You may or may not be required to drive with your family during your Au-Pair year.
Cultural Care has been informed by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission that New Jersey Law does permit Au-Pairs to drive with their home country license for up to one year, HOWEVER New Jersey law enforcement officials have ticketed many Au-Pairs for driving without a state license. Several Au-Pairs have gone to court, and in all cases the court has sided with the local police and have found the Au-Pairs guilty of driving without a license. This is because the law is written in such a way that can lead you to believe you do not need one, but in fact you do because you are a resident of the State of NJ when you live with your family:
- A person with an international drivers license can drive on the international license without a NJ license for up to one year as long as they do not “establish residence” here in New Jersey. If they “become a resident” of the state of New Jersey they can only drive for 60 days without a NJ license. What could “become a resident” entail? If a person living here, working here, has a social security card, etc. You are doing all of the above. So you need to get a NJ license.
- An Au-Pair was stopped in Millburn recently and the police officer was going to give her a ticket for not getting it within 30 days, but then checked and did not issue a ticket, because it is 60 days.
Based on these experiences, Cultural Care recommends that all Au-Pairs obtain a New Jersey state license.
If you are not a U.S. citizen and have recently moved to New Jersey, you must have temporary visa status and fit into one of the following categories to apply for a New Jersey driver license:
- students
- Temporary workers, accompanying spouses and children
- Foreign information representatives and their families
- Exchange visitors and their families
- Intra-company transfers, accompanying spouses and minor children
- Persons with temporary protection from deportation
- Canadians with temporary residence
- Religious ministers and spouses
- Parents of U.S. citizens
- International athletes or entertainment groups
- Persons in a reciprocal exchange program
- Students and their families with an (F) visa must show INS Form I-20, student identification cards or certification on school letterhead indicating status and their I-94 passport
You may use your country’s driver license as proof of driving experience if you have an International Driver Permit issued by your country or if your country is a member of the United Nations Convention on Road Traffic and your license is translated into English by a consulate or an MVC approved translator. If your license is not translated into English, you need to have it translated in order for it to be a valid form. The cost of translation could be around $ 100, so please make sure your license is. An international license is a translation of a home license, but sometimes it is translated into French or Spanish, rather then English or it does not include a driver’s license number, which becomes invalid for the DMV. You will be instructed to get your home license translated in this case.
How to obtain your basic New Jersey driver license:
- You must also provide proof by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, authorizing your presence in the country. ( Passport, I-94 and DS 2019). In order the obtain the permit, you will need to bring your foreign license and present the documents required to pass the 6 Point ID Verification; http://www.state.nj.us/mvc/Licenses/6PointID.htm
After you get the permit, visit any Driver Testing Center to take a vision test, knowledge test and possibly a road test if required. The closest office to us is:
65 Jefferson Avenue in Elizabeth, NJ.
Hours of operation;
Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Saturday 8 a.m.–12 p.m
or
481 Route 46 West, Wayne, New Jersey 07470
Monday–Fridaty 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m
Saturday 8 a.m.–12 p.m.
You are not required to surrender your foreign license when DMV issues your New Jersey driver license.
If you are required to drive:
- you need to obtain a NJ state license within 60 days of residing in NJ. Instructions for this are under “Au-Pair to do list” on the top of this page.
- driving is a privilege and can be taken away if abused, please follow the families instructions, also to be discussed during our two week orientation
- drinking alcohol and driving is against the law and can lead to serious consequences.
- off duty you will be responsible for damages up to $500 per accident, but on duty the family is responsible
- any moving violation tickets you receive on or off duty are your responsibility: parking tickets, speeding tickets, running a red light, reckless driving, accident tickets, etc.
- tickets received because of missing paperwork or for maintenance of the car is the families responsibility. As a driver you should check with the family if all paperwork is available for you to present if needed: registration form and insurance card. You are also to carry your driver’s license at all times.
- If stopped by the police; stop at the side of the road and be prepared to show your driver’s license, car registration and the auto insurance car, stay in your car and wait for the police officer’s instructions.
- Notify your family of the incident and pay tickets or show up for court in time.
- It is the families responsibility to add you or not add you to their car insurance, however as a driver you are to make sure the family has provided you with the necessary paperwork.
- any rules the family sets for the car such as curfew, mileage, gas payment, etc is to be followed.
- HAPPY DRIVING
