beckyw73

I am currently living in Houston (and loving it!) However when I applied for my Texas driving license they took away my current uk one. I am planning a visit to the UK shortly and will need to hire a car, will my texas license cover me in the uk or do i need to apply for a new uk license. Looking on the dvla website they only issue to residents in the uk. ( I am only here on a temporary L2 Visa. I personally think that they should have not retained my uk license)

Squirrel

I don't think they had any right to take the licence, pretty outrageous. However you can hire a car in the UK on your US licence. Even Americans who move to the UK can drive on their US licence for one year (after which they need to pass the UK test).

beckyw73

Thanks

chrissy52

I'm surprised they would take away your UK licence, seems strange to me & maybe that was a mistake on their part. I would think about asking them for it back, it seems to me that they should know exactly where it is, since any proof of identity can be used by potential terrorists.
I live in VA and when I went for my US driving licence, they just wanted to see my UK licence, photocopied it and gave it back straight away. I still use it when I go back to UK for holidays, although it did occur to me last summer, that since the UK address on it is obviously not now valid, I should be using my US licence. Guess it's sentimental value only now

ian-mstm

You should have protested then and there. They don't have the authority to confiscate an official document issued by a foreign government.

Ian

chrissy52

Yes indeed! Of course you are right

Bob

Technically, now that you aren't resident of the UK, the UK license wouldn't be valid anyway. You'd probably get a better rate using a US license anyway.

The DMV have no right to take your license, but if they have, they would be required to send it back to the issuing agency, so back to the DVLA.

Jerseygirl

As the OP already had a UK DL if she went back to the UK she wouldn't have to re-test. Just contact the DVLA and they will issue a replacement DL.

Guindalf

My UK license was taken when I got my US one. This was Georgia almost 14 years ago and of course, I didn't know any different.

I'm going back for a visit next month and I know from previous times that there is no problem hiring a car with a US license.

Jerseygirl

When I moved to NJ 15 years ago they asked for my UK DL...I refused. Hell would freeze over before I would hand it in.

chrissy52

LOL of course - you're from Yorkshire like me

Jerseygirl

A few years ago when we were checking in for a cruise the cruise company wanted to take our UK PPs until we returned. There was no way in hell I was going to let them do that. In the end they settled for our green cards...which I gladly handed over.

kimilseung

It seems reasonable that they want only one license available that can be provided to police; also seems reasonable that they should ask you to destroy or hand to them (for them to destroy) any other licenses before they give you their one. Confiscate suggests a level of coercion that probably did not exist. I am sure the OP was free to refuse to hand it over, and the licensing issuing body would then have been free to refuse to provide a state license.

I kept quiet about my license, but as it is strictly not valid (as I am no longer a resident), I am not sure why I bothered to hang on to it.

Jerseygirl

They shouldn't destroy it but return it to the DVLA...but I can't see that happening.

kimilseung

Yes, but I wonder what the DVLA would prefer to happen? I would guess they would not want receive batches of licenses that they would probably destroy or store at their cost.