pushmyredbutton

^

I get it done at the main Hangzhou Traffic Police Station, and they require a Chinese name...
And yes, it's not a true license, but more of a translation of my USA license, which is fine by me

anacapamalibu

福克 might as well go with this surname if you can pick anything you want

Skyman65

...or just 福, and demand that the Cantonese pronunciation be used.

I remember my first trip to Hong Kong, and giggling like a schoolboy when I saw the romanized spelling on the street sign for 福樂街 (Fuk Luk St.). I thought, "Hey, this must be the red light district."

anacapamalibu

When I saw this sign on the way to PVG, I thought this must be where
all the "duck bars" are.

Vaselinewin

fuyu
Very good name
Homonym is wealthy or Endow?

Yesterday, I just got my license
But only temporary

payam81

Isn't the requirement for permanent D/L, 91 days or more visa validity to exactly thwart the 90 day L visa applicants?

yoopea

My bag was stolen with my Driver License in it, and I won't be home for another 6 months to replace it at the California DMV. Does anyone know if there's a way I could bypass the driver's training and go straight to the behind-the-wheel exam. I will get my official driving record from the DMV and get it translated plus I have all the forms from my stolen purse incident. I CANNOT find any reliable information online or at the various government agencies here....

Some additional info:
- I have a resident permit for a valid z-visa.
- I will be buying a car here this year so time is of the essence, otherwise I would wait until I went back home & save myself the waiting period and the headaches.

Thanks!

bridgeair

The biggest issue with driving in China, as far as I am concerned, and the reason I do not drive is the inadequate third party insurance. If you rent a car, third party insurance is limited to 200k RMB -- if you cause more damage than this, you are responsible yourself. If you own a car, third party insurance for 500k or 1M RMB is available, but still liability above this is your own responsibility.

moondog

There is no behind the wheel exam for people with foreign dls.... only a written test which can be avoided by greasing the right wheels. The written test is actually fairly easy but some of the questions defy logic so a bit of prep is advisable. Regarding your lost ca license you might be able to get the license people to accept other proof that you have a license particularly in smaller cities but I would clarify this before starting the process.

jiejie

This is also the main reason that I decided not to pursue driving in China (except in an emergency situation). Unless one is driving a vehicle registered under embassy/diplomatic shield or corporate shield, the liability risk in the event of an accident IMO is just too great for an independent foreigner. Even if not "at fault" as it would be interpreted in most western countries, as a foreigner the odds would be stacked against you financially and potential legal matters that follow any accident would consume too much of your life for a while.

mosburger

I'd like to see the foreign driver who manages to avoid being officially blamed for an accident regardless of circumstances. It's not much different in neighboring Korea, actually.

tauphi

Third party insurance is available up to 10M RMB.

jiejie

Maybe so, but the main point for me in China is Why Would I Want To Risk This Hassle, when Chinese friends with cars or Chinese hired car/drivers are cheap for the occasions when I need them. It's not like owning a car or personally driving a car in China are "fun" experiences anyway. I can't think of any experience I've wanted that I missed out on because I wasn't driving.

STS-134

The last time I was in China, my friend had to do something with his family during one morning when he was supposed to take me around Beijing. I had to find my way around on my own until about 1 pm, and I was unable to get to 香山公园 because I asked 3 taxi drivers to take me there and all refused. So, next time I visit, I would definitely consider getting a license and then renting a car. We eventually did go there, later in the day, and by then the gondola to the top of the mountain was already closed.

How's it any different for your Chinese friends, in case they happen to get into an accident? Actually, why not just keep front and rear dash cams running at all times? That's what I do here at home, just in case someone does something stupid and tries to blame me for it.

JPDM

The difference is, when the other party realizes that you are a foreigners, their demand for a settlement will shoot up. And if you call the police the settle the affair, they will side with the local.
Having said that, I have my Chinese drivers license and I do drive around regularly when I visit. The biggest challenge is actually to rent a car. Most agencies do not like to rent to a foreigner and all have demanded a Chinese credit card. So friends often lend me their extra car.
By the way, this thread is very old.