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Can I buy a car without a driving licence?

Can I buy a car without a driving licence?

Old Feb 11th 2008, 11:01 pm
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Default Can I buy a car without a driving licence?

Hello all,

I arrived in the US a little over 3 weeks ago on a K1 visa and I live in MA. The RMV won't give me a DL until I'm a resident but I can drive until then on my UK licence. I've been going to car dealers checking out new cars and it just occurred to me that they might need a driving licence to 'register/title' it - or whatever they do. My fiance has no idea about this so I knew the best place to ask would be here. Does anyone know if a DL is needed to buy a new car in MA?

Thanks in advance.
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Old Feb 11th 2008, 11:08 pm
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Default Re: Can I buy a car without a driving licence?

Originally Posted by English Muffin
Hello all,

I arrived in the US a little over 3 weeks ago on a K1 visa and I live in MA. The RMV won't give me a DL until I'm a resident but I can drive until then on my UK licence. I've been going to car dealers checking out new cars and it just occurred to me that they might need a driving licence to 'register/title' it - or whatever they do. My fiance has no idea about this so I knew the best place to ask would be here. Does anyone know if a DL is needed to buy a new car in MA?

Thanks in advance.
Don't know about MA. In NJ the dealer isn't allowed to let you drive away with the car without insurance and for that you need a NJ licence...but rules and regs do differ from state to state. Check the MA DMV's website...if you can't find an answer give them a call.
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Old Feb 11th 2008, 11:15 pm
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Default Re: Can I buy a car without a driving licence?

Hey I lived for a year in Iowa from 2001-2002 and was on a student F-visa, I had an international driving licence and a UK drivers license that I had got at the post office before I left and I was able to buy a car and get insurance for the whole year without ever having a US drivers license... I even got pulled over once because I was going slightly over the speed limit and the police officer asked to see my drivers license and looking at the international one he just nodded and asked me not to speed again and then i drove on!

I was also able to open a bank account without a SSN or any sort of utility bill so I think I may have just been lucky as it was small town Iowa

Another possibility is can your finace buy the insurance and you just get named on the policy? I dont know how it works but whenever I am in the states I drive my finace's car around no problem with the UK drivers license..
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Old Feb 12th 2008, 12:22 am
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Default Re: Can I buy a car without a driving licence?

Ooh, confusing, check out here and the rest of the site: http://www.mass.gov/rmv/regs/index.htm

You definitely need insurance (and it's easier and sometimes cheaper to get insurance with a US license BUT your no claims might not be recognized - expect to pay a lot). You need to fill out a RMV-1 form and supply "supporting documents"...but you can only get the RMV-1 from an insurance co or dealer, and the website doesn't seem to say what those documents are!

What is true in other states isn't necessarily true for MA, and whatever some RMV phone answerer says is not necessarily correct just because it sounds right to them! Ideally, you should get a copy of the form from the dealer.

You won't be able to convert your foreign license to an MA license, you'll have to do everything right from the start...you know that, right?
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Old Feb 12th 2008, 12:28 am
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Default Re: Can I buy a car without a driving licence?

Originally Posted by English Muffin
Hello all,

I arrived in the US a little over 3 weeks ago on a K1 visa and I live in MA. The RMV won't give me a DL until I'm a resident but I can drive until then on my UK licence. I've been going to car dealers checking out new cars and it just occurred to me that they might need a driving licence to 'register/title' it - or whatever they do. My fiance has no idea about this so I knew the best place to ask would be here. Does anyone know if a DL is needed to buy a new car in MA?

Thanks in advance.
We're in MA, and from memory (and it has been three years, mind, and none of us are getting any younger) a licence was required to get insurance. To get the licence we needed to take the test, which took all of 5 minutes (literally) but go to the DMV site to get the full scoop. We arranged the test very quickly (within days) of arriving in MA.
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Old Feb 12th 2008, 2:32 am
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Default Re: Can I buy a car without a driving licence?

Check how long you can drive on that UK licence in MA. In NC it's 60 days after you settle, at which point you must have a US licence.

You'll need a US Licence to go with the registration of the Vehicle Plates and you'll need Vehicle Plates as well as insurance to legally be on the road. Insurance needs a US Licence, unless you're given a 30 day cover note for your test. You'll also have problems with UK no-claims, ie meaning nothing.

Advice, don't buy a car until you have your official US licence.

HTH
Darren

Last edited by YankeeDaz; Feb 12th 2008 at 2:35 am.
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Old Feb 12th 2008, 4:45 am
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Default Re: Can I buy a car without a driving licence?

Originally Posted by English Muffin
Hello all,

I arrived in the US a little over 3 weeks ago on a K1 visa and I live in MA. The RMV won't give me a DL until I'm a resident but I can drive until then on my UK licence. I've been going to car dealers checking out new cars and it just occurred to me that they might need a driving licence to 'register/title' it - or whatever they do. My fiance has no idea about this so I knew the best place to ask would be here. Does anyone know if a DL is needed to buy a new car in MA?

Thanks in advance.
This is America, you can "BUY" a driving license, without owning a car. You can probably get a GC from same character.
Reg. Frank R.
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Old Feb 12th 2008, 4:48 am
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Default Re: Can I buy a car without a driving licence?

Originally Posted by frrussre
This is America, you can "BUY" a driving license, without owning a car. You can probably get a GC from same character.
Reg. Frank R.
Hello Frank. Is that the same guy who can provide you with LV/Chanel/Prada bags and watches?
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Old Feb 12th 2008, 4:51 am
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Default Re: Can I buy a car without a driving licence?

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl
Hello Frank. Is that the same guy who can provide you with LV/Chanel/Prada bags and watches?

Hi Jersey
So you met him. Bit shady, but he speaks well of you.

Frank R.
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Old Feb 12th 2008, 4:59 am
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Default Re: Can I buy a car without a driving licence?

Originally Posted by frrussre
Hi Jersey
So you met him. Bit shady, but he speaks well of you.

Frank R.
He does?

Our daughter is heading down your way next week...I'm off to the UK for 3 weeks...whilst the OH is stuck in NJ earning the dosh to pay for it.

Last edited by Jerseygirl; Feb 12th 2008 at 5:01 am. Reason: typo
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Old Feb 12th 2008, 5:08 am
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Default Re: Can I buy a car without a driving licence?

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl
He does?

Our daughter is heading down your way next week...I'm off to the UK for 3 weeks...whilst the OH is stuck in NJ earning the dosh to pay for it.
Good for you baby, keep him grinding away. We are off on 2/18. I'm trying hard not to wish it here to quick, because that will make be over quickly. Does that make sense?

Reg. Frank R.
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Old Feb 12th 2008, 10:38 am
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Default Re: Can I buy a car without a driving licence?

Originally Posted by YankeeDaz
Check how long you can drive on that UK licence in MA. In NC it's 60 days after you settle, at which point you must have a US licence.

You'll need a US Licence to go with the registration of the Vehicle Plates and you'll need Vehicle Plates as well as insurance to legally be on the road. Insurance needs a US Licence, unless you're given a 30 day cover note for your test. You'll also have problems with UK no-claims, ie meaning nothing.

Advice, don't buy a car until you have your official US licence.

HTH
Darren
That is not necessarily correct. State Farm told me they would insure my fiance for 6 months on a UK license. It depends upon the insurance company apparently.

Also... I think one should generally be able to get a US d/l on a K-1. If I were the OP, I would look into that more carefully, and perhaps speak to a supervisor.
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Old Feb 12th 2008, 11:14 am
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Default Re: Can I buy a car without a driving licence?

Originally Posted by Tracym
That is not necessarily correct. State Farm told me they would insure my fiance for 6 months on a UK license. It depends upon the insurance company apparently.

Also... I think one should generally be able to get a US d/l on a K-1. If I were the OP, I would look into that more carefully, and perhaps speak to a supervisor.
That's what I'm going to do today Tracy. My fiance will speak to his insurance company to see what they say and I'll give the RMV a call. Their website says that a person needs to be a 'resident' of MA to get a licence but I can't determine if it means in the immigration sense (permanent resident) or just someone who resides here and has utility bills in their name etc.

Thanks everyone for your advice, I shall go off and make some phone calls later.
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Old Feb 12th 2008, 11:23 am
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Default Re: Can I buy a car without a driving licence?

Originally Posted by English Muffin
That's what I'm going to do today Tracy. My fiance will speak to his insurance company to see what they say and I'll give the RMV a call. Their website says that a person needs to be a 'resident' of MA to get a licence but I can't determine if it means in the immigration sense (permanent resident) or just someone who resides here and has utility bills in their name etc.

Thanks everyone for your advice, I shall go off and make some phone calls later.
You are a resident. You are an alien admitted for permanent residency.

You probably need a supervisor, they don't know what to do with K-1s often it seems like.

Good luck.
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Old Feb 12th 2008, 11:33 am
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Default Re: Can I buy a car without a driving licence?

Originally Posted by frrussre
Good for you baby, keep him grinding away. We are off on 2/18. I'm trying hard not to wish it here to quick, because that will make be over quickly. Does that make sense?

Reg. Frank R.
It makes perfect sense. I leave on the 19th. Have a great time and don't forget to come back.
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