e.g. turning right on red lights and even "curbing" your wheels to prevent "runaways": $25 fine for non-compliance (maybe in San Fran only owing to the hills).
For my visits back to the UK, I always found it handy to have the UK license as ID and vice-versa while in the states.

[Puggit]

I thought this would be a thread about Teddy Sherringham

[Flat in Fifth]

Puggit said:

I thought this would be a thread about Teddy Sherringham

has he been swapping points or claiming his other half was driving when she was in the Big Bruv house or something?

what have I missed?

[Puggit]

Flat in Fifth said:

Puggit said:

I thought this would be a thread about Teddy Sherringham

has he been swapping points or claiming his other half was driving when she was in the Big Bruv house or something?

what have I missed?

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007280109,00.html

Apologies for thread hijack

[Flat in Fifth]

ah thanks, good guess then, obviously the old FiF nose still works

Hijack over, as you were.
Nothing to see here, move along please.