md95065

While I realize that it is, by now, a completely lost cause in the US I still cling to the belief that the only qualification which should be necessary in order to get a driver's license is the ability to drive and that the possession of a driver's license should be taken as an indication that one has that ability and nothing else ...

LAL

You know the Geneva Agreement thing, where you can drive for upto 1 year using your driver's license from a different country, how many times can you do that?
Say for example you were in the US for 6 months on a B1/B2 visa then left for 4 months then returned for 6 months then left for 6 months.....
How would the driving license agreement thing work?? Would the clock start ticking again from 0 months once you returned or would you only have 6 months left ? How would they keep check on it?
And would this affect your insurance premiums, would insurance be the same price if you used the visitors license instead of a US license?

Also for the UK - anyone know if someone aged 16 with a US Driving License would be able to drive for 1 year in UK before sitting their test on or would they have to wait until they were 17 to drive but then be able to drive unaccompanied in UK until they passed their UK Driving Test? I know in Spain until about 6 years ago you could exchange your US License for a Spanish one but you had to be 18 (legal age for driving in Spain) - my cousin did that saved my aunt a fortune as he learned to drive at school in US, then exchanged his license - costs upwards of €400 to learn in Spain and the written test is a nightmare.

Oh and what would happen if say you were banned in UK but had a US Driving License could you drive in UK or Europe on the US License for upto 1 year, would that be legal because you would still have a "valid" License?

Cheers,

LAL

meauxna

If you are there as a visitor, you're a visitor. You would always drive on your foreign license. US state licenses are for that state's residents.


If the driving privilege has been suspended (banned), the license is not 'valid'.

LAL

The OP has a WA license even though he is a visitor on a B1/B2 visa.
And there maybe US Citizens living abroad who can get a US License but they are just visitors...
I thought that it may be because car insurance might be cheaper if you have a US state license as opposed to a Foreign License and if you have a home and a car in US but are just a visitor you will still need them insured for the entire year not just the 6 months you are there.

No because if someone was banned in UK on a UK License their UK License wouldn't be valid but could they drive "legally" using their American License? It was just a hypothetical question thinking that some people might try and use it I suppose it's more of a UK legal question and I was thinking out loud....
And vice versa if you're banned in the US on your US License could you drive on your International license?
You can be banned here in UK when you have 12 points on your license...I'm a good girl but I heard of one lady who drove down a road that had speed cameras in both directions and she got caught speeding twice on the same trip once going and once returning... 6 points just because she was in a hurry with another 6 she could be banned... and can you imagine the insurance price hike

LAL

meauxna

The OP got a WA license because Washington isn't yet in compliance with the Real ID Act. I wrote elsewhere about this; expect them to be tightening up due to Oregon's recent changes.

You asked if there was some kind of time limit for using the foreign license as a visitor in the US.. I think no. If you're a snowbird, and you come in every 6 months for a 6 months stay, you're still a visitor, not a resident and so can drive on your foreign license.

I misread your OP completely.. sorry. If the UK license is suspended in the UK, it would not be 'valid' for driving in the US.
Now, could you drive on your US license in the UK, when the UK license is banned? Well, if you are resident in the UK, the law probably says that you have to be driving on your UK license. Just like in the US, once you become a 'resident' you are expected to change over to the local license.

I hate theoretical discussions sometimes.

spaarks

Thanks md95065, you are quite right - being a state resident and being a US resident are two totally different things. The folks at DMV actually were aware of all that and had no problem with my application. They just needed to see my valid I94 to show how I was legally in the US without an SSN.

As far as I know having a driver's license doesn't in itself entitle me to anything except drive a vehicle, though it gets me much cheaper car insurance (the main reason for me getting it in the first place).

There are actually two types of driving license, the other one being the EDL (Enhanced Driving License) which is also an official identity document (to comply with the Real-ID Act) but requires a lot more documentation including a US Passport.

k1journey, thanks for that info on the Geneva agreement and the DMV Drivers' Guide - it must be a newish edition as I read the old one cover to cover when preparing for my test and there was no mention of aliens.

My original post was to ask if anyone here has had a similar problem at the border. Seems not.

spaarks

Erratum: "....including a US Passport" should read "proof of legal status in the US"