What kind of translation does the California DMV accept?
The California DMV mentions translations in one place: its list of documents for a secondary review of a driver’s license application. A marriage license, a divorce decree or a foreign driver’s license in another language must come with a certified translation or an affidavit of translation into English. We found no other translation rules on the DMV pages we checked.
What the DMV requires
The rule is on the DMV page about the driver’s license secondary review (opens in a new tab). A secondary review happens when a DMV office needs to look more closely at the identity or residency documents you brought with a driver’s license application. It is part of the AB 60 process: a driver’s license for applicants who don’t have proof of legal presence in the US. The page lists documents that can prove identity, and three of them need a translation if they aren’t in English:
- a marriage license;
- a divorce decree;
- a foreign driver’s license.
Each must come with a certified translation into English or an affidavit of translation. The same list is in the DMV guide to document options for a driver’s license under AB 60 (opens in a new tab).
How we translate marriage and divorce certificates
What the translation must include
The DMV lists two kinds: a certified translation or an affidavit of translation, both into English. The pages we checked don’t say what exactly either one must contain, and they don’t mention a notary.
Other DMV applications
We found no rule about translations on the REAL ID checklist (opens in a new tab) or the driver’s license page (opens in a new tab). If a DMV office asks you for a translation, check with the office which kind it accepts.
Sample translations
5 samplesEach sample has the original, the translation and the signed certificate. Personal details are blurred.
How we do it
- Full translation
every stamp, signature and handwritten line
- Signed certificate
with the translator’s name, address and phone
- A PDF, ready to file
original, translation and certificate, translation pages numbered
- Price
$25 for the first page up to 250 words, $20 for each additional page, in the same document or another one.
- Turnaround
1–4 documents: within 24 hours after payment; faster, within 12 hours (+$15 a page) or 3 hours (+$30 a page, paid between 8 am and 6 pm Pacific time). For 5 or more, we give you the date with the quote.
This is a summary of what the agency publishes, not legal advice.