PENNSYLVANIA DRIVERS LICENSE
Getting a Pennsylvania Driver’s License is easy. Go to one of the several Penn DOT centers around town and bring your old license, your Social Security card, and a check (they don’t take cash).
Penn DOT: Service Center Locator
HAVING A CAR IN PHILADELPHIA
Many people choose not to have a car in Philadelphia. People that do usually have only one due to the expense of parking the car and insuring it. (Insurance in Philadelphia is extremely high.)
If you choose to have a car, you will need to register your car, transfer your title, and get a new license plate. You can do all of this at one of many authorized auto tag shops in the city. (The Department of Transportation does not directly issue license plates in Pennsylvania.) You will receive both a new license plate and a registration card which goes on your rear window.
In addition to registering your car, you must have a Vehicle Emissions Test and Maintenance Inspection. You must get your new license plate before you can get your inspection.
PARKING
It can be difficult to find parking on the street. Always read parking signs very carefully. They specify when and for how long you can park in an area. You will almost always have to put money in a parking meter, unless the sign indicates that you do not have to. Philadelphia Police actively patrol the streets to ticket parking offenders!
If you wish to park your car on the street overnight, you will need a special residential parking permit that indicates the zone in which you live. The permit allows you to park only in your zone. For more information call (215) 683-9730.