The International Student’s Guide to Getting a Driver’s License

By: Ngai Yeung ‘23

Having grown up in a city with excellent public transit, I didn’t know a thing about cars. Nobody in my extended family owns one. None of my friends drive. My automobile knowledge was so lacking that I didn’t know there was more than one pedal until my first driving lesson here. 

I would be happy to live like that for the rest of my life, except I wanted to stay and work in the car kingdom that is America after I graduate. Here’s what I learned from my bumbling journey to getting a license in California. 

1. Register

This should only take you a handful of minutes. Just have your passport and social security number ready, then apply online here via the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) website. You have to pay a one-time fee of $39, then book a time to do your written test at a local DMV. There’s one on Hope Street just behind the USC hotel that closes at 4:30pm daily. You’d have to block out a few hours on a weekday as wait times can vary. I had to wait an hour before my appointment. 

California doesn’t recognize an International Driving Permit (IDP)/International Driver’s License/International License as valid driver’s licenses, so tough luck if you already have those. 

2. Written Test

The California DMV written test is a 46 question multiple choice test on road rules, testing your knowledge on things such as “When you approach a roundabout, which side do you enter from?”. Like a typical student, I was going to hit the books to study until I realized — oh my goodness — the California Driving Handbook is one of the most boring texts I’ve read in the past decade. I gave up after a page. Besides, how am I — someone with zero concept of road rules because I grew up riding the train — supposed to visualize what on earth the book is talking about?

Everyone has their own way, but what I ended up doing is watching the short Rules of The Road video series posted by the California DMV YouTube channel. After that, I Googled the California DMV written test and did a few hundred mock questions the night before and the day of. It was so fun. 

On the day of your written test, make sure you bring your I-94, passport, F-1 and I-20 documents, and make sure they are up to date, especially for those returning from a leave of absence. You also need to bring two proofs of your residency in California, such as a utility bill or printed out bank statement with your address and name on it. You’ll take a quick vision exam on the day and have your driver’s license headshot taken, so make an effort to look presentable (I have my regrets). Arrive a bit earlier than your appointment time as there’s a line most of the time. I had to wait 50 minutes before I was called to a window. 

The written test itself is electronic on a touchscreen, and must be started before 4pm. I took it in English, but it’s also available in over 30 different languages. Once you’ve passed you’ll receive an interim driver’s license and can take the behind-the-wheel test whenever you’re ready. Don’t fret if you fail, though, as you can take it again in a week, with three attempts total before you have to restart the registration process.

3. Driving Lessons 

If you have friends who are foolish generous enough to teach you or let you drive their car, that’s great but probably not super legal, considering issues such as car insurance, age requirements and instructor permits. It’s best to look for a driving coach by asking friends for some recommendations. 

I didn’t grow up in a car culture, and I wanted my coach to be someone who understands that the American idea of common sense on the road doesn’t come naturally to me. So I asked fellow international students from home and got some recommendations for coaches who are also from Hong Kong and who taught in Cantonese. The more you ask around, the more rates and reviews you can compare to make the best choice for yourself. 

If you have driving experience from home, you probably only need to take a lesson or two before you can go straight to taking the driving test. I’m a clueless loser, so it took me an obscene amount (hint: 15) of lessons before I had enough practice to drive well enough for the test. I’m sure you will do a better job. 

4. Driving Test

Hooray, you’re ready to pass with flying colors and go get that license! Register for a time and place on the DMV portal, and talk with your instructor to decide which DMV you’re going to take your test at — for example, Downtown would be tough because of all the big buses you have to drive around. It’s probably a good idea to get familiar with the neighborhood near your DMV of choice before your test. 

Before you hit the road for your test, your examiner will go through a pre-drive safety check with you where they name different parts of the car (such as the safety break) and expect you to be able to identify them. You’ll also need to know the three arm signals for left turn, right turn and stop. Then they’ll sit next to you in the front seat and give you instructions of when to turn as you drive around outside for the test, which will last around 20 minutes.  You're graded on a number of criterias including your alertness and how well you obey road rules, so be sure to exaggerate your head turns and eye scans a bit to signal that, Hey look, I'm paying attention to traffic around me!

Some driving instructors charge a flat rate premium every time you take a test and utilize their vehicle to cover their insurance in the long run and whatnot. You get three attempts with the DMV, and each attempt has to be scheduled at least two weeks apart and with a $7 retest fee before you have to restart the whole registration process and take the written test again.

I passed after my third attempt and received a temporary paper license before they eventually mailed me my actual California driver’s license card. I still don’t have a car and can’t afford to get one anytime soon, but hey, I’m legally allowed to drive now which opens up so many doors here in America. As for who would be brave enough to ride with me — that’s another question for another day. 

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