Emm

Can anyone help me with this problem?

We moved to the US 2 months ago and according to the NC driving laws I need to have a US driving licence now to drive in the state. However I need an SS number to get a US driving licence. Due to my visa I cannot apply for an SS number as I am not entitled to work so have to apply for a Tax ID number instead. To get my tax ID number I had to wait for my husband to be issued with his SS number before I could apply.

The forms are in and I am awaiting my tax ID number at the moment, needless to say I cannot get my NC driving licence until I get that number. Can I still drive on my British licence? My husband is worried that if I have an accident driving his new truck the insurance will say that my licence is invalid and not pay up.

Does anyone know if this is true? Should I just not drive until my tax ID comes through and I can get an NC licence?

If anyone knows about this I would be grateful for your advice, thanks

Emm.

Maggs

Hello

Has your husband actually talked with the car insurance company? I don't have a SSN yet so can't get an Illinois driving license yet either but I am on the car insurance and they had no problem with it. Our car insurance is with State Farm. It may be different in NC than here.

By the way, my ITIN took about 7 weeks to come through, although I did apply at the US Embassy in London before I came out to the US.

Also it still may be possible to get a SS card but one that says it is invalid for work purposes (not sure the exact wording). Have you looked into this?

Perhaps someone else here can confirm this is possible?

Maggie

NC Penguin

Hi Emm,

Once you are resident in NC you have 60 days to get an NC license to drive legally. This is true for wherever you are from (e.g. applies to Americans with licenses from other states as well as non-Americans).

Contrary to what you may have read or heard, an International Drivers Permit does not allow you to drive in the US. The IDP is for visitors, not residents and is to be used in conjunction with the original license.

This means your situation really sucks until you get your tax ID and you shouldn't drive with your UK license for a couple of reasons. You named one above but the major issue is if you have an accident or are stopped by the police, you will be driving without a valid license which is very bad news.

I've read threads on British Expats about people in other states in identical circumstances to you. I can't remember if they were able to speed up getting their tax ID. Please search through the US Immigration and US Visa forums.




NC Penguin

Manc

moved to California for a week or so. Walk into any Secretary of State office and quote the following.

"I am Emm......foreign alien. Apparently your liberal laws say I can have a drivers license. Please take my photo and send me on my way."

get the license, move back to your home state, switch it over and hey presto...........


I know my post was as insightful and useful, I aim to please.

Emm

I just phoned the insurance company and I am fully insured to drive under my British licence until I am able to get my ITIN and obtain an NC drivers licence.

I guess if I get stopped by the police I shall just have to deal with that at the time but I always carry my British drivers licence with me anyway.

Emm.

NC Penguin

... and when you get your NC license, don't let the bozos at the DMV make you hand in your UK license. It's not theirs to keep/destroy!!



NC Penguin

Emm

Don't worry I have no intention of giving up my British licence, since it doesn't run out until 2036 and my visa expires in 2006 it looks likely that I will need it again. The US test may be pretty easy but I wouldn't fancy having to take a British one again!

Emm.

Pulaski

I see that you are up to your old trick of advising people to openly refuse to abide by a local law because you don't like it!

When in Rome ..... the Romans make the laws!

NC Penguin

Can you direct me to the on location the NC DMV site that states that non-US license holders have to surrender their licenses?

I found this page-
http://www.dmv.dot.state.nc.us/Newco...g_license.html

However, if you read it, it only refers to drivers from other states. The key words are "prior state of residence". These are the other 49 states of the US. I know the UK and the US are close but the UK is not officially a US state

The DMV has no jurisdiction to confiscate non-US licenses in the state of North Carolina. I can't comment on other US state DMV offices.

I don't know where you got the idea that I don't like a law. I'm just interpreting the NC Drivers Handbook.

Just 'cos you have a Jeremy Clarkson fixation doesn't make you the man nor an expert on driving!!!



NC Penguin

Pulaski

I'll concede that the NC advice is ambiguous, NY's is more explicit and does give specific instructions for holders of overseas licences.

You have made your interpretation of the rules, I'd be equally sure that the NC law enforcement doesn't want a bunch of drivers in NC driving around with licences that are unendorsable and therefore effectively outside the law.

One of us is right, it might be me, or it might be you, but I wouldn't want to pick a fight on the point with the staff at the local DMV. .... Which is why whenever this old canard crops up I recommend that you leave your British licence at home when you go to the DMV and, if asked, deny that you have a (current) licence to surrender.

NC Penguin

I don't see any ambiguity in the NC Drivers Handbook about who has to surrender their license in order to gain an NC license. How difficult is it to comprehend whether or not the UK is a state of the US?

NY's rules for overseas license holders is completely irrelevant here since the OP is enquring about NC where she, you and I live.

[QUOTE] You have made your interpretation of the rules, I'd be equally sure that the NC law enforcement doesn't want a bunch of drivers in NC driving around with licences that are unendorsable and therefore effectively outside the law. Not that the following situation applied to me when I obtained my NC license but I would have only mentioned my UK license if I had explicitly been asked if I had a British license. If I was simply asked if I had a license, the answer would be no because the DMV staff would be enquring about a US license (this would be implicit in the question). A UK license would not be of any use in the US to somebody from the UK who had established residence in NC.

I'll tell you an amusing (for me at least) story. I was on a course last year with a German lady. She is resident in NC and was convinced that she could legally drive in NC with her International Drivers Permit (along with her German license). I disagreed with her but it's her problem, isn't it? Funny thing is she's a lawyer (in Germany).



NC Penguin

Pulaski

The last time I checked the UK was a "state", despite the best attempts to the European Onion to change that , ... and so are Japan, Egypt, and Myanmar.
Agreed. I mentioned it merely as an example of a state with more explicit laws than those in NC.
That's Germans for ya!

Ray

He let you drive his new truck.

..take that statement to your AOS.. in my book thats somebody in love...