Getting a Drivers License in San Antonio Texas
Reader’s Question:
How does a driving history in California affect an application for a driving license in San Antonio Texas?
Chris
San Antonio, TX
Both Texas and California are members of the Drivers License Compact. This agreement requires either of the two states to inform each other about violations made by drivers in their respective territories. Therefore, if a person obtains a violation in California, the conviction would be reported to San Antonio, Texas, and vice versa.
If a person from California plans to move into Texas and acquire a driving license there, the person would have to present his or her valid CA driver’s license and would only be given 30 days (after entry to TX) to obtain the new license. The TX Department of Public Safety (DPS) has jurisdiction over the records of drivers in TX, including those who just transferred from another state. The DPS is in the best position to state whether the violation committed in CA would be added to the new record in TX, or not.
With regards to auto insurance, the insurance company may be able to get hold of the MVR to assess the person and to see whether he or she is high-risk or low-risk. There is a possibility that the driver’s driving history in the other state may affect his or her car insurance rate in TX, therefore it would be best if he or she asks for the computation directly from the insurance company.
