Do you need an ILR to get a UK license?

I have a spousal visa and have been driving with my American drivers license for over a year. I'm insured with a UK company with my American license here. I know if you are an EU citizen all you have to do is hand over your drivers license from the other country and they will give you a UK driving licence. Has anyone gone through this process? Will I need to take an actual driving test once I get my ILR even though I'm already an insured driver here according to my insurance? Any suggestions? I should get my ILR by next May. I've spent quite a bit of time on the DVLA's website and it's a bit unclear about non-EU nationals.
Thanks!

I think you're only allowed to drive on your American license for one year. By that time you would have had to apply for your UK license. I don't think you need ILR to get the license.

You don't need ILR to get your license.  In fact, you need to apply for your license now as US license holders can only drive legally for 12 months here.  You'll need to send your passport, a photo, the application form, and the fee to Swansea and you'll have your provisional license in about 2 weeks, which will only allow you to drive when accompanied by a UK license holder over 21 with 3 years of driving experience.  From there, you'll need to take your theory test and then your practical.  Once you pass both of those, you'll apply for your full license.

How long do you have to have the provisional license? - My job requires my to drive to it. I've been driving here since September. So I guess I still have sometime. How does that make sense that you can legally drive here for a year and then have to start driving with someone else? Does this apply only for non-EU nationals, as a Polish friend of mine just handed in his license and then got back a British one.

How long do you have to have the provisional license? - My job requires my to drive to it. I've been driving here since September. So I guess I still have sometime. How does that make sense that you can legally drive here for a year and then have to start driving with someone else? Does this apply only for non-EU nationals, as a Polish friend of mine just handed in his license and then got back a British one.

You just have to have the provisional until you pass your theory and practical tests -- no time limit imposed on that.

You're given that year to drive freely, during which you should work on getting your UK license.

There are different exchange rules for different countries, so most EU license holders can just trade theirs in for a full British license.  As there's no national US standard for licenses, only state standards, the UK requires that US license holders obtain a full UK license through testing, rather than exchange.

If you've only been driving since September, rather than the "over a year" in your original post, you still have time to obtain your full UK license.

How long do you have to have the provisional license? - My job requires my to drive to it. I've been driving here since September. So I guess I still have sometime. How does that make sense that you can legally drive here for a year and then have to start driving with someone else? Does this apply only for non-EU nationals, as a Polish friend of mine just handed in his license and then got back a British one.

if you get your full license before you've been here a year then you don't have to drive with someone else after a year.

Great! Thanks for the help! I guess it's off to the DVLA then.

How does that make sense that you can legally drive here for a year and then have to start driving with someone else?

It doesn't, but don't try to make sense out of government regulations or you'll go insane trying.   

The government already had a list of countries where a simple swap could be carried out, but EU law now dictates that we must do the same for anyone holding a valid license from any EU member country. 

Do a search on suitable keywords and you'll find a number of past threads where we've discussed the unfairness and inconsistency in the rules.

I'm in the thick of DLVA right now.  My advice is to start now.  I'm desperately trying to book a practical test and the earliest i can get is the last week in July.  Seeing as i'm on vacation until the 28th its not idea.  My 12 months is up August 18th so if i don't pass on the first go, i'm looking at going back to bus life or else risk invalidating my car insurance.

Best wishes.  The theory is dead easy.  It's just the time that can be frustrating.

Oh and I've heard the reason why we US citizens need to do the whole kit and caboodle is because we have 51 DMV's and they don't want to sign agreements with each and every state.

I'm taking some lessons with BSM just to make sure that i am test worthy.  Even though I drive every day I'm sure there are things i don't do to the letter of the law!

Hopefully 5 hours of lessons will suffice!