White Tiger’s Lair

Well it is time to take the plunge and get a German drivers license.  I had been warned that this could be a difficult procedure, (as most things that deal with government offices are).  The requirements for a license here are quite strict here and it can cost between 1,500 and 2,000 Euros for all the classes and tests.

For reasons I don’t remember, I was a good girl and when I moved from California to South Carolina for school I went in and got a South Carolina lic.  There was no test, no change in requirements, just paid $12 and got a new picture.  Well, it turns out that Germany has agreements with certain states where you don’t have to take the written or the driving or both.  South Carolina (but not California) is one of the few states that is exempt from both, thank you BMW!

So I head down to the office (the official name is about 50 letters long so I will spare you that part).  After much humming and hawing and double checking that nope, I really don’t have to go to the other office to take a test first, I am told that I need a translation of my original license.  Now I am not entirely sure what you would translate “South Carolina” and my name into, but I dutifully head to the ADAC office (think AAA except they have life flight helicopters) and shell out the 49Euro to translate my name, into my name. 

A few days later I make it back to turn in my paperwork, (as with many government offices their hours are 8am-12).  Check that paperwork again, nope still don’t have to take a test, shell out another 35Euro and whala, she says in 4 weeks I will receive a letter, at which point I can go back to the office, again, to pick up my shinny new card.  Why they can’t just put it in the envelope they are mailing to me I don’t know, but that is the deal.  The other interesting part is that in Germany you take them then picture you want on the front, so I will be looking somewhat less convict like (at least I hope so, as I used one of my CV pictures).

The only bad part it that they will keep my SC lic, so getting a new one in the US could be a bit of a pain, but I will jump off the bridge when I get to it.