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.
Your step-by-step path
- A · Almost everyone qualifies. Citizen, green card, work visa, F-1 student, B-1/B-2 visitor — all the same path. A standard Washington license does not record your status, it asks for no proof of address, and never having had a Social Security number is not a blocker. See exactly what to bring for your own status
- B · Request a driver license number. Start in License Express. You'll need this number to register for the knowledge test.
- C · Knowledge test. 40 questions, 32 correct to pass, 13 languages available. Book online at our DOL-approved center.
- D · Apply for an instruction permit. Required for any lesson where you drive. Not required to sit the road test itself — a valid ID is enough there.
- E · Driving practice. Practice with a licensed driver, or book practice lessons with us. A permit or valid driver license is required for lessons and warm-ups.
- F · Road (driving) test. Add a warm-up lesson immediately before if you've never taken a U.S. road test.
- G · Work zone & first responder safety course. Free, online only, about an hour, at dol.wa.gov/wzfr — required for first-time applicants under 25 before the license is issued. Do it before your DOL appointment. What it is, cost, where and how long · DOL flyer (PDF)
- H · Get your driver license. Bring your passing results, passport with I-94, visa and I-20. The card is mailed to the address you provide.