Legally Drive with UK License

[mark00771]

Hi All, I was recently stopped for faulty tailights in Portsmouth, I am here in the U.S. for 6 months on a B2 visa and I am due to leave in February, I was driving my girlfriends car and I am namedon the insurance policy, the officer asked for my I.D. and I showed her my full UK Driving License and the registration documents for the vehicle, she then informed me that I am not legal to drive here and to callmy girlfriend and get her to come and drive us both home. Is this correct? As I am only visiting the U.S and I am not a resident of Virginia I thought I would be legally able to drive with my UK license, also I am named driver on the insurance policy. The taillights have now been repaired.

P.S. My girlfriend is French and serving here with the military on an A2 visa, she holds a Virginia drivers license.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Zigner]

Hi All, I was recently stopped for faulty tailights in Portsmouth, I am here in the U.S. for 6 months on a B2 visa and I am due to leave in February, I was driving my girlfriends car and I am namedon the insurance policy, the officer asked for my I.D. and I showed her my full UK Driving License and the registration documents for the vehicle, she then informed me that I am not legal to drive here and to callmy girlfriend and get her to come and drive us both home. Is this correct? As I am only visiting the U.S and I am not a resident of Virginia I thought I would be legally able to drive with my UK license, also I am named driver on the insurance policy. The taillights have now been repaired.

P.S. My girlfriend is French and serving here with the military on an A2 visa, she holds a Virginia drivers license.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

After a certain amount of time, you are required to get a license for the state you are in. If you visiting for a week, that's one thing...but 6 months is much different.

 

[Maestro64]

Here is the specific information you need to know

Foreign Visitors Driving in the U.S.: USA.gov

Generally speaking all states require you to have a valid state license to drive, however, that only applies if you are a resident, and this is not clear, since people whole are on a work assignment my stay in the state longer than what the states say is minimum required time to be a resident, i.e. some states says if you are there longer than 10 to 30 days you must get a license once you "move" or take up "residence" the definitions of residence is different by state too. Your not a residence if you not paying rent or your not paying taxes to that state as long as you can show you pay taxes in another states....

However, there are people who have homes in two different states and live in both locations for more than this minimum amount but only have one license from one state since many states do not allow you to have two different licenses from two states, to get your license you have to forfeit your other states license in many instances.

If you have a valid international license and your not in the US "permanently" or truly residing, then you international license should be good enough.

However, I suspect since you are on her insurance you are really living here and I am not sure how you got added to her policy without a valid state license.