Drivers License at last - persistence pays off!!!!

Paul,
Congratualtions but if you keep stopping at red lights and going to the car behind you to show them your license you are going to get your first ticket 🙂 Call me at the office tomorrow, please? Personal business.
Pamela

Paul: Congrats! See all you have to do is decide you will do it!! I had always heard not to take the road test, that you would be failed the first try no matter what. (Aside: You avoid the road test by having a valid stateside license) If you passed on the first try- that is really great!

Thanks East Ender. I had no choice in the matter of the road test for a couple of reasons.

1. I had gone to DMV several days BEFORE my stateside license expired even though at the time I did NOT even have an island car and was walking and riding safaris.

The issue of "computers down" was unknown to me back these many many months ago.......but they were down, those first few days. How many times do you take the safari down to find the place closed?

2. The head of DMV, after one of the written test (yes I had to take it more than once!), said that the law was changed only two months ago, so now I did have to take the road test!

Lots of stuff that everyone complains about - should be an easy thing to pull off. I have ALWAYS had a valid drivers license. ALWAYS.

Local at Food Center this afternoon, when I mentioned that I was told no test after a rain, slugged me on the arm and said, "are you kidding?" I took my test in pouring rain, I was soaked and all the guy did was tell me to hurry up!" So much for the attempt at putting me off this morning with the 'wet roads' story.

Sad sad office. Nice people I came to know, but man it sure don't
'work'!!!!!!!

Congrats, Paul.

Damn, this brings to an end one of the funniest sagas I've read. Hey, we'll be down tomorrow. How 'bout I buy you a congratulatory drink sometime this next week!

Congratulation Paul!
Just make sure you stay on 'your' side of the road and watch out for potholes!

Paul: Are you saying everyone has to take the road test now? I had not heard that! Yikes! That will really make things tough at the DMV. BTW, when your license gets ready to expire, go early- like a month ahead- to start the process! It took me 6 months what with "the computer is down", "the camera is broken", etc.

Hey, that sounds like a joke set up: "How many times do you take the safari down to the DMV to find it closed?" 🙂

6

HI Guys,
We are moving down in just a couple of weeks. So the real question is: Do you have to take the road and written test even with a valid stateside d.l.?
-nikki

From what I understand, you just take the written test and produce your valid stateside license to obtain a V.I. license. However, in my opinion, if it were that easy than everyone would have one. So, I am wondering the same thing. Has anyone recently got a V.I. license with a valid stateside I.D.?

Teresa

Please, please, please don't say we have to take the road test! YIKES! I had a few tries to get my original license and swore I'd never give it up. My Missouri license is valid for 4 more years - but I'd love to take the VI challenge.

"All Virgin Islands residents operating a motor vechicle on Virgin Islands streets and highways must have a valid VI license. You are a resident if you live in the islands for 3 months or more in a calendar year. 'Out of State' transfer students at the university are not considered residents.

New residents are required to surrender their stateside license when applying for a VI license.

When applying for your first VI license you will be required to pass a written exam.

If your stateside license is not in your possesion or is expired you will need to get a written clearance from the state where your license is from stating that your license has not been revoked or suspended; or you will have to complete both the road & written exam.

If your stateside license has been revoked or suspended then you must complete both the road and written exams."

The reason everyone doesn't have one is because its a pain in the butt to go down like Paul did 6 times. So some folks chance it and drive with their valid stateside license and figure if they get pulled over they will say I live off and on island, I just got here not to long ago, etc. and hope to weasel out of getting a ticket.

--Islander

When I was at BMV, the head guy, Dan Olive, or something like that was taking a line full of people that HAD a current stateside drivers license. He hand wrote their name in a huge ledgere (hand wrote! wonder why it's an inefficient place, well here's one of them).........he DID NOT (contrary to popular belief) take the stateside license from folks.

They were then sent to the cashier line. (where you guessed it on two of the occasions I was "visiting" the place, the cashier had to hand write receipts!!!!) On the day that I actually paid to get my license (she and I had struck up a recognition factor friendship after my many visits!!) and I told her I was so sorry to see she was having to hand write the recipt again, saying something like it must be a real pain. She said yes, and showed me a sealed envelope with receipts from a previous day, which she said she then had to ENTER into the system at such time it was working again!!!!

None of these folks had to take the written test!!!

Oh yes, once you navigate the cahsier line, you then get in line to have your picture taken. Once it's completed, you wait a short while until they come out and present you with your completed license.

At any rate, unless the folks had to surrender their stateside license when handed a VI one, I did NOT see anyone turn it in.