Welcome to UCI. As I discovered, like most other international students who reach UCI, public transportation is not Irvine’s strong point. While you can get around without a car (either by bus, bike or generous friends), driving will open up a whole new world of possibilities with respect to exploring SoCal, dining and hanging out with friends.
Note: Many international students drive around with licenses from their home countries. I have heard various versions of the law regarding this. Some say it’s completely illegal, others say you can drive up to 1 year with a home country license. As the legislation on this is not clear, you are putting yourself under a lot of risk if you were to be pulled over by a police officer. Therefore, I would strongly suggest to get your driving license before you start driving in CA.
First step for getting a DL is to pass the written/knowledge test. DMV (Department of Motor Vehicle) office is notorious for it’s long waiting times if you go without an appointment. So visit the DMV website and get an appointment for the test. The closest office is the one in Costa Mesa (Address: 650 W 19th St, Costa Mesa, CA 92627). The written test is provided in different languages. This test is easy but requires some preparation. For example, can you answer the following question?
“Question: On average, the human body can dispose of the alcohol in 12 ounces of beer in about
- One hour.
- One day.
- Five minutes.
- Five hours.”
Even if you can answer this, do prepare for the test. You can review and print materials from the DMV website. There are various mobile apps available on Android and iOS that are helpful too. You will know immediately after the test if you passed or not.
Now it’s finally time to learn how to drive :-). If you know how to drive, it is important you practice it with a friend as the rules here could be different from your home country. There are many driving schools in Irvine or in Orange County, but it requires you to do some research (Yelp is a good place to look at). After you feel comfortable with driving it’s time to visit the DMV website to get an appointment for “behind the wheel” test.
Based on suggestions from my friends, I decided to go for the DMV in Laguna Hills (Address: 23535 Moulton Pkwy, Laguna Hills, CA 92653). The road test here is easier to take compared to Costa Mesa and Santa Ana. If you pass your test, you will receive a temporary driver’s license immediately and then your actual driver’s license in the mail within a few weeks. If you don’t pass in your first attempt (I didn’t), there is no need to despair. Go back in and get an appointment 2 weeks from then and practice more. In no time, you will be zipping around Irvine in your own car (check other blog posts on suggestions on how to buy a car”).
Zoheb says
July 12, 2017 at 11:35 amNice article Primal.
I would like to add few thing,
1. I would recommend the new incoming students to practice driving with some driving school in their home country itself (I know its inexpensive in India). Driving schools here in California (in fact overall US) are very expensive ($400 for 3hrs and so).
2. In case you are not planning to drive in US then at least try to get a California ID. California ID looks similar to California drivers license and it is issued by the DMV itself. You can either take an appointment or try your luck in non-appointment queue.
To get a California ID, you just need to visit DMV once to submit the form with required document. California ID can be used as Photo ID or/and address proof.
Also, it is good to have some photo ID all the time with you since carrying passport and I20 all the time is very difficult.
Jasmine says
July 13, 2017 at 2:21 pmI definitely recommend getting a California ID even if you are planning on getting a drivers license in the future. It is easy to get and will save you the trouble of carrying important documents everywhere you go. Many of my friends have gone to restaurants with a few friends and have not been let in the restaurant due to alcoholic drinks being served and not having anything but an international license available.