California residents who drive are legally required to get a California driver's license (costing $10) within ten days after moving here. You don't have to rush quite that much, really (you can use your foreign license for a year, unless it expires earlier), but you'll want to go to the DMV soon, mainly because it is almost impossible to cash checks without a license. The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is at 595 Showers Drive in Mountain View (968-0610) or 300 Brewster in Redwood City (368-2837).
To drive, foreigners need to take both a written and a practical test (regardless). You can pick up a pamphlet on California driving laws from the DMV, a police station or a AAA (``Triple A'') office. The tests are not hard, but it does help to look over the California driving laws to familiarize yourself with such state-specific things as the meaning of different color curbs. The DMV is nearly always hideously crowded. You should always get an appointment for anything you can get an appointment for (such as a practical driving test) before going. Apparently the DMV has just started a totally computerized appointment system:
``If you want to get a glimpse of the impersonal automation that our techie based society is going to, you have to try the new DMV appointment system. Even if you don't want to make an appointment, e.g., you can get information about new laws, it's an experience. And get this---you can make an appointment and never talk to a human. Disconcerting, quite.''
If you don't need a driving license, you should get a California ID. It looks much the same, but doesn't allow you to drive. It is virtually required for you to be able to write checks at stores, and can also be used as proof of age for alcohol purchases.