on a road to get a dominican driving license

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
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after two years of watching the traffic i decided to get a license. one cannot go about just walking (it's too darn hot) and i cannot take the liking to motores, somehow.:tired:

so i joined the school. cost - 6300 pesos with all taxes and so on (ecuela de choferes ricardo, POP). for three days i cruised the malecon - well, maybe "cruise" is a bit of an overstatement with one lap a day. then on thursday i had to take a written test and my instructor judged me capable of taking examen teorico.

now - my spanish is bad. :eek: test is, obviously, in spanish. i did not argue thou having been warned that saturday may bring some changes (new version of the old administration). i politely accepted my fate and showed up friday's morning (today) in rather shabby office close to the stadium.

papers needed: a cedula with a copy and receipt from banco reserva stating taxes were paid. medical followed - a nice nurse spared me from getting a huge post blood-test bruise (i bruise easily) by simply asking my blood group and then pointed at a table about 3 meters away asking me to read line eight. thanks god it did not include letter "g" as i am not capable of remembering how to pronounce it! :cheeky:

exam itself: one gets to sit in a tiny room in front of the computer screen displaying videos with questions. touch the screen for SI, and NO, touch yellow arrow to see the question again. 20 questions and 20 minutes.

i knew straight away it was a bad idea, reading questions is one thing but LISTENING is another thing altogether! but to my own surprise i passed! i either speak more spanish i think i do or i am oh-so-lucky.

those who always complain about me complain will be surprised, i think that the service was excellent, seeing i cannot speak spanish too well everyone kindly repeated and re-phrased things so i could understand better. i was in and out withing 15 minutes and that included the exam and waiting for a printed version of my provisional driving license.

now, for all of you in POP - beware. if you see a white girl behind the wheel of white mitsubishi montero sport with sweating pale dude with glasses and scared look in his eyes on the passenger seat - that's me driving miesposo's car. :cheeky:

i will keep everyone posted with the rest of the story, my classes will last for about a month before i take examen practico - wish me good luck!
 

Eddy

Silver
Jan 1, 2002
3,668
219
0
after two years of watching the traffic i decided to get a license. one cannot go about just walking (it's too darn hot) and i cannot take the liking to motores, somehow.:tired:

so i joined the school. cost - 6300 pesos with all taxes and so on (ecuela de choferes ricardo, POP). for three days i cruised the malecon - well, maybe "cruise" is a bit of an overstatement with one lap a day. then on thursday i had to take a written test and my instructor judged me capable of taking examen teorico.

now - my spanish is bad. :eek: test is, obviously, in spanish. i did not argue thou having been warned that saturday may bring some changes (new version of the old administration). i politely accepted my fate and showed up friday's morning (today) in rather shabby office close to the stadium.

papers needed: a cedula with a copy and receipt from banco reserva stating taxes were paid. medical followed - a nice nurse spared me from getting a huge post blood-test bruise (i bruise easily) by simply asking my blood group and then pointed at a table about 3 meters away asking me to read line eight. thanks god it did not include letter "g" as i am not capable of remembering how to pronounce it! :cheeky:

exam itself: one gets to sit in a tiny room in front of the computer screen displaying videos with questions. touch the screen for SI, and NO, touch yellow arrow to see the question again. 20 questions and 20 minutes.

i knew straight away it was a bad idea, reading questions is one thing but LISTENING is another thing altogether! but to my own surprise i passed! i either speak more spanish i think i do or i am oh-so-lucky.

those who always complain about me complain will be surprised, i think that the service was excellent, seeing i cannot speak spanish too well everyone kindly repeated and re-phrased things so i could understand better. i was in and out withing 15 minutes and that included the exam and waiting for a printed version of my provisional driving license.

now, for all of you in POP - beware. if you see a white girl behind the wheel of white mitsubishi montero sport with sweating pale dude with glasses and scared look in his eyes on the passenger seat - that's me driving miesposo's car. :cheeky:

i will keep everyone posted with the rest of the story, my classes will last for about a month before i take examen practico - wish me good luck!

Did you have a drivers licence back home? Why pay to take a couse to forget 90% of what you know. Anyway, your $$$.
 
S

sokitoumi

Guest
i think the post was done in humour - not to be taken seriously and exaggerated for comedy effect
 

whirleybird

Silver
Feb 27, 2006
3,264
322
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It would be very interesting to know who actually does have a Dominican drivers' licence here? Anyone?
 
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sokitoumi

Guest
I thought i had one but it turned out to be fake- there are a lot of fake ones out there
 

Lambada

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Mar 4, 2004
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www.ginniebedggood.com
Aug 21, 2007
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Of course. And like AlaninDR renewed in 2007 (I posted about it at the time
http://www.dr1.com/forums/living/62487-renewing-dr-driving-licence-vast-improvement.html)
so next renewal is 2011.

Let me say that if people DON'T have Dominican driving licences their insurance is invalid when it comes to making a claim.

Lambada, would you clarify that for me? Do you mean if a person does not have a Dominican license or if a person does not have a license at all?

When I renewed my car insurance at Apollo, I specifically asked this question of the person there who deals with insurance, and who, as you know, is highly respectable. She made some phone calls and then told me that some companies do not insure or cover non-residents or those who do not hold Dominican licenses, but some companies do. She said that was the reason why she insured me with the company I am now with.

Is this information wrong? If so, then I guess that every non resident here who drives is basically uninsured.

Or am I not understanding something correctly?

Thanks-

Lidnsey
 

granca

Bronze
Aug 20, 2007
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Yes, I?ve got a dominican driving licence but as I am 72 its only valid for 5 years. Getting it was a hoot, its a long story which boils down to being prepared to argue and using your memory.
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
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i never had a driving license. neither polish or english. i have never even driven a car prior to coming to DR. then i tried - without the license but i do not need any trouble, if i am to drive in this country i prefer to do it right.
 

flo

New member
Apr 11, 2006
94
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go to transito in puerto plata, next to the stadium, just look around for a dude that sits in front of the gate, dont go inside, just look for him, he has a gray car, give him copy of ur cedula, and not more then 10.000 peso average 6000 and come back 1 month later to pickup ur hassle free license.
 
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sokitoumi

Guest
You are joking ...errrrrr arent you.....you are driving without having passed a test anywhere ? What papers do you show to the police if they stop you.
 
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sokitoumi

Guest
you will probably find that license is a fake if you dont go through the proper channels- thats the "dude" that gave me the fake one
 

Eddy

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Jan 1, 2002
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you will probably find that license is a fake if you dont go through the proper channels- thats the "dude" that gave me the fake one

I agree, it?s a fake. They need your photo and finger prints ?TWICE? Once when you go in to get your temporary. Eye exam, blood etc. You are given a temporary (1 month). After a month, you go back for your permanent. This is where things will go faster if you have someone. For a few $$$, they will help you with the written exam (So simple that you probably don?t need help) and a driving test (You don?t take it). But anyone that says they can do it without your physical presence it full of sh*t.
 

flo

New member
Apr 11, 2006
94
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i saw mine beeing printed on the card, right there at the office, cant be fake, and i did pass all the tests, just that i had someone behind me telling me all the answers.
 

flo

New member
Apr 11, 2006
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sorry i wasnt specific enough, you do go tru the whole process, medical exam, computer test, finger print etc. but you are guided tru, if you know your blood group, they wont take it again, etc. if you are having problems with the visual test there will be help as well, all my dominicans friends pay the guy as well, not that much of course but they do, as it just goes much easier. the guy will also pay for all the taxes, i dont care if he makes 200 peso on it, i safe more by not having to search for the bank and waste my time.
 

beeza

Silver
Nov 2, 2006
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731
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Of course. And like AlaninDR renewed in 2007 (I posted about it at the time
http://www.dr1.com/forums/living/62487-renewing-dr-driving-licence-vast-improvement.html)
so next renewal is 2011.

Let me say that if people DON'T have Dominican driving licences their insurance is invalid when it comes to making a claim.

Are you sure about that Lambada? When my car was stolen I only had my UK driving licence. It was insured with La Colonial and they tried every trick in the book not to pay out, but they did....eventually.

The metricula wasn't in my name, so I had to jump through hoops to get that sorted. I had to go the Santo Domingo twice to get certificaciones. One from DGII and another from Plan Piloto. The bureaucracy and red tape was mind numbingly frustrating. I had to get something like twelve papers to submit to La Colonial before they would consider my claim. One of them was my licence, my UK one.

They eventually, reluctantly paid out nine months after the event. But I reckon that if they have the clause that you are not insured without a Dominican licence they would use it!

They paid me half the value of the car. Part of it was deductible taxes because the metricula wasn't in my name and the rest was depreciation. Interestingly enough they calculated the depreciation to the date they pay you, not when it was stolen. So their procrastination bought them nine months of depreciation! And the rate at which vehicles depreciate according to insurance companies has no bearing to the real value of them here!
 

Eddy

Silver
Jan 1, 2002
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sorry i wasnt specific enough, you do go tru the whole process, medical exam, computer test, finger print etc. but you are guided tru, if you know your blood group, they wont take it again, etc. if you are having problems with the visual test there will be help as well, all my dominicans friends pay the guy as well, not that much of course but they do, as it just goes much easier. the guy will also pay for all the taxes, i dont care if he makes 200 peso on it, i safe more by not having to search for the bank and waste my time.

That's better. LOL
 

Lambada

Gold
Mar 4, 2004
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www.ginniebedggood.com
Lambada, would you clarify that for me? Do you mean if a person does not have a Dominican license or if a person does not have a license at all?

When I renewed my car insurance at Apollo, I specifically asked this question of the person there who deals with insurance, and who, as you know, is highly respectable. She made some phone calls and then told me that some companies do not insure or cover non-residents or those who do not hold Dominican licenses, but some companies do. She said that was the reason why she insured me with the company I am now with.

Is this information wrong? If so, then I guess that every non resident here who drives is basically uninsured.

Or am I not understanding something correctly?

Thanks-

Lidnsey

My understanding is that those driving while their tourist visa is valid can do so on non-Dominican licences & still be able to claim on insurance. For residents, my understanding is the same as posted by Robert & others here:
http://www.dr1.com/forums/legal/57037-international-drivers-permits.html

Dominican Republic News & Travel Information Service - Support (DR1)

Anyone can buy car insurance, whether companies pay out on a claim is another matter. Maybe the situation has changed to encompass the scenario you describe, Lindsey, but I don't know that for sure. I do know that like everything else here, nothing is 'black & white' & sufficient persistence like beeza for example (well done, beeza!) or having friends who own the insurance company :cheeky: may help greatly.

Personally, I wouldn't risk it - that's why I've always been in favour of people getting their Dominican licences.
Ley 241 is here - there might be a later modified version but I'm afraid I don't have time to look right now
http://www.amet.gov.do/LEY241/LEY241.pdf
 

Bryanell

Bronze
Aug 9, 2005
694
83
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The biggest hassle I had when getting my Dominican driving licence a couple of years ago in Santo Domingo was, believe it or not, the blood test. She, the Cruz Roja nurse, wouldn't take my word about my blood group, despite the fact that that others I know have avoided the test by stating their blood type. She said she needed a certificate to prove it, otherwise the needle. The next big step was getting her to change the needle and her gloves for new ones before she touched me. It took me a while to persuade her but it worked eventually. The guy next in line behind me asked her to change the needle again - she laughed, but she did wipe in with some cotton first.

Then there was the eye test - there were some guys ahead of me as I sat and waited my turn - they were all asked to read the same line on the chart. By the time my turn came I knew the line by heart so I was safe even though I could read it easily.