Yes, you can get a Washington driver license on an F1 visa — and you do not need a Social Security Number to do it. You'll be treated as a first-time Washington driver, which means the knowledge test and then the road test. Here is the whole thing, without the campus rumours.
The short answer
You can get a standard Washington driver license on an F1 visa. Because your existing license (if any) was issued outside the U.S., you're treated as a first-time driver: knowledge test, then road test.
No Social Security Number is required. For a standard license you either provide a SSN or sign a declaration saying you don't have one — which is the normal path for most students.
No proof of address is required either. You just give a mailing address — your dorm or apartment — so DOL can send the license card.
What to bring
• Foreign passport with I-94 — on DOL's accepted identity list.
• Your U.S. visa — also counts as an identity document.
• I-20 — bring it; it's the document that ties everything together for a student.
• A mailing address for the card. That's it — no lease, no utility bill.
Note that the Enhanced driver license (EDL) is only for U.S. citizens. You'll get the standard license, which is what you need to drive legally, rent a car, and use as ID in Washington.
Take the knowledge test in your language — or in English
The knowledge test is available at our center in 13 languages: Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), English, Japanese, Korean, Punjabi, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish, Tagalog, Ukrainian and Vietnamese.
Students from India: Hindi is not offered, but Punjabi is. For any other language DOL can arrange an interpreter with 5 business days' notice ([email protected]).
Many international students take it in English anyway — the vocabulary is everyday traffic English and your admission-level English is more than enough. Either way, work through our free practice questions first; the test is 40 questions and you need 32 right.
Fitting it around classes
Our testing center is in North Seattle, a short trip from the University District — most UW students reach us in about 15 minutes.
Both tests are booked online, and we run evening and weekend slots, so you don't have to skip a lecture. The road test uses our car, which matters if you don't own one — the most common reason students postpone the test is not having a vehicle to take it in.
If you have never driven in the U.S., a 1-hour warm-up lesson in the test car right before the exam is the fastest way to convert home-country driving habits into the things a Washington examiner scores.
Step by step
- 1 · Get your DOL driver license number. Start in License Express. You'll need this number to register for the knowledge test.
- 2 · Pass the knowledge test. 40 questions, 32 correct to pass, 13 languages available. Book online at our DOL-approved center.
- 3 · Get an instruction permit if you want to practice. Required for any lesson where you drive. Not required to sit the road test itself — a valid ID is enough there.
- 4 · Take the road test in our car. Add a warm-up lesson immediately before if you've never driven a U.S. test route.
- 5 · Collect your license at DOL. Bring your passing results, passport with I-94, visa and I-20. The card is mailed to the address you provide.