Korean Job Discussion Forums

bixlerscott · Joined: 27 Sep 2006 Location: Near Wonju, South Korea

I knew back in December my license was to expire this July, but when I went to get an early renewal, they told me to wait until that time comes. I told them I was leaving shortly after New Years for a 14 month trip to Asia and it would not be possible for me to conveniently drop into a Missouri drivers license office. They told me to wait until July comes.

My question is how should one go about renewing license when you need to do it in person? Obviously, the Missouri Dept. of Revenue is not accustomed to Missourians working overseas, but will cut some slack if your military. When I was in the US Army for several years, my license went expired, upon returning, they renewed them in a local office with no problems. In fact, I would guess, I fall in a very small minority of Missouri citizens who are in Korea teaching English. I have not met anyone else who I can relate to here. (not in the big apple, Seoul, in small city) I just want to retain my drivers license!!! I know I have passport for valid ID.

peppermint · Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2007 10:56 am Post subject:

Send them an email and ask what happens if it lapses, and you get a new one when you get home. There's generally a window where you can get a new licence without having to take the test again. In Canada that window is generally 5 years after your licence expires

hogwonguy1979 · Joined: 22 Dec 2003 Location: the racoon den

see if you can do it online. A few years ago thats what I was able to do in Texas

willneverteachagain · Joined: 17 Dec 2006

maybe online or call your emb. they might be able to do something or at least point u in the right direction.

i think u have to re do the tests if u let it expire. that's how canada is

Milwaukiedave · Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Location: Goseong

It really depends on the state and what their rules are. Sometimes it can vary from state to state.

In Oregon, technically if you don't reside in the state anymore then they won't renew your license. My last address was up in Portland. I happened to be in Oregon for a visit about three months before my license expired and went in and said nothing about being overseas and they renewed it for 10 years.

I agree that you should call or email the DMV directly and ask them what the procedure is in your state.

jwwest2 · Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 12:48 am Post subject:

I'm really quite surprised that they wouldn't let you renew your license early. You actually have to wait until it expires to renew it... that means you have to driver on an expired license to get there!!!

Unfortunately, the US Embassy won't be much help... the Federal Gov't plays absolutely no roll in the licensing process. It's up to MO if they want to give you special treatment or not. I've found that the State of IL and my local gov't tends to treat me as if I'm in the military... it's the closest they can get to my situation. You might be able to convince MO to do the same thing.

There may be another solution though. I'm not sure about Missouri's law, but I seem to remember reading that in Illinois if you have a license issued by a foreign government you can trade that in for an IL license. I didn't see anything like that on the MO website, but it might be a question to ask.

It's not very hard to get a Korean driver's license, in fact you can just trade in your MO license now for the Korean one and maybe when you get back to MO you can trade that in for a new MO license. Should work the same way as if you were moving from another state to Missouri... they honor the previous state's license and give you a MO one. Expiration dates might be tricky though, because I think your Korean license will expire the same day as your Visa. I'd definately ask MO what they will do if you show up with a recently expired Korean license.

For those of you that don't currently have an unexpired driver's license or don't want to forfeit your home country or state's license, you can also take the written and practical tests and get a license without giving up your old one. There is are fees either way though... you can look those up on the DLA's website.

I'm sure you already have it, but here is the MO Dept of Rev website on driver's license.
http://www.dor.mo.gov/mvdl/drivers/

Here is the US Embassy's page on obtaining a Korean license. It also has a link to the Korean Driver's License Agency.
http://seoul.usembassy.gov/drive.html