lansbury

The convention is accepted to mean that your home country license is valid for 365 days from the day you become a resident. Most States either don't know that the US signed the convention, or more likely don't know it exists.

Which is way a US license is valid in the UK for a year.

Pulaski

I honestly don't think they care - it's part of the "rights of the states" thing, that the states can enact their own laws largely free from interference by the federal government, that leaves much of the rest of the world scratching their head.

Bob

I'd mentioned it before, when I was getting my license, the bloke in front of me was getting his license after paying several K in a fine.

He originally got a speeding ticket, found to not have got a license in the required time, so got done for driving without a valid license, the insurance voided his cover, so he got done for driving without valid insurance. He also lost his license for 6 months before being able to take the test and get it and it still had a bunch of left over points on it (MA ties driving/insurance/registration all together at the DMV).

I also know some Brits that got a massive fine all told, when they rear ended someone and the insurance dropped them, so the wife I think it was, got done much like the Brazilian chap above), but didn't get a suspended license as had less points some how.

md95065

That probably depends on what state you are in, exactly what your status in that state is, and exactly what all of the small print in the contract that you signed says.

canarybats

yeah. There is always a way for them to wriggle out of a contract!

JAJ

Depends on the terms and conditions of the policy and applicable state (Oregon?) and federal laws. It's really a matter of speculation without seeing all these details. If it came to a dispute, then a court of law (not Geico) would decide what the insurer's obligations are. Presumably, the non-local license was declared to them?

Also depends on what state law says about those with out of state/country driving licenses who do not switch over when supposed to. Is their non-Oregon driving license invalid, or is the license valid but the holder is subject to citation/prosecution for not obtaining an Oregon license. There is a vast difference between these two scenarios.

Either way, it is not a good idea to stay on a non-local driving license and why would anyone even want to?

Michael

Mine is better than that. I dropped a cigarette out the window and a cop was behind me and pulled me over and issued me a ticket. I got a notice in the mail saying that I couldn't pay the ticket by mail and had to appear at traffic court.

At traffic court, most were there for not stopping on red before turning right and photos were taken and the presiding officer (not a judge but a guy in khaki pants and a gaudy shirt) said, "first I'll look at the photos and if I can't identify the person standing in front of me as the person in the photos, I'll dismiss the ticket but if I can identify the person from the photos, I'll reduce the fine from $350 to $100 but if you don't want to pay, you can go before a judge and plead your case".

One after another appeared and about 1/3rd were dismissed because he couldn't identify the person in the photos (probably the spouse was driving) and right before I was called, a 20 something kid was called and the judge said, "you were driving on the shoulder, you didn't have a license, you didn't have insurance, and you were in passion of marijuana. The fine is $100".

Then I was called and the officer looked at the computer and said "I can't reduce the fine for this one but the good news is it not a driving violation. The fine is $380". When I walked out of the court, everyone was looking at me wondering what the hell I was cited for".

Beaverstate

You do know how many brush fires start that way in California.

Michael

I was in the heart of the city stopped at a stop light and there was only concrete and asphalt. If I was walking and did the same thing at that place, I'd never have gotten a ticket.

Pulaski

This, as always, is the bottom line, especially when the only way they could make a license easier to obtain would be to give them away in cereal packets!

hungryhorace

I think the moral here is, don't drop litter!

bewildering

But why would you drop your litter in the street? I am honestly curious at your reasoning. I have never understood people who litter, or why they think it is okay.

Beaverstate

Too late to delete.

Pulaski

This.

Also why cigarette manufacturers aren't required to make the filter tip biodegradable?

Stoutbanana

I tried to get a CA driving license but as I did not have a SS# I was refused and I carried driving on my UK licence.

I could not get a SS# until he SS recognised my status in the US which did not happen until my GC arrived.

When I got my GC I applied for my SS and when that arrived I went to the DMV and applied for my DL. I was somewhat surprised to be taking the written part straight away and thankfully I only got one of the 36 questions wrong.

I now have a temporary license and I have the choice of taking the test in a Jeep or the new Corvette convertible.....