Before you start

A valid visa or other admission category
An electronic I-94 record from the CBP website
Work authorisation from DHS for a Social Security number
Proof of a California address for the DMV

Step-by-step

1
Download your I-94 in the first few days
It records your class of admission and your 'admit until' date, and it is what employers, the DMV and the Social Security Administration will ask for. It is generated electronically and retrieved from the CBP website — check the details immediately, since corrections are far easier early.
OnlineWho: YouWeek 1
2
Wait about ten days, then file Form SS-5 in person
The Social Security Administration verifies your status against DHS records that lag entry by one to two weeks, so an immediate visit usually ends in being sent away. Bring passport, visa and I-94. There is no fee for the card.
In personWho: YouFrom ~day 10Free
3
File IRS Form W-7 for an ITIN if you are not work-authorised
Dependants and others without work permission cannot get an SSN. An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number covers federal and California tax filing and is accepted by many banks and landlords. It confers no right to work.
OnlineWho: You
4
Understand what makes you a California resident, because it is broad
The DMV treats you as a resident if you intend to live in the state for six months or more in a year, and lists taking a job, registering to vote, owning property and holding a California licence as indicators. That matters because the vehicle clock is short: a vehicle previously registered elsewhere must be registered in California within 20 days of you becoming a resident or bringing it into the state.
OnlineWho: You20 days for the vehicle
5
Book the DMV appointment early
California DMV offices work on appointments and the wait for one in the Fresno area can run to weeks in busy periods. Book before you need it, and bring the full document set — identity, Social Security number or the exemption, and two proofs of California residency — because a missing document costs you the whole slot.
OnlineWho: You
6
Choose between REAL ID and a standard licence
A standard licence has not been accepted for domestic flights since 7 May 2025. California also issues the AB 60 licence to applicants who cannot prove lawful presence; it is valid for driving and is marked as not acceptable for federal identification. Decide which you need before the appointment, because the document requirements differ.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Passport with valid visa
I-94 admission record from the CBP website
Form SS-5 for a Social Security number, or IRS Form W-7 for an ITIN
Two proofs of California residency
Vehicle title and out-of-state registration

Things most newcomers don’t know

California's residency test for the DMV is broader than people expect, and it starts a 20-day clock.

The DMV treats intent to live here six months or more as residency, and also lists taking a job, registering to vote or owning property as indicators. Once you are a resident, a vehicle brought in from elsewhere must be registered within 20 days. Someone who arrives for a job in July and thinks of themselves as 'trying it out' has already triggered both. Write the date down.

Source: California DMV — new to California

The visa sticker's expiry date is not your permission to stay.

A visa authorises travel to a port of entry; the officer there decides how long you may remain and records it on the I-94. Holders of five- and ten-year visas routinely assume that is the length of their residence, never check the record, and fall out of status without noticing. The I-94 'admit until' date is the only one that governs.

Source: US Customs and Border Protection — I-94 record

California registration costs more than most states because it is partly a property tax.

The Vehicle Licence Fee inside your California registration is calculated on the vehicle's value, so registering a recent car here is a different order of expense from registering it in a flat-fee state. It is not a Fresno thing — it is a California thing — but it lands in the same first month as everything else and it surprises people arriving from Texas or Arizona.

Source: California DMV

Applying for a Social Security number too early is the classic wasted trip.

SSA verifies status against DHS records that take one to two weeks to sync after entry. Turning up on day two normally means being told to come back. Waiting until about day ten turns two visits into one, and nothing else meaningfully depends on the number before then.

Source: Social Security Administration — noncitizens and Social Security numbers

Common mistakes to avoid

Treating the visa expiry as your permitted stay rather than the I-94 'admit until' date.
Missing the 20-day vehicle registration deadline because you did not think you were a resident yet.
Turning up at the DMV without an appointment, or without two proofs of California residency.
Getting a standard licence when you fly domestically and needed a REAL ID.
Paying anyone a fee for a Social Security card — it is free.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.