UK driving liscence
#1
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 36
UK driving liscence
when i entered the US i was told i can use my UK licence in the state of kentucky for one year then i must get a US licence, i recently spoke to an xpat who has been here for 5 years and he told me he was still using his UK liscence, my question is do i need to change my licence after one year .
Last edited by dave f; Jan 10th 2004 at 10:36 pm.
#2
Forum Regular
Joined: Jul 2003
Location: Bowling Green, KY
Posts: 46
Hey Dave,
I think you can use it for a year or so before you have to get a US license but im not sure, it will make your insurance cheaper to just take the test here, its a peice of piss, 10 minutes around the block.
Where abouts in KY are you gonna be?? Im in Bowling Green, about 2 hours south of Louisville and an hour north of Nashville
I think you can use it for a year or so before you have to get a US license but im not sure, it will make your insurance cheaper to just take the test here, its a peice of piss, 10 minutes around the block.
Where abouts in KY are you gonna be?? Im in Bowling Green, about 2 hours south of Louisville and an hour north of Nashville
#4
Re: UK driving liscence
Originally posted by dave f
when i entered the US i was told i can use my UK liscence in the state of kentucky for one year then i must get a US liscence, i recently spoke to an xpat who has been here for 5 years and he told me he was still using his UK liscence, my question is do i need to change my liscence after one year .
when i entered the US i was told i can use my UK liscence in the state of kentucky for one year then i must get a US liscence, i recently spoke to an xpat who has been here for 5 years and he told me he was still using his UK liscence, my question is do i need to change my liscence after one year .
BTW The process to obtain a licence here is nothing but a minor irritation, the test is embarrassingly easy to take, and I'd recommend getting it out of the way now, so that you can get on with your life.
There will also be some advantages to getting a local licence - such as getting cheaper insurance, and probably a wider choice of insurers, .... and also having an ID that is widely recognized, e.g. for buying alcohol, when you cash a check, or if a store asks for ID when buying using a credit or debit card.
Last edited by Pulaski; Jan 11th 2004 at 9:39 am.
#5
British/Irish(ish) Duncs
Joined: Jan 2003
Location: Cambridge MA, via Mississippi and Belfast Northern Ireland.
Posts: 700
Re: UK driving liscence
Originally posted by dave f
when i entered the US i was told i can use my UK licence in the state of kentucky for one year then i must get a US licence, i recently spoke to an xpat who has been here for 5 years and he told me he was still using his UK liscence, my question is do i need to change my licence after one year .
when i entered the US i was told i can use my UK licence in the state of kentucky for one year then i must get a US licence, i recently spoke to an xpat who has been here for 5 years and he told me he was still using his UK liscence, my question is do i need to change my licence after one year .
i agree with Pulaski get a US licence asap. Its not tough and the test is easy enough.
regards,
Duncan
#6
Just Joined
Joined: Nov 2003
Location: Marin, CA
Posts: 8
Re: UK driving liscence
I had been holding back on getting a US license for a while (whilst i was hiring cars)...
Now I've bought one, under the terms of our insurance we need to get a valid US license within 30 days!!!
Just my pennys worth (or my two cents)...(Funny these are now worth just about the same :-))
Dunca
Now I've bought one, under the terms of our insurance we need to get a valid US license within 30 days!!!
Just my pennys worth (or my two cents)...(Funny these are now worth just about the same :-))
Dunca
#7
If I were you I'd get a US licence ASAP. I was hiring cars on my UK licence and paid 2 and a half times over the odds because I didn't have a US licence. Go to www.dollar.com and get a quote for a specific car for specific days, and then go to www.dollar.co.uk and do the same quote for the same car and number of days, and you'll see what I mean. Same car, same days, same pick-up point, same insurance....completely different price! As for getting insurance on a UK licence, don't even go there! I got my US licence last week and not a moment too soon!
#8
Just Joined
Joined: Jan 2004
Location: Miami
Posts: 19
UK driving liscence
Interested in what you say Rockgurl, but having both UK and Florida driving licences recently I asked Alamo to quote me & they admitted that unless I am getting "free insurance" through a US credit card (which I don't have), Alamo car rental issued from Europe is cheaper than renting a similar car from Alamo in the US & buying from them a reasonable level of insurance cover.
I've had the "best" insurance cover when renting from Britain, eg currently from Britain renting an intermediate car for £129 a week with $1 million insurance cover. This £129 a week may not be particularly cheap, but it does gives me some peace of mind.
I've not had a claim (yet, touch wood) but feel it would be much easier to "get through" a claimworthy incident as a "foreigner renting a car with the hire company's $1 million insurance" than as a "temporary resident with my own car & Florida insurance company & their low level of affordable cover."
However, I have owned cars in Florida; they were insured in Florida to the minimum level required by Florida law. It was poor cover at a very high price. Before I had a Florida driver's license, the Florida insurance company (at my request) attached a letter to my policy documents confirming my UK driving licence was acceptable for the purposes of their insurance policy. Nevertheless, in anticipation of possible difficulties I obtained a Florida license within weeks of buying my first car in Florida.
I've had the "best" insurance cover when renting from Britain, eg currently from Britain renting an intermediate car for £129 a week with $1 million insurance cover. This £129 a week may not be particularly cheap, but it does gives me some peace of mind.
I've not had a claim (yet, touch wood) but feel it would be much easier to "get through" a claimworthy incident as a "foreigner renting a car with the hire company's $1 million insurance" than as a "temporary resident with my own car & Florida insurance company & their low level of affordable cover."
However, I have owned cars in Florida; they were insured in Florida to the minimum level required by Florida law. It was poor cover at a very high price. Before I had a Florida driver's license, the Florida insurance company (at my request) attached a letter to my policy documents confirming my UK driving licence was acceptable for the purposes of their insurance policy. Nevertheless, in anticipation of possible difficulties I obtained a Florida license within weeks of buying my first car in Florida.