Advice for a foreigner in the US, pls

"Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'" (otto-the-croatian)
12/03/2016 at 00:50 • Filed to: halp

Yo dudes and dudettes. I’m coming to the states next summer as part of a Work and travel thing. I’ll be a waiter or a cleaner for a month or two and then I’ll travel around the US and try to see as much of it as I can.
I’ll try and post here when I know my schedule and ask for more local advice, but for now a few technical questions:

How much does the process for a driver’s license cost? And how long does it take? I think hope it could be practical to get a US license and buy a crown vic or some other boat for a few hundred bucks to get me to work and back. And most importantly, can a foreigner with a work visa get a US license?

Thanks dudes.

DISCUSSION (26)

AntiSpeed > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
12/03/2016 at 00:54

You might want to look into an International Driving Permit, I’m not sure how they work coming into the US but I just filed a form with the American Automobile Association and got a license to drive in Europe for up to a year. If you already have a Croatian license that might be a simpler possibility.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
12/03/2016 at 00:57

I was always under the impression that if you were visiting the U.S. on a visa, your driver’s license from your home country allowed you to drive here. No idea if that’s correct.

PatBateman > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
12/03/2016 at 01:02

Ż\_()_/Ż

For Sweden > AntiSpeed
12/03/2016 at 01:02

Definitely just get the international permit.

For Sweden > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
12/03/2016 at 01:03

You could buy a Crown Vic and sell it a month later for the same price or a few hundred dollars less. However, any car that’s actually for sale for less than $1000 is going to barely be a car.

Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
12/03/2016 at 01:08

What state will you be living in? Search: “(insert state name) DMV” and it’ll typically have a section regarding licensing.

Typically the only charge is for the card itself, which would only be a couple bucks depending on the state (probably). Bring as much paperwork as you can and be prepared to have them tell you that you’re missing something. According to the Kansas DMV “aliens” can get a license as long as they have a Visa and several other pieces of documentation. The actual process should take less than an hour (you might have to take a driving test though) but DMVs are notoriously slow, so you might have to wait in lines.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
12/03/2016 at 01:18

You should be able to drive on the combination of your visa, home license and International Driving Permit. Getting a US driver license from a state usually involves proving residency in addition to proof of identity, which might be hard to establish on your time frame. It would likely be a lot hoops to jump through for no gain beyond a souvineer to take back home.

As for a car, you might plan to expand your budget beyond a few hundred dollars. It might be tough to find something that actually runs and drives for that amount.

RallyWrench > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
12/03/2016 at 01:42

Just do the international license with temp insurance. It’s possible to get a license as a foreigner here in California, and it’s not expensive, but for the time you’ll be here it’s not worth it and as I understand it not all states allow this. As others have said, the used car market is different here, nothing that runs and drives with anything resembling safety and reliability, let alone passes inspection and smog (where necessary), is less than a grand. Probably more. Europe seems to have loads of cheap shitboxes for mere hundreds, but not here.

Matthew Phillips > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
12/03/2016 at 02:27

I love this so much... Somebody help him.

Matthew Phillips > For Sweden
12/03/2016 at 02:27

I got my 93 CV for $600 and it was a very intact $600 car

not perfect but it never let me down.

BorkBorkBjork > For Sweden
12/03/2016 at 08:42

Pfff, $1000 is plenty for reliable transportation. We bought our LeMons Thunderbird (A V8 LX, with the “Sport” package!) for $250 and we ran 4 races without a single mechanical issue.

There are lots of work trucks around that price that are reliable enough for a month or so, Crown Vics seem to be getting more expensive.

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > For Sweden
12/03/2016 at 09:24

The most expensive of the last four vehicles I bought cost $1000, (total cost $2425), all 4x4's, and three of those in good enough condition to drive on the street. Two of them I drove 45 and 200 miles home. One of them was my daily driver for over a year. The one that wasn’t drivable was an insurance write-off and she was absolutely hosed so no driving it.

$1000 isn’t a bad budget. You just need to be very familiar with it, or expect to become that way very quickly.

Tapas > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
12/03/2016 at 09:27

While an international driving permit is acceptable for driving in the states, ask the rental car companies if you plan on renting. I believe most companies accept licenses from a very limited number of countries. You might not need this if you buy a cheap car, but you could get an American license depending on your visa. You’ll need to make an appointment for the drivers test at the DMV of the county/city you plan on visiting first, a borrowed car and about $30 and a half day.

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
12/03/2016 at 09:28

The process of getting a driver’s license will vary from state to state, but expect it to take around a year, plus or minus a few months. The reason is you have to take a written test to obtain your learner’s permit, and then spend a certain amount of time to accumulate driving experience (usually six to nine months I think) before you can get tested.

It’s probably better just to use your Croatian license. Assuming you have one...

RacinBob > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
12/03/2016 at 09:40

Where are you headed for? That will probably make a a difference in your plans. Also, if you know where you are headed, reach out to the local SCCA or other sports car club and see if anybody wants to help you out in searching for something.

I would also be looking on the local craigslist of wherever you are headed to see what might be out there. Crown Vic for $1000 might be hard, however a SAAB 900 you might find something that actually would be functional. Same for older mustang convertible.

Getting in with somebody in racing will maximize your car experience. They might even have something in the back yard they might want to sell you for the summer. They might even buy it back when you return. PS - You might look into the Wisconsin Dells for Visa work.

This is what a $1000 will buy you in Wisconsin. It has some rust but seems to run..... https://lacrosse.craigslist.org/cto/5861117503.html

Kinja'd!!!

RacinBob > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
12/03/2016 at 09:56

Here’s something more interesting for $1300 https://lacrosse.craigslist.org/cto/5875135106.html

Kinja'd!!!

Tazio, Count Fouroff > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
12/03/2016 at 15:04

Seriously the process and requirements vary from state to state as others have posted

Maybe browser-search “[state you’re going to] drivers license” and read the state website’s instructions? Usually the correct URL will have “[state abbreviation]dot gov” in it. Here in GA (the Other Georgia) it only takes a day or a little more cuz you have to make an appointment for the driving test — which is totally a joke — but not having the documents that the state specifies is 100% a deal breaker. Maybe check before you leave home so you can bring what you need, although passport may work.

Maybe also check ahead about what’s required to register a car and get a license plate in that state...

IDL all the way if it’ll get you where you want to go

Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' > Tazio, Count Fouroff
12/04/2016 at 04:44

Cool thanks! It’s a long time ‘till summer so I can still get ready.

Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' > AntiSpeed
12/04/2016 at 04:47

I know this is a bit shocking since I’ve been an Opponaut for around 7 years already but I still don’t have a license :(
It’s way too expensive and I really don’t need a car so I can’t justify the price. But in the States it’s change money. It would be cheaper for me to book a flight to the US, take the test and come back, and just convert the US license to a croatian one. Some people do that here.

Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' > RacinBob
12/04/2016 at 04:49

Very cool. Good idea to get into the racing scene and meet some people, I’ll try and do that if I’ll have time. Good advice, thanks.

Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
12/04/2016 at 04:52

Thank you man. I’ll finally see if the DMV is so notoriously slow and annoying as TV would suggest. I was thinking of getting something stupid a European would find exotic. Like a late 80s Cadillac Fleetwood or a Suburban or some other boat. As far as I understand, cars from this era are least appreciated of all...

Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' > Matthew Phillips
12/04/2016 at 04:53

Hahahah thank you. I’ve been helped.

jimz > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
12/11/2016 at 15:55

If you don’t have a driver’s license in your home country, you’re pretty much out of luck. Here, licenses are issued by the individual states, and if you’re not a resident of the state and are not a US citizen or authorized permanent foreign resident, it’s going to be very, very hard.

Here are Michigan’s requirements, for example:

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/sos/Applying_for_lic_or_ID_SOS_428_222146_7.pdf

plus, do you have any driving experience at all? How long are you going to be here? If you don’t have much experience it’s kind of wishful thinking to believe you’ll pass the tests w/o a class.

CaptainSlooooooooooooooooow > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
01/18/2017 at 12:20

This is not at all related to your original post as I know nothing about international driving permits and requirements. I hope you found or will find the answer to your question in time.

However, I am travelling to Europe this summer and want to visit Croatia. Can you recommend any place to visit that you think is a “do not miss” destination?

Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' > CaptainSlooooooooooooooooow
01/19/2017 at 06:46

Hi, sure! Well, there’s a lot to see. I think the main couple of cities you should see are
Dubrovnik - the southernmost city, which has an interesting diplomatic history and cool and very well preserved architecture. It’s a bit expensive though, at least for our Croatian standard.
Split - the second largest city, it’s on the central coast. Typical Mediterranean climate, a lot of spots to check out.
Pula - a city in Istra, the northern peninsula. Some cool ancient architecture but also a vibrant alternative scene (Same goes for Rijeka).

But I also recommend some continental cities, primarily Zagreb: the capitol - there’s a more to see and do here than in any other city. A bunch of museums, cool bars and tourist spots.
Varaždin - a small city in the north. Here there’s a lot of austro-hungarian and german influence. It’s interesting to see such a small city, it’s very clean and has some cool festivals.

As far as automotive content, you’re out of luck. It’ll be interesting for you to see old Golfs, Yugos, Renaults and other European cars and there’s a small Automotive museum in Zagreb worth checking out. But other than that, there’s not much car culture here. No cars and coffees, no racetracks (except one in the middle of nowhere), and no drag strips.

CaptainSlooooooooooooooooow > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
01/19/2017 at 11:13

Thanks for the advice! I wasn’t really expecting much car culture out there, so I’m not too bummed about all the little buzz-buzz cars.