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Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (Driver and Vehicle Services): Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language
No published rule: PennDOT says nothing on translating license or identity documents, so call 717-412-5300 before you order; its one translation rule covers imported vehicle titles.
Who may translate: No published rule
How we know · policy checked on October 31, 2026
PennDOT publishes no rule on translations of license or identity documents: its foreign license page, PUB 195NC for non-citizens, its REAL ID checklists and its driver's manual do not mention them.
That does not mean it refuses or accepts a translation, only that it has not said, so call 717-412-5300 before you order.
A valid license from France, Germany, Korea or Taiwan transfers with only a vision test; the one translation rule PennDOT publishes is for imported vehicle titles.
PennDOT at a glance
Does it accept eVerbary? No published rule
PennDOT publishes no rule, so nothing says whether it takes a translation from a professional service, eVerbary included, for a license or ID (foreign license page, PUB 195NC). Ask the call center before you order. Policy checked on October 31, 2026.
- Translation
- No published rule
- Who may translate
- No published rule
- Foreign license
- Vision test only for four countries
Checked on October 31, 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page. Policies change: confirm on PennDOT's own page before you submit.
Worth knowing about PennDOT
No translation rule
Nothing in PUB 195NC, the REAL ID lists or the manual.
Four reciprocal countries
France, Germany, Korea and Taiwan: vision test only.
One year on a foreign license
From your date of entry, or until the license expires.
PennDOT requirements in detail
Translation
No rule on the foreign license page, in PUB 195NC, the REAL ID checklist or the manual.
Who may translate
No published rule and no translator list (PUB 195NC: Identification, Residency and Legal Presence Requirements for Non-U.S. Citizens).
Non-citizen documents
Applicants present documents issued by the US Department of Homeland Security, verified through SAVE, in the original.
Some statuses also list a government-issued identity document from the person's country with a photograph (PUB 195NC: Identification, Residency and Legal Presence Requirements for Non-U.S. Citizens).
Name change
Non-US citizens need primary documents showing the new name, such as their latest immigration documents; PennDOT says passports, visas or marriage certificates will not work (Change a Driver's License Name or Address).
For REAL ID, a marriage certificate must be a certified copy issued by a county office (Changing Your Name on a REAL ID).
Foreign license and IDP
At 16 or older with a valid home-country license you may drive, up to one year from your date of entry or until the license expires (Driving in Pennsylvania with a Foreign Driver's License, FAQ).
An IDP is not required and does not replace your license (Driving in Pennsylvania with a Foreign Driver's License).
Reciprocity
France, Germany, Korea and Taiwan: a valid non-commercial license transfers without road or knowledge tests, with a vision test. A transfer from France or Germany cannot be completed the same day (Driver's Manual, Chapter 1: Applying for a Learner's Permit).
Tests
The knowledge test comes in 30 listed languages on request (Driver's Manual, Chapter 1: Testing); for others, staff discuss options such as an approved PennDOT interpreter. The road test is in English (PennDOT FMCSA Title VI compliance plan, 2026).
Vehicle titles only
PennDOT's imported vehicle fact sheet requires English translations for all documents written only in a foreign language, and kilometers converted to miles. It names no translator (Fact sheet: Imported and Exported Vehicles Procedures, February 2025). It is not a license rule.
What PennDOT looks at instead of translations
The guide for non-citizens, PUB 195NC, is about federal documents: you must present what the Department of Homeland Security issued, in the original, and PennDOT verifies it through the SAVE system, which can take 30 or more federal working days when a second or third check is needed.
For a number of statuses, including refugees, the guide also lists, as one option, a government-issued identity document from your country with a photograph.
It does not say what happens if that document is in another language, so that is the question to ask.
For REAL ID you bring one document proving identity and lawful status, such as an unexpired foreign passport with a valid US visa and an I-94 showing permanent residence, plus proof of Social Security number and two proofs of address (REAL ID Document Check List, non-citizens).
All immigration documents must show your current name.
A marriage certificate is accepted only as a certified copy from a county office such as Orphans Court or the Registrar of Wills, not a commemorative certificate or a marriage license (Changing Your Name on a REAL ID).
PennDOT does not address certificates issued abroad, and its general name-change page says marriage certificates do not work for non-US citizens (Change a Driver's License Name or Address).
Foreign license: drive, transfer or start over
A visitor at least 16 with a valid license from home who can understand traffic control devices may drive the vehicles that license covers, and follow its restrictions.
PennDOT calls the International Driving Permit a translation of the license that you may get at home before you travel: helpful, not required, and not valid on its own (Driving in Pennsylvania with a Foreign Driver's License).
Its FAQ and manual say the permit is strongly recommended and limit driving to one year from entry or until the license expires (Driver and Licensing Miscellaneous FAQs).
To stay, a license from France, Germany, Korea or Taiwan transfers under reciprocity agreements with a vision test only (Driver's Manual, Chapter 1: Applying for a Learner's Permit).
PennDOT names no other country, so the route it describes for everyone else is the first license: a Non-Commercial Learner's Permit Application (DL-180) with a health care provider's section, a knowledge test of 18 questions with 15 correct to pass, and a road test by appointment (Driver's Manual, Chapter 1: Applying for a Learner's Permit, testing).
Languages at the Driver License Center
The manual lists the knowledge test, written and audio, in Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, Bosnian, Burmese, Cambodian, Dari, English, Farsi, French, Greek, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Mandinka, Nepali, Pashto, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu and Vietnamese (Driver's Manual, Chapter 1: Testing).
PennDOT's 2026 language plan counts 33 languages, and says staff can discuss options such as an approved PennDOT interpreter when yours is not available (PennDOT FMCSA Title VI compliance plan, 2026).
The road test is in English. A family member, friend, interpreter or device can help during the instructions only, and once the test starts interpreting stops until it is finished (PennDOT FMCSA Title VI compliance plan, 2026).
Documents people usually translate
- Government-issued identity document from your country with a photograph, listed for some statuses (no translation rule published)
- Foreign passport, shown with a US visa and I-94 (no translation rule published)
- Marriage certificate or court order for a name change (no translation rule published)
- License from France, Germany, Korea or Taiwan for a transfer (no translation rule published)
What to do in Pennsylvania
Call the Driver and Vehicle Services call center at 717-412-5300, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; language assistance is available and PennDOT does not publish phone numbers for individual centers (Contact PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services).
Ask whether your document in another language needs a translation and of what kind.
Check your status in PUB 195NC, or the REAL ID checklist if you want a REAL ID, and bring originals.
Find a Driver License Center; if your license is from France or Germany, plan for more than one visit (Driver's Manual, Chapter 1: Applying for a Learner's Permit).
What we do not do
eVerbary translates documents; it is not the DMV and does not issue licenses, International Driving Permits or REAL ID decisions. For PennDOT we do not issue licenses or International Driving Permits, and we do not get records from abroad.
Need a certified translation for another office?
A certified translation from eVerbary is still useful for a different office, such as USCIS or a court, which sets its own rules; see certified translation.
Frequently asked questions
Does Pennsylvania accept a translated foreign driver's license?
PennDOT publishes no rule either way (Driving in Pennsylvania with a Foreign Driver's License). Call 717-412-5300 before you order a translation.
Can I drive in Pennsylvania on my foreign license?
Yes, at 16 or older with a valid home-country license, for up to one year from your date of entry or until it expires (Driver and Licensing Miscellaneous FAQs).
Do I need an International Driving Permit in Pennsylvania?
No. PennDOT says an IDP is not required and a valid foreign license is sufficient for eligible drivers (Driving in Pennsylvania with a Foreign Driver's License).
Which foreign licenses transfer without tests?
A valid non-commercial license from France, Germany, Korea or Taiwan transfers with a vision test only (Driver's Manual, Chapter 1: Applying for a Learner's Permit).
What languages is the Pennsylvania knowledge test in?
The manual lists 30, from Albanian to Vietnamese, on request at all Driver License Centers (Driver's Manual, Chapter 1: Testing). The road test is in English (PennDOT FMCSA Title VI compliance plan, 2026).
Does PennDOT have a translation rule for foreign car titles?
Its imported vehicle fact sheet requires English translations for documents written only in a foreign language (Fact sheet: Imported and Exported Vehicles Procedures, February 2025). That is for titling, not licenses.
Sources
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (Driver and Vehicle Services)'s own pages, read on October 31, 2026.
- Driving in Pennsylvania with a Foreign Driver's License
- Driver and Licensing Miscellaneous FAQs
- Driver's Manual, Chapter 1: Applying for a Learner's Permit
- Driver's Manual, Chapter 1: Testing
- PUB 195NC: Identification, Residency and Legal Presence Requirements for Non-U.S. Citizens
- REAL ID Document Check List
- REAL ID Info for Non-U.S. Citizens
- Changing Your Name on a REAL ID
- Change a Driver's License Name or Address
- PennDOT FMCSA Title VI compliance plan, 2026
- Fact sheet: Imported and Exported Vehicles Procedures, February 2025
- Contact PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services
- Find a location
Need a certified translation for another office?
A certified translation from eVerbary is still useful for a different office, such as USCIS or a court, which sets its own rules; see certified translation.