Re: Using UK license in US
 

Well yes, as you stated earlier in the thread. I was just relating my tale.

Re: Using UK license in US
 

Wisconsin is not Oregon. Oregon complies with the 1949 Geneva Convention on Driving Licenses of which the US is a signatory. That stipulates the 12 months time limit before you are required to obtain a local license. (It was my practical test in traffic law at the Met Police Training School in 1977, I was given a non UK license by the "driver" I was dealing with after an accident)

Most States ignore the international agreement and as Bob says having a local license makes things a whole lot easier for a host of reasons, so their action doesn't seem to have ever been challenged in a US court, as most get a State license asap.

Re: Using UK license in US
 

Like I said the web site quotes for people moving from another State. If you live here and speak to them to find out, you would know that like a lot of things the book doesn't cover all situations. As I spoke with several people from the DMV in Salem and State Police when I moved here I'll stick with what they all told me, they abide by the international requirement of 12 months for people arriving from outside the USA.

Re: Using UK license in US
 

I know Texas and Maine are two other states that comply...but it's all made moot by the practicalities of it being nearly impossible finding car insurance to cover you on your UK license for that length of time, unless you happen to be a student in full time education.

Most want to see you get a local license within 3-6 months to maintain coverage, not to mention having the cost go down.

Also, considering you don't exist until you get a local license and considering how easy it is to get, one would be daft to put it off any longer than necessary...well unless the license is valid x number of years from your birthday, in which case if you were only a couple months short of, I could see wanting to put it off to get another year out of the license.

Re: Using UK license in US
 

Completely agree Bob, for practical purposes you need a State license as soon as you possible can get one. The question people should ask is not how long am I allowed to use my UK license but how quickly can I get a State one?

Re: Using UK license in US
 

I thought that the 1949 convention was for visitors/international trade etc, not residents.

My State allows 12 months for visitors.

Re: Using UK license in US
 

Right but I thought that convention only applied to visitors. Once you take up residence in a state, you are subject to the same state laws as other residents. I posted this earlier regarding Oregon:

http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/DMV/drive...y.shtml#res_or

Residency may be established by a number of actions, described in the list below and in ORS 803.200 and ORS 807.062. Once you have become a resident of Oregon, you are required by Oregon law to obtain Oregon vehicle title and registration and to obtain an Oregon Driver License or Instruction Permit. Failure to register a vehicle once residency has been established is a Class D traffic violation. Failure to obtain an Oregon Driver License or Instruction Permit once residency has been established is a Class B traffic violation.

If you are uncertain whether you qualify for an Oregon Driver License, ID Card, or Oregon Vehicle Registration, ask yourself the following questions:

Do I remain in Oregon for a consecutive period of six months or more each year?
Have I enrolled my children in an Oregon public school without payment of nonresident tuition fees?
Do I pay Oregon resident tuition fees at an educational institution maintained by public funds?
Have I made a declaration to be a resident of Oregon for the purpose of obtaining, at resident rates, a state license (other than an Oregon Driver License)?
Is Oregon listed as my home of record in my military records?
Do I pay resident income taxes to the state of Oregon?

Re: Using UK license in US
 

I have posted a couple of times what I was told when I asked and my professional understanding of the relevant international convention. Do you have some point to prove by your repeated comments because I see little point in keep repeating what I have already said, especially as it is a relatively unimportant point as there are considerable advantages to obtaining a US license as quickly as possible.

Re: Using UK license in US
 

You're relating what you've been told and what your understanding is. I'm quoting the Oregon state law. I simply think it's possible that you've been given incorrect information. The international convention is usually only for non-residents and is superseded by Oregon state law.

From the Oregon DMV link I provided earlier, it certainly appears that legally you must obtain an Oregon driver's license once you establish residency. I mean that's very clearly what it says isn't it? So it's more than just a question of it being advantageous to obtain an Oregon license after becoming a state resident - it appears that it's mandatory that you do so if you want to continue driving legally. They've listed a number of scenarios under which you establish residency of Oregon (e.g paying state income tax, enrolling kids in school, etc).