Driver's license - STX - hard facts, please?

Becky, It is correct - you do NOT have to take the driver's portion IF your stateside license is still valid. Pick up an eye exam form, take it to an eye doctor and return it to the driver's bureau. Then they will give you a booklet to study from and you schedule the written exam. We got as far as picking up the eye exam form - then laziness and being too cheap to pay for an eye exam set in.....

I picked up the forms (no charge by the way) for my wife and I earlier this week. The Officer that gave me the forms said that we would have to take the written test but the driving test would be waived because we had valid stateside licenses. I told him that I had heard that the written test could be waived also. He said that they may have changed the requirements so he sent me to talk to the DMV employees who actually handle the paperwork. They said that we while we would still have to pay the fee for the written test, we no longer had to actually take it as long as we had a valid stateside license. The driving portion is also not required with a valid license. We plan to get the eye test and photos today and try to get our license next week so we will find out for sure then what the true story is.

Well, since I'm a master procrastinator, I will eagerly await your report!

I got mine without taking the test or the driving portion in November. Basically as long as you bring the physical form (the eye doctor can sign the eye and physical part, it cost like $15), two passport photos (which they don't use), your stateside driver's license and either your checkbook (local) or cash you should be good. Hopefully that is still the case 🙂

Good day all,

I'm planning to obtain a VI driver's license this trip (next week). I already have a couple of passport photos, so it sounds like I will just need to get the eye exam/physical form completed. Does anyone know if there is an optometrist on St John, or will I have to go over to St Thomas for the vision test?

Thanks in advance for your kind advice.

Windborn: You don't have to go to an optometrist. Any "Doc in a Box" should be able to do it.

You used to need your Blood type, don't know if that is still true??

I saw a recent copy of the application form and they still ask for blood type.

We got our eye and medical exam for our drivers license at Sunny Isle Pearl Vision Center yesterday. The eye exam consisted of reading a standard wall-mounted eye chart with one eye at a time. The medical exam consisted of telling the person that gave us the eye test that we had no physical problems. The whole process took about 20 minutes and cost $20.00 each.
The checklist attached to the applcation states that when you return to the DMV with your completed form you need to bring two 2 inch square passport size color photos, your original Social Security Card, your Birth Certificate or Passport, and your blood type. The fee for the written test is $10.00. The fee for your drivers license is $35.00. The form also says the fee to obtain the medical form is $2.00, but we were not charged for it here on STX.

My wife and I just got our VI Driver's License this morning. The whole process took about an hour and a half and cost $47.00 each ($2.00 application fee, $10.00 written test fee, and $35.00 license fee). They did not take credit cards, so be prepared with cash. We did not have to take the written test since we had a valid stateside license, just pay the fee for it. We did not have to take the driving test either. Although we had to bring with us 2 passport-size photos, they take the photo there that is used on your license. As far as my earlier post regarding the application fee, the fee is charged when they process the application, not when you pick it up. We did have to surrender our stateside license in exchange for the VI license.

Hello there. I just saw that to get the eye exam would cost approx. $15-! As I am used to the $100+ exams and at this time am way on the broke side, could you point me in the right direction?

Thanks so much for your support

Dan

PS: Do you know if there is a statute of limitations on getting the whole license thing done? I have a DL that's good for another year or so. Just curious as I do not drive very much (but do have an M.D. who will sign the medical part.....I'm safe when I am able to drive)

Thanks again!

Dan,

The law in the USVI states that new residents have 90 days in which to surrender their state license and obtain a USVI license.

Yet I've never met anyone who has met that deadline or had any problems by not doing so (including the Hip Hubby).

It appears that you'll probably be okay as long as you don't get pulled over and your current license is still valid when you apply for your USVI license.

JE posted upthread that he got his eye and medical exams at the Pearle Vision at Sunny Isle for $20 each.

Hoping to meet you one day -- Becky R tells me you're a really nice guy. 🙂

--HC

Well i moved to st John last july and up to last wek never got a vi license but after getting pulled over for a seatbelt i had to get one so let me tell you the real cost as of mar 2006 you do pay a $2 for the medical form the cost for the exam is $15 then it is $10 to take the test only after you return with the completed med form and 2x2 photos ($15) blood type not needed a valid lic and passport is the test is then scheld about 2weeks out after the test you give up your valid licesne and pay $35 for a private on $135 for taxi the licence is good for 5 years NOW WHAT PISSED ME OFF IS THE TOTAL COST
FORM $2
MED EXAM $15
PHOTOS $15
TEST $10
NEW LICENSE $35
TOTAL $ 77 !!!!!
WHERE IN THE STATES DOES IT COST YOU THAT MUCH FOR A LICENSE????
WHAT A RIP OFF !!!
SO IF YOU MOVE HERE IT SUX TO DEAL WITH SO MUCH RED TAPE AND RIPPING YOU OFF NOT ONLY AT THE LICENSE BRANCH BUT FOOD GAS RENTYOU HAVE TO MAKE THE MIN OF $25 JUST TO GET BY IMAKE MORE THAN THAT BUT IT IS TOUGH IF YOU DONT ...GETTING OFF MY SOAP BOX NOW GOOD LUCK ALL

Dear Red Tape: Let's take a look at this for a second. You moved here in July. You knew you were supposed to have a VI license in 90 days, and you didn't get one. (DING!) Then you were pulled over for not having your seatbelt on. (DING!) Now you are mad about the cost not only on your new VI license, but of the "FOOD GAS RENT." (DING!) And to top it off you are trying to compare costs to those in the states?

DING! DING! DING!

Okay, the warning bells are blaring all the way over here in ole St Thomas. Time for a reality check, meh son!!

You are not in Kansas anymore.
There is no why, it just is! 😉

East Ender, you took the (DINGS!) right out of my mouth. 😀

Red Tape, just curious -- did you make a pre-move visit to STJ before moving there? What about any other kind of pre-move research about living on STJ, such as asking questions of this board before you came down?

--HC

Thanks for all the info. Im moving to STX this year and will have to take the road test, can anyone tell me the cost of that? Thanks.

HipCrip - when you meet ME, you will finally have met someone who met the requirement of getting a license in less than 90 days. I got mine in just 11 days after my permanent arrival on St. Croix more than 2 years ago. They said that had to be a record. lol. It wasn't easy, but it can be done. I even had to take that ridiculous written exam and passed it. They didn't require that I turn in my stateside license... but that was later stolen from my car while I was SCUBA diving one day, so it's long gone. C'est la vie.

Alexandra,

11 days has to be a record for sure! Of the crowd I know, we'd be doing good if any of us got it taken care of 11 days after the deadline.

The Hip Hubby had to take the written exam, too -- you two must have been among the last island newbies to take it instead of just paying for it. I suspected the wriiten test had to be done away with when the Hip Hubby came home with a ragged, well-worn study guide the MVB staff provided and told me they said (inso many words) he would fail if he didn't return the book when hecame to his test appointment two weeks later because it was the only copy of the guide that they had left on island!

Given the laid back pace down here, I'm giggling as I imagine the looks on the faces of the MVB staff when you showed up -- they must have looked at you like you were from another planet for being there 2.5 months BEFORE the deadline. *lol*

--HC

Do you have to have a current dl in the usa to get one in the usvi. I have not driven for about 3 years and mine is lapsed, but that doesn't mean I don't know how to drive. And I am worried about my husband being he is diabetic. Does any one have any idea what hoops he is going to have to jump through?
Tanya