Maryland DMV

October 30, 2009 5:23 PM

Marylanders, I need your help. I haven't had a driver's license since 2004 and now I need one in a shorter time than nine months from now.

I haven't had a license in a long time since I was living in NYC and didn't need one. Now, here in Maryland I need to drive again and in order to do that, I have to get a learner's permit. That's fine, except for the fact that you have to have the permit for NINE MONTHS before you can get your license.

This seems excessive to me especially since I've had a license before. Regardless, I pretty much need to get a license as soon as possible to help me get a job here in Baltimore. Is there some way to get around this nine month wait that you know of? Or, are there any suggestions you have for how I would go about trying to get an exception?

posted by josher71 to law & government (9 answers total)

Can you renew your old license in your previous state of residence, then transfer that to Maryland? If it's NY state, then you're out of luck per the FAQ here, but maybe it was a different state with more lenient requirements.
posted by The Michael The at 5:32 PM on October 30, 2009

According to the MVA's guide, if you're going for a normal license:

"The Rookie Driver .... laws apply to all non-commercial driver's license applicants, regardless of age, who have never held a license in Maryland or any other state or country.

You held a license in another state, so you aren't a rookie, so you apparently don't need to wait 9 months.

Specifically, you are applying for a Type 2 Learner's Permit, "issued to persons who currently hold or previously held a driver's license."

The permit is valid for 6 months, but you only have to wait 14 days before getting a license.
posted by zippy at 5:33 PM on October 30, 2009 [2 favorites]

Here's a link to the Maryland Driver's Guide where I got the above. It's a PDF.
posted by zippy at 5:35 PM on October 30, 2009

You have an expired license, so I don't think you need to get a permit. The Maryland MVA says:

"You are responsible for renewing your driver's license before it expires. You have up to one year after it expires to renew without having to take additional tests."

http://www.mva.maryland.gov/DriverServ/Apply/renewinfo.htm

I would give them a call to see what these "tests" are.
posted by nikkorizz at 5:37 PM on October 30, 2009 [1 favorite]

Try calling the information number and see what they say. Then, regardless of what they say, go over to the Mondawmin MVA and tell them that the people on the information number told you it was ok and you took off work today to get your license and you really need to take care of it today or you'll get fired.
posted by electroboy at 5:56 PM on October 30, 2009 [1 favorite]

I'm pretty sure the "tests" mean re-taking the (multiple choice) law test, and the road test. At least, that's what happened to my father, who, in his mid-50s, missed the renewal notification and let his Maryland license lapse for over a year -- it was finally caught when he was signing into a gov't building, I think. Yes, they really made him re-take the road test.
posted by Alterscape at 11:30 PM on October 30, 2009 [1 favorite]

as a native Marylander, my experience with the MVA is.. they are pretty tough about the rules, so there are unlikely to be shortcuts unless you are from a small town and your childhood friend's mom works for the MVA. The rules are probably going to require you to take road tests over again, is all. It's not that bad.
posted by citron at 12:52 AM on October 31, 2009

Thanks everyone for the answers as I was somewhat at my wit's end here. Road tests and law tests are no problem. I know the rules and I can drive. It was the waiting nine months to prove I could do it that was making me crazy.
posted by josher71 at 6:31 AM on October 31, 2009

This same thing happened to me (in Maryland). My long expired license was from another state. Just bring your old license (or proof that you had one), take the written and road tests. I got the license the same day.
posted by violette at 7:18 AM on October 31, 2009