To obtain a Pennsylvania Driver's License you must pass two separate examinations.
The first is a PA State written drivers examination and the second is a road test administered in a vehicle with an officer present.
If you have a drivers license from your home country along with an international license or permit, you may drive in the United States for up to one year. After one year, you will need a Pennsylvania Drivers license which costs $29. To obtain a driver's license your I-20 or DS-2019 must include an expiration date of more than one year.
If you don't know how to drive you will need to borrow or rent a car with the help of a friend or relative. Americans generally learn to drive at the age of 16 with the help of their family. It is not recommended that you ask your host family to teach you how to drive in their car. Their automobile insurance may not cover an accident caused by non-family members. The best advice is to pay a professional driving instructor to teach you.
It is extremely important to know the vehicle you are being tested in. The officer will fail you if you do not know where the head light beams are or how to use the windshield wipers. You will also fail if you do not first put on your safety belt! Do not use a rented vehicle with a friend if you do not know the car well!!
Driving in the US can be fun, but it carries responsibility, too. Since the speeds can be quite high (up to 70 mph on highways), it is important for an international student to get adjusted to the speed as well as to the right side of the road to drive on. So even if you have driven before, it is best advised not to drive alone initially.
Below are the steps to obtain a drivers license:
STEP ONE: LEARNERS PERMIT
A. Before You Go
1. Obtain the PA Drivers Manual by visiting PennDOTs Driver and Vehicles Services Home Page at www.dmv.state.pa.us
2. Remove the Medical Qualification Form (Form DL-180A) from the manual or print it out from the web site and have a physician complete it. You can get a physical exam with a 5 dollar charge (will be added to your bill) at the Engle Center by scheduling an appointment with a doctor.
3. Bring your passport, I-94 card, I-20 or DS-2019, social security card (originals and not photocopies), Medical Qualification Form, and money order or check for the $29.00 fee. You must also bring two forms of evidence that documents your mailing address. This can be a statement from a bank, credit card bill or University bill.
4. Request a verification of enrollment form from the office of the Registrar. This document is also required.
B. While You're There
1. Fill out Initial Application for a Noncommercial Learners Permit
2. Complete a vision screening (at Driver Exam Center) where you will need any corrective lenses (glasses or contacts) that you own.
3. Take the Pennsylvania Sign and Knowledge Test. **THIS IS NOT AN EASY TEST. DILIGENTLY STUDY THE PA DRIVERS MANUAL BEFORE TAKING IT.
4. Receive a Learners Permit (valid for 1 year) to practice driving before the Road Test. (You cannot take a road test with a temporary permit.) However, you can take the Road Test the day after receiving the permit.
STEP TWO: PRACTICE DRIVING
1. As soon as you get a Learners Permit, you are able to go practice driving. However, you cannot take a road test until you get an Official Learner's Permit.
2. Be sure to carry your permit with you whenever you practice-driving. Practice with a licensed driver.
STEP THREE: ROAD TEST
A. Before You Go
1. Find someone (over 18) with a Driver's license and a car to accompany you to the PennDot Photo & Examination Center.
2. Go online to schedule a road test. Go to link under Step 5 at the following website.
http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/teenDriversCenter/obtainingLearnersPermit.shtml
2. Bring your Learner's Permit, social security card, registration card and a proof of vehicle insurance for the vehicle you'll drive during the test, and the drivers license of the person accompanying you to the test center (originals, not photocopies)
B. While You're There
1. The examiner will check all documents that you've brought and will ensure that all lights, horn, brakes, windshield wipers, turn signals, etc. are in working order. BE SURE TO CHECK ALL OF THESE THINGS BEFORE SELECTING A CAR FOR THE TEST.
2. If you pass, the officer will endorse your Learner's Permit as a drivers license valid for 120 days.
3. If you fail the test, you may be retested no sooner than the next 7 days. You have three chances to pass the Road Test with one Learners Permit. After the third failure, the examiner will confiscate your permit. You can reapply for another permit by completing the Application to Extend/Add/ Replace Noncommercial Learners Permit.
STEP FOUR: PHOTO LICENSE
1. In some test centers, you have your picture taken and receive PA Driver's License after passing the road test.
2. You will receive your camera card at most Driver License Centers after passing the Road Test. You will be asked if you would like to be an organ donor at this time, the words "Organ Donor" will appear on your license only if you say "Yes." Informational phone numbers concerning organ donation are listed in the PA Driver's Manual.
3.If you did not get a license right away, within 45 days of passing your road test, you will receive a camera card.
Automated Telephone System for the Pennsylvania Bureau of Motor Vehicles and Bureau of Driver Licensing. Information regarding the most frequently asked questions and obtaining forms is available 24 hours if using a touch-phone telephone. Service representatives are available 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Mon.-Fri for direct assistance 1-800-932-4600.
Further Information : Visit to PennDOTs Home Page at www.state.pa.us
Source from: www.bucknell.edu