<p>I may be assuming too much, but it sounds like she just wants/needs to get a drivers license in state of school attendance. Having a valid dl has nothing to do w/insurance. OP does not say she is getting a car, just access to a car to take drivers test. </p>
<p>If I am wrong sorry for assuming query is only about acquiring out of state dl.</p>
<p>Very interesting thread…</p>
<p>Isn’t it true that most policies cover the vehicle? IOW, if my kid gives permission to one of his friends to drive his car, wouldn’t my policy would kick in? Believe there are also some companies that insure the driver, regardless of what vehicle they are driving.</p>
<p>If a college kid gets a DL in a different state, does that state become their permanent state of residence??</p>
<p>To get a DL in another state they would need to be a resident, living in a dorm does not constitute residency, otherwise every college student would become IS after the freshman yr.</p>
<p>For our policy the car is covered, but not if the driver is uninsured, thus, if DS allows another person to drive and they get into an accident the insurance co goes after the drivers’ insurance. If they have no insurance ours kicks in, but our policy may then be in jeopardy of being dropped due to cost to the company!</p>
<p>People need to realize that your insurance company can drop you or make the cost so exhorbitant that you can not afford it.</p>
<p>Again, this is a matter for state regulation, including, obviously license issues; and, beyond that, insurance company policy. So check all advice here against that standard. There is no national “rule” (except by coincidence).</p>
<p>Again, talk to your agent (not your friends) and be up front with your company and agent. Memorialize it in writing to avoid a coverage dispute.</p>
<p>Aren’t there a variety of standards, other than having a DL, that qualify one for IS tuition. I would think a DL is pretty far down on the list. What if a kid lives off-campus? can’t they honestly say their street address is their residence for DMV purposes??</p>
<p>Residency rules vary from state to state, and are not necessarily tied to issues of tuition, insurance, drivers’ licenses, etc. In my state you can establish residency for drivers’ license purposes via your dorm room, but that won’t get you in-state tuition. Two different issues (if not three).</p>
<p>bulletandpima - are you sure about that? If someone has permission to drive one of your vehicles and is in an accident, your policy should provide primary coverage of the permissive user.</p>
<p>In Massachusetts there is no link between having insurance and obtaining a license.</p>
<p>toadstool - the insurance requirement is probably linked to vehicle registration. A few states allow drivers to pay an uninsured motorist fee and drive without insurance - Virginia is one I believe.</p>
<p>Looking at the Ca DMV site it doesn’t look like you need to provide any proof of Ca residency to get a Ca Drivers license. You do have to prove that you are a US citizen.</p>
<p>My D is at school in another state. She has a Ca drivers license. She bought a car in the state the school is located. Her car is registered in the college state. Due to the car being registered in another state we had to purchase car insurance for her in her own name with another carrier. Her insurance as an individual is quite expensive. It was much cheaper when she was an addition driver on our insurance policy.</p>
<p>State laws vary. “Learner’s permit” in our state (WA) means the holder is not authorized to drive alone; he or she has to have in his/her car a person over 21 years old who had a license for 5 years. All related licensed drivers in a household have to be on the same policy, as I was told by our agent when I wanted to get a separate policy for D. We ended up upping our coverage and buying an umbrella instead. She is now considered an “out of state student”, still covered by our policy, but we are paying much less. In WA, vehicle registration is apparently not linked to insurance (we never had to provide proof of insurance to register our cars).</p>
<p>Though when she goes to the Ca DMV to take the road test she will need to show proof of insurance for the vehicle she is driving.</p>
<p>It does cover, but they go after the other drivers insurance first, if they don’t have insurance then they pick it up . Our insurance company is USAA, you can’t join it unless you are in the military or a child of military member. I know about this b/c my friends son was in an accident, he wasn’t driving his car, the friend was, needless to say the friendship is over b/c the parents of the other child were upset that USAA went after their insurance. Another friends child got into an accident and USAA picked up the bill even though it wasn’t their car, she was 18 (licensed at 16) USAA jumped their insurance bill from 2K a yr to 10.</p>
<p>My friend here in VA (in her 40’s) got hit by an uninsured illegal, not her fault at all and USAA jacked her insurance by 5K b/c of it!</p>
<p>mom60 I think you nailed it. I did not have a drivers license when I was growing up and realized I needed to get a license when my first job after grad school was going to be in Detroit. I grew up in CA but was going to grad school in PA. I got my temps in PA where I went to school (and definitely wasn’t on my parents insurance – not sure if they were even in the country at the time) and then took my test in PA using my BF’s car and its insurance and registration. Moved to Detroit, switched my license to Michigan (within 3 weeks of getting it). Bought a car in Detroit and got my own insurance there.</p>
<p>mom60 - read my post of 19, that’s a direct quote from CA DMV.</p>
<p>Here’s an interesting wrinkle:</p>
<p>“The Class C driving test is used to determine your driving competency. You must provide a vehicle that is safe to drive and insured. When you appear for your driving test, the driving test examiner will ask to see your instruction permit(s), driver education and driver training completion certificates (if you are a minor), and proof of insurance for your vehicle.”</p>
<p>It seems that to take the driver’s test, you have to show up with either a current license or learner’s permit. Would this mean that your D would have to apply for a CA learner’s permit first? If so, you may be required to have the learner’s permit for a certain number of months before you can try for your license. This would probably push your D toward getting her license in Ohio first.</p>
<p>Also, you need to take some official document that shows your age and “legal presence”. Passport would work. If you don’t have an official birth certificate, you’ll need to order one.</p>
<p>As for the car that you’ll be testing in, you need to make sure that the CAR is insured and that the registration is current. You won’t even be able to take the driving test if either part is missing. I’ve seen people turned away at the DMV because they didn’t have one or the other proof in their hand.</p>
<p>OK … a lot of what is being posted here is total b.s.</p>
<p>First of all: I moved to California at age 16 to attend college; my parents lived in Texas. I had a Texas drivers license. At age 17, I bought a car for myself and obtained a California driver’s license – I had to surrender my Texas license and take the drivers test in California – I don’t remember any problem in doing that. I also bought my own insurance. At the time my parents were still supporting me. At that time, the law was still that the age of majority / voting age was 21 … so I was a long way from officially “establishing residence” anywhere. I remember I bought insurance from State Farm because I called around and they were the only company willing to insure a 17 year old. </p>
<p>I am thinking that I probably needed the California license in order to buy insurance. I have no clue as to whether I could have been covered on my parents policy – I don’t think it ever occured to me to discuss the whole car-buying, license-getting, insurance-arranging thing with them. At the time my parents used to send me about $120 a month to live on and my rent for a shared apartment was $55 a month… so somehow I managed to swing the cost of the car (maybe $300?) and the insurance, plus feed myself & buy my books and have it all work out. This was in 1971; I believe the car was a 61 Ford Falcon. It was a really crummy car but it ran. </p>
<p>I think it is unlikely that Dad II’s daughter will be driving a company car; a company will take responsibility for insurance, but I remember that my son wasn’t able to drive for the organization he worked for until age 21. But if they do want her to drive, then she probably does need to have a license. I don’t see that it makes a difference what state.</p>
<p>And to whoever said you can’t establish residency living in a dorm: that is totally mistaken. It is very clearly established that students who live in dorms can register to vote and of course do whatever else they want or need to do in conjunction with living in the state (including paying California income tax on their earnings).</p>
<p>oldfort- I read that post. What that says is that if you become a Ca resident you must apply for a Ca license. Meaning that you may not continue to drive with your out of state license. It does not say you need to be a Ca resident to apply for a license.
Ellemnope is right that she needs to get a permit. If you go to the Ca DMV official site it gives you the details of how to do that.
Also when both my older kids went to get their license they were never asked for any proof of residency. What my 2nd child did need was the license application to be signed by both parents. This was due to him being under 18. I don’t know if it was a law change since I don’t recall that being an issue with my oldest.</p>
<p>I agree that there is no problem when you “trade” a valid out of state license for a California license. Dad II’s D doesn’t have a valid Ohio license yet. If she had, she could drive in CA with that OH license for the summer.</p>
<p>Good point that most businesses probably won’t let an under 21 year old employee drive a company car because of the company’s own insurance policy.</p>
<p>Is the car the D is thinking of driving for work or for personal use?</p>
<p>I think most states allow students to get a DL based on college residency - I know Virginia and Maryland do. The DL may be an indicia of residency for in state tuition, but that alone won’t do it.</p>
<p>Edited to add - I don’t know about California, but many, if not most states, will require proof of residency for a DL. A bill, a bank statement, a voter card, tuition bill, etc. may be enough.</p>