Temporary Car Insurance in UK for British Citizen living in the USA
Aug 13th 2010, 11:52 pm
#16
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 88,022
Re: Temporary Car Insurance in UK for British Citizen living in the USA
They're wrong.
Whoever you spoke to at the DVLA, doesn't know their own rules. If you aren't resident in the UK, your UK license is not valid. End of.
If an insurance company states they will insure you on the basis of a UK license while living abroad, get the specifics in writing, so that you can sue them when they refuse to pay out after an accident.
Unfortunately, people who work for these organisations don't know their own rules and regulations quite often, so you need to take extra steps to cover yourself.
I'll try and find the link you need later to the page on the DVLA website that tells you this in black and white.
Whoever you spoke to at the DVLA, doesn't know their own rules. If you aren't resident in the UK, your UK license is not valid. End of.
If an insurance company states they will insure you on the basis of a UK license while living abroad, get the specifics in writing, so that you can sue them when they refuse to pay out after an accident.
Unfortunately, people who work for these organisations don't know their own rules and regulations quite often, so you need to take extra steps to cover yourself.
I'll try and find the link you need later to the page on the DVLA website that tells you this in black and white.
Aug 14th 2010, 2:59 am
#17
And YOU'RE paying for it!
Joined: May 2007
Location: kipper tie?
Posts: 2,328
Re: Temporary Car Insurance in UK for British Citizen living in the USA
I thought just about every UK insurance company would give temporary cover on a policy for another named driver - certainly done it with the AA before when I wanted to borrow other people's cars and it was no big deal.
Do yourself a favour and get a US license.
Aug 14th 2010, 3:10 am
#18
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 88,022
Re: Temporary Car Insurance in UK for British Citizen living in the USA
Citizenship is irrelevant. Being an expat is also irrelevant to the insurance company.
I thought just about every UK insurance company would give temporary cover on a policy for another named driver - certainly done it with the AA before when I wanted to borrow other people's cars and it was no big deal.
Do yourself a favour and get a US license.
I thought just about every UK insurance company would give temporary cover on a policy for another named driver - certainly done it with the AA before when I wanted to borrow other people's cars and it was no big deal.
Do yourself a favour and get a US license.
I may be wrong but a non UK resident using a UK driving license whilst driving in UK should obtain the validity in writing from the DVLA...then the same from the insurance company.
Last edited by Jerseygirl; Aug 14th 2010 at 3:19 am.
Aug 14th 2010, 4:37 am
#19
Account Closed
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2
Re: Temporary Car Insurance in UK for British Citizen living in the USA
They're wrong.
Whoever you spoke to at the DVLA, doesn't know their own rules. If you aren't resident in the UK, your UK license is not valid. End of.
If an insurance company states they will insure you on the basis of a UK license while living abroad, get the specifics in writing, so that you can sue them when they refuse to pay out after an accident.
Unfortunately, people who work for these organisations don't know their own rules and regulations quite often, so you need to take extra steps to cover yourself.
I'll try and find the link you need later to the page on the DVLA website that tells you this in black and white.
Whoever you spoke to at the DVLA, doesn't know their own rules. If you aren't resident in the UK, your UK license is not valid. End of.
If an insurance company states they will insure you on the basis of a UK license while living abroad, get the specifics in writing, so that you can sue them when they refuse to pay out after an accident.
Unfortunately, people who work for these organisations don't know their own rules and regulations quite often, so you need to take extra steps to cover yourself.
I'll try and find the link you need later to the page on the DVLA website that tells you this in black and white.
Bearing in mind that there must be a million and one definitions of residency I would be interested to see this one.
Aug 14th 2010, 1:49 pm
#20
Joined: Oct 2006
Location: Reno Nevada
Posts: 15,917
Re: Temporary Car Insurance in UK for British Citizen living in the USA
So why do many of us use our UK DL when we go back to Blighty for a vacation, surely its the same scenerio not a resident of the UK, and the car hire folk know that from the get go, but still insure us! 
Aug 14th 2010, 3:24 pm
#21
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2007
Location: Cornwall >>> Marin, CA >>> Cornwall!
Posts: 740
Re: Temporary Car Insurance in UK for British Citizen living in the USA
You present a UK license with a UK address on it. What are they going to do?
I have used my CA license when renting in the UK on visits.
Aug 14th 2010, 3:33 pm
#22
Account Closed
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2
Re: Temporary Car Insurance in UK for British Citizen living in the USA
I use my US one for Car Hire, easier.
I had a look on the DVLA site and could find nothing.
The RTA requirements and Insurance are a bit different to that implied above. As it bores me just thinking about it, I am not going to bore others.
I had a look on the DVLA site and could find nothing.
The RTA requirements and Insurance are a bit different to that implied above. As it bores me just thinking about it, I am not going to bore others.
Aug 14th 2010, 4:07 pm
#23
Joined: Oct 2006
Location: Reno Nevada
Posts: 15,917
Re: Temporary Car Insurance in UK for British Citizen living in the USA
I have used both I know when I offered Enterprise the option they took the British DL.
Aug 14th 2010, 4:52 pm
#24
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 4
Re: Temporary Car Insurance in UK for British Citizen living in the USA
They're wrong.
Whoever you spoke to at the DVLA, doesn't know their own rules. If you aren't resident in the UK, your UK license is not valid. End of.
If an insurance company states they will insure you on the basis of a UK license while living abroad, get the specifics in writing, so that you can sue them when they refuse to pay out after an accident.
Unfortunately, people who work for these organisations don't know their own rules and regulations quite often, so you need to take extra steps to cover yourself.
I'll try and find the link you need later to the page on the DVLA website that tells you this in black and white.
Whoever you spoke to at the DVLA, doesn't know their own rules. If you aren't resident in the UK, your UK license is not valid. End of.
If an insurance company states they will insure you on the basis of a UK license while living abroad, get the specifics in writing, so that you can sue them when they refuse to pay out after an accident.
Unfortunately, people who work for these organisations don't know their own rules and regulations quite often, so you need to take extra steps to cover yourself.
I'll try and find the link you need later to the page on the DVLA website that tells you this in black and white.
Aug 14th 2010, 5:00 pm
#25
SUPER MODERATOR
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 88,022
Re: Temporary Car Insurance in UK for British Citizen living in the USA
It would be a great help if you could cut and paste the written confirmation from the DVLA...it would help when this question arises again. Thanks.
Aug 14th 2010, 8:32 pm
#26
-------------------------
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 8,382
Re: Temporary Car Insurance in UK for British Citizen living in the USA
Because when you hand them your UK licence thats their part done? Also what do they care as long they make the commission on the sale?
As far as I'm aware, the UK insurance companies still don't have access to the USCIS list of US permanent residents either, so assuming you never admit to not living in the US and you have a UK licence with a UK address...
Aug 14th 2010, 9:46 pm
#27
Account Closed
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2
Re: Temporary Car Insurance in UK for British Citizen living in the USA
Because when you hand them your UK licence thats their part done? Also what do they care as long they make the commission on the sale?
As far as I'm aware, the UK insurance companies still don't have access to the USCIS list of US permanent residents either, so assuming you never admit to not living in the US and you have a UK licence with a UK address...
Aug 15th 2010, 1:12 am
#28
And YOU'RE paying for it!
Joined: May 2007
Location: kipper tie?
Posts: 2,328
Re: Temporary Car Insurance in UK for British Citizen living in the USA
Although, actually, for all the frothing about hypotheticals here, I wonder whether a) in practice this actually comes up much and b) if you do actually have a valid US licence it's possible for the insurance company to claim the person wasn't licensed even when that one wasn't necessarily presented at the desk.
Why use an old UK licence when you're in the UK anyway (assuming you have a US licence)?
Last edited by lapin_windstar; Aug 15th 2010 at 1:17 am.
Aug 15th 2010, 3:06 pm
#29
Joined: Oct 2006
Location: Reno Nevada
Posts: 15,917
Re: Temporary Car Insurance in UK for British Citizen living in the USA
Because when you hand them your UK licence thats their part done? Also what do they care as long they make the commission on the sale?
As far as I'm aware, the UK insurance companies still don't have access to the USCIS list of US permanent residents either, so assuming you never admit to not living in the US and you have a UK licence with a UK address...
