Noorah101

Maybe he just has a State ID. My husband has been in the USA for more than 8 years and never got a US drivers license, because he hasn't yet had the need to drive. He has an Arizona State ID to use for ID purposes.

Rene

Uncle_Bob

I've never had a ticket, either in the UK or USA.
If caught in either country and you a have licence for the other can they come after you with points on license or fines?

Jerseygirl

I've heard they bill the car rental company...assuming you are using a rental car. The rental company have your credit card details...it will then show up on your next statement. They can only put points on your UK license. Now whether you should declare it to your US insurance company is another question.

Bob

Been about as much use as toothbrush to a hillbilly around here....

Bob

See my previous post

Noorah101

What, about a State ID being useless? Sadegh has found it very useful. That's all he uses for ID purposes, never had a problem with it in 8 years.

Rene

TimNiceBut

I just had to go back to the UK last month and my UK drivers license has expired also. I rented a car using my US license, no problem at all. I don't think having a UK license would have made it any easier.

In most cases a US (car) license is extremely easy to get compared to the UK one. I'd just bite the bullet if I were you, but then again I live in a part of the country where you are royally stuffed without a license.

Bob

The missus has one. Even though it's meant to be accepted as ID, it's only ever not been a problem in one off license and one restaurant and it's not valid as ID as a driving license is in other states, well any of the neighbouring ones at least for us.

Noorah101

Interesting. S has never, ever had a problem using his AZ State ID in either AZ or CA, for any purpose. The only thing he can't do is drive using it.

Steve_

The comment about charging the rental car company is correct, if it is a speed camera ticket. Had that happen to me.

The US has a driver licence compact, so if you get a ticket in State A then the points are applied to your licence in State B - however it doesn't apply to other countries. Some countries do have laws whereby they apply points internationally but the US is not one of them, they tried to do it with Canada a few years ago but they were paranoid about private information of Americans being available to Canadians so it didn't happen. However you certainly have to pay the fines (although I doubt they'll extradite you, but in Montana they charge you on the spot). Obviously if it is a serious offence, you're going to prison, regardless of your licence.

I never really understand why people want to hold onto the licence from wherever they came from, there's no advantage to it I can discern. All it does is create confusion. Also it might be illegal, I doubt US jurisdictions care much because they don't have agreements with foreign jurisdictions but several Canadian provinces do, every single bit of paper you get with your DL and in the manual in Alberta has a warning telling you that holding a licence from another jurisdiction is illegal. Also illegal in BC, but Saskatchewan doesn't care. Ontario is okay with licences from outside N America, but you can't legally hold an Ontario and US licence simultaneously.

holly_1948

How weird. Given that you can most certainly be ordinarily and permanently resident and own homes in both places. Are you supposed to change between license and licence every few months depending on your recent travel patterns?

Unlike Florida, a lot of places simply don't recognise, provide for, or even understand seasonal residence. Britain being an obvious example that comes to mind.

Jerseygirl

Ontario does not allow their residents to hold more than one licence. My daughter had to hand in her NJ DL in order to obtain a DL in Ontario,

scrubbedexpat099

Certainly with a UK license that does not influence the validity.

scrubbedexpat099

I know a lot of people who spend the summer in one place, the winter in another, they effectively choose.

Now if you keep moving State to State yes.

JAJ

I never seen anything that suggests your license becomes invalid just because you move outside GB. However, there's also nothing that says you can keep using it and in particular, if you no longer have a GB address:

- You cannot renew your licence/photocard; and
- You cannot put a non-GB address on the license; and
- Since you are no longer living at the address shown on the license, and in the absence of clear information showing it's continued validity, it is risky to use it in a third country. If they don't accept it as a valid license, you will have a significant problem.

In addition, your U.S. state of residence will not let you use a foreign license indefinitely. You are probably already over the limit to use a foreign license in your state. Check with the local state registry.

In short, once you no longer live in GB, a GB license is not easy to use and you should normally obtain a local license, keeping a copy of your GB license if you return to the United Kingdom later on.

Do not use a false GB address to renew the license. Not only may you be committing an offence, but renewing a GB licence can be an indication of keeping U.K. tax residence/domicile which normally you don't want.