Driving in USA with uk licence
Oct 31st 2018, 2:08 pm
#1
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Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 5
Driving in USA with uk licence
im a uk resident and want to fly to New York to buy a classic car, can anyone tell me if I can get insured on a uk licence and which insurers would you recommend
Oct 31st 2018, 2:11 pm
#2
Joined: Feb 2012
Location: Not in Paris
Posts: 18,193
Re: Driving in USA with uk licence
Are you planning on importing said car to the UK? If so what kind of timeframe are you looking at?
Oct 31st 2018, 2:36 pm
#3
JJ123
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 107
Re: Driving in USA with uk licence
I got insured with Progressive when I moved to the U.S and still had my U.K license for the first month. They accepted it without any problems, however it was not cheap.
Oct 31st 2018, 4:12 pm
#4
Account Closed
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2
Re: Driving in USA with uk licence
You could in Colorado, US is done by State but find it difficult to believe it could not be done, no doubt would not be cheap.
Probably best to contact a local Broker.
Probably best to contact a local Broker.
Oct 31st 2018, 7:30 pm
#5
Concierge
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 46,388
Re: Driving in USA with uk licence
Difference is he is not, or at least has not said, he is moving to NY but that he is coming to NY to buy a classic car. Assume he wants to insure it for transport back to the UK and perhaps for driving while he visits the US.
Oct 31st 2018, 8:47 pm
#6
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Joined: Mar 2015
Location: NC, USA (ex Yorkshire)
Posts: 4,375
Re: Driving in USA with uk licence
I would probably Google for a company that will handle everything for you and see what they advise.
Oct 31st 2018, 9:54 pm
#7
Peace onion
Joined: Jul 2006
Location: Denver
Posts: 5,686
Re: Driving in USA with uk licence
What kind of classic are you talking about? Why go to New York or anywhere in the North East, where there's rain, salted roads, sea air, rust.....
Why not get a car from a dry climate like Arizona, NM, Utah, California? Save you a lot of hassle being rust-free. Just a suggestion.
Why not get a car from a dry climate like Arizona, NM, Utah, California? Save you a lot of hassle being rust-free. Just a suggestion.
Oct 31st 2018, 10:35 pm
#8
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Re: Driving in USA with uk licence
What kind of classic are you talking about? Why go to New York or anywhere in the North East, where there's rain, salted roads, sea air, rust.....
Why not get a car from a dry climate like Arizona, NM, Utah, California? Save you a lot of hassle being rust-free. Just a suggestion.
Why not get a car from a dry climate like Arizona, NM, Utah, California? Save you a lot of hassle being rust-free. Just a suggestion.
Oct 31st 2018, 10:38 pm
#9
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Re: Driving in USA with uk licence
i was reading something about applying for an international drivers permit before you enter the USA, just looking for a easy way to insure it, if not I will have to tow it.
Oct 31st 2018, 11:38 pm
#10
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Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2
Re: Driving in USA with uk licence
Well an IDP has nothing to do with this and is not needed as most Americans can read English. Can the person you are buying the car from give you any pointers.
Nov 1st 2018, 12:33 am
#11
Joined: Feb 2012
Location: Not in Paris
Posts: 18,193
Re: Driving in USA with uk licence
Are you just planning on driving it to the port?
Nov 1st 2018, 11:07 am
#13
Concierge
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 46,388
Re: Driving in USA with uk licence
The problem that I see with your driving the car while you wait for it to be loaded for transport is that the car needs to be registered. In your case, registration would be with New York State's Department of Motor Vehicle. If you are only going to be in the US for a week or two, then there is no point in registering a vehicle for that short a period. Not sure if you need a title on the vehicle which is classified as a vintage automobile. If you did, the process is to buy the vehicle, get insurance and the certificate of insurance from the insurance company, take your bill of sale, certificate of insurance and copy of the transferred title to the DMV, pay to register the automobile, pay the New York State tax on the vehicle and the registration fee, put the plates that come with the registration on the car, and drive it. If all is in order, you can get that done in one day at the DMV. Your problem might be that if there is a title on the automobile, then you will be issued a new title showing you as the owner of the vehicle and will New York State send it to the UK? Will New York State even register a vehicle for a tourist without a US license? If there is no title to the vehicle because it is of a certain age, the process for registration is the same minus the need for the title. The best thing is to read the DMV website for NYS and to talk with an insurance agent. Since the vehicle will be leaving the US, the transport company you will be using is probably the best source of information.
It seems that to register the vehicle so it can be driven in NY for a short period of time would be very expensive. Sales tax alone will be somewhere around 8.75%, registration another hundred or more, etc. Easier and cheaper to just rent a car from Enterprise or another car rental agency.
As for rust, yup, New York State uses both salt and sand on the roadways in winter. Depends on where in New York State the car comes from. The New York City area and bedroom communities normally use salt as does the Department of Transportation (DOT) on the major highways and byways. Neighboring states, i.e. New Jersey use sand mostly. Responsible car owners, myself being one of them, take our vehicles to the automated car wash and have the under carriage washed at least once a month during the winter months, particularly if it has been a winter where there is snow and ice resulting in sand and salt on the roadways.
Good luck to you.
It seems that to register the vehicle so it can be driven in NY for a short period of time would be very expensive. Sales tax alone will be somewhere around 8.75%, registration another hundred or more, etc. Easier and cheaper to just rent a car from Enterprise or another car rental agency.
As for rust, yup, New York State uses both salt and sand on the roadways in winter. Depends on where in New York State the car comes from. The New York City area and bedroom communities normally use salt as does the Department of Transportation (DOT) on the major highways and byways. Neighboring states, i.e. New Jersey use sand mostly. Responsible car owners, myself being one of them, take our vehicles to the automated car wash and have the under carriage washed at least once a month during the winter months, particularly if it has been a winter where there is snow and ice resulting in sand and salt on the roadways.
Good luck to you.
Last edited by Rete; Nov 1st 2018 at 11:12 am.
Nov 1st 2018, 3:32 pm
#14
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 5
Re: Driving in USA with uk licence
The problem that I see with your driving the car while you wait for it to be loaded for transport is that the car needs to be registered. In your case, registration would be with New York State's Department of Motor Vehicle. If you are only going to be in the US for a week or two, then there is no point in registering a vehicle for that short a period. Not sure if you need a title on the vehicle which is classified as a vintage automobile. If you did, the process is to buy the vehicle, get insurance and the certificate of insurance from the insurance company, take your bill of sale, certificate of insurance and copy of the transferred title to the DMV, pay to register the automobile, pay the New York State tax on the vehicle and the registration fee, put the plates that come with the registration on the car, and drive it. If all is in order, you can get that done in one day at the DMV. Your problem might be that if there is a title on the automobile, then you will be issued a new title showing you as the owner of the vehicle and will New York State send it to the UK? Will New York State even register a vehicle for a tourist without a US license? If there is no title to the vehicle because it is of a certain age, the process for registration is the same minus the need for the title. The best thing is to read the DMV website for NYS and to talk with an insurance agent. Since the vehicle will be leaving the US, the transport company you will be using is probably the best source of information.
It seems that to register the vehicle so it can be driven in NY for a short period of time would be very expensive. Sales tax alone will be somewhere around 8.75%, registration another hundred or more, etc. Easier and cheaper to just rent a car from Enterprise or another car rental agency.
As for rust, yup, New York State uses both salt and sand on the roadways in winter. Depends on where in New York State the car comes from. The New York City area and bedroom communities normally use salt as does the Department of Transportation (DOT) on the major highways and byways. Neighboring states, i.e. New Jersey use sand mostly. Responsible car owners, myself being one of them, take our vehicles to the automated car wash and have the under carriage washed at least once a month during the winter months, particularly if it has been a winter where there is snow and ice resulting in sand and salt on the roadways.
Good luck to you.
It seems that to register the vehicle so it can be driven in NY for a short period of time would be very expensive. Sales tax alone will be somewhere around 8.75%, registration another hundred or more, etc. Easier and cheaper to just rent a car from Enterprise or another car rental agency.
As for rust, yup, New York State uses both salt and sand on the roadways in winter. Depends on where in New York State the car comes from. The New York City area and bedroom communities normally use salt as does the Department of Transportation (DOT) on the major highways and byways. Neighboring states, i.e. New Jersey use sand mostly. Responsible car owners, myself being one of them, take our vehicles to the automated car wash and have the under carriage washed at least once a month during the winter months, particularly if it has been a winter where there is snow and ice resulting in sand and salt on the roadways.
Good luck to you.
i was buying one of the cars from east Hamptons , and the other in Florida , tampa, the guy from the Hamptons sent me detailed pictures of the car underneath and it is rusted something chronic , like Swiss cheese, I own an earlier one and it is nothing like that!! So it makes a real difference where it spent its life.
the information given here has been invaluable to me and I’m now changing my search area, although Californian cars are $3-4000 more expensive.
thanks again.
Nov 1st 2018, 5:24 pm
#15
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Joined: Apr 2016
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Posts: 334
Re: Driving in USA with uk licence
thank you for the reply, I think it is more hassle than it is worth to insure and drive the car whilst in USA, I thank you for the comprehensive reply.
i was buying one of the cars from east Hamptons , and the other in Florida , tampa, the guy from the Hamptons sent me detailed pictures of the car underneath and it is rusted something chronic , like Swiss cheese, I own an earlier one and it is nothing like that!! So it makes a real difference where it spent its life.
the information given here has been invaluable to me and I’m now changing my search area, although Californian cars are $3-4000 more expensive.
thanks again.