Do you need a translation of your Russian driver’s license at the DMV?
It depends on the state and on why the DMV needs your license. The California DMV asks for a certified translation or an affidavit of translation of a foreign driver’s license it reviews with an AB 60 driver’s license application. The New York DMV asks road test applicants for an International Driving Permit or a translation certified by a consulate or another government agency, so our translation won’t work there. We translate Russian driver’s licenses in full, both sides, usually on one page: $25, ready within 24 hours after payment.
California: AB 60 secondary review
The California DMV mentions translations of foreign licenses on its page about the driver’s license secondary review (opens in a new tab), part of the AB 60 process. A foreign driver’s license is one of the documents listed there, and one in a language other than English needs a certified translation or an affidavit of translation into English. The page lists no exceptions by country.
This is the case our translation is made for. What a secondary review is and which other documents it covers: What the California DMV accepts.
New York: the road test
You can drive in New York State with a valid license from another country, and you don’t need a New York license unless you become a resident (New York DMV (opens in a new tab)). If your license isn’t in English and you take a New York road test, you bring either an International Driving Permit or a certified translation of the license. The DMV wants that translation certified by a consulate, the U.S. Department of State or another official government agency, and it must show your name, date of birth, the license’s expiration date and the types of vehicles it covers.
A translation from a private service, ours included, isn’t one of those. For the New York road test, use one of the two options the DMV names.
We haven’t checked the rules of every state. If a DMV office asks for a translation, ask the office which kind it accepts.
The international driving permit
Russia issues two kinds of licenses: the national driver’s license and the international driving permit (Federal Law No. 196-FZ, art. 25 (opens in a new tab)). The national license is issued for ten years. The international permit is issued for up to three years, and never for longer than the national license it goes with.
What the translation includes
We translate every field on both sides of the card in full, including any restrictions or special marks. Vehicle categories keep their letters, such as A, B, C1 or BE: Russian law defines each of them, from motorcycles to vehicles with trailers and trams (same article). Your name follows your international passport, so it matches your other documents.
What to file in your case is for you or your attorney to decide.
Sample translations
6 samplesEach sample has the original, the translation and the signed certificate. Personal details are blurred.
Questions
Does an International Driving Permit replace a translation?
At the New York DMV road test, yes: it accepts either an International Driving Permit or a translation certified by a government agency. The California DMV page on AB 60 documents names only a certified translation or an affidavit of translation. A Russian international driving permit is valid for up to three years and never longer than the national license.
How much does it cost?
Both sides of a driver’s license usually fit on one page: $25. Each additional page in the same order is $20, so a driver’s license, a passport page and a birth certificate are $65.
Do I need a notary?
The California DMV page asks for a certified translation or an affidavit of translation and doesn’t mention a notary. Our translation comes with the translator’s signed certificate.
How long does it take?
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.
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.