Quickly Driving in the US

[HandmadeTurnip 151]

14 hours ago, Boyd_M said:

Well i have verified that she can legally drive with a PH Drivers lic plus international permit.  It is the liability insurance that I am concerned about, until she can get her DL in my state.  She can take written and driving test with no wait, with the International permit.  I am wondering if a personal liability policy like on a travel insurance policy would be sufficient for that?

Verified with who? When I moved to Arkansas on a K-1 visa, I was told by both the DMV and the state police that I could only drive for up to 30 days on my UK license. The rules are different for visitors (who can use their international license more or less indefinitely) and new residents, so it's important to make sure the people you talk to are aware of your status. I found that a lot of people in my area had zero experience with K-1 visas and were confused about my immigration status, it may be better up in Rogers though.

 

I was able to get a learner's permit using my passport and I-94 but had to wait 30 days before I was allowed to take the test to get a full license (due to some silly arbitrary rule). However, both my learner's permit and license were only valid until my I-94 expired (i.e. 90 days after I arrived), I had to wait for my EAD before I was able to renew my license.

 

EDIT: I've just remembered that I tried to have the 30 day wait between obtaining my learner's permit and taking the test waived but was denied due to my license being from a country that doesn't drive on the same side of the road as the US. You may have better luck considering that doesn't apply to the Phillipines.

Edited March 29, 2018 by HandmadeTurnip

[garebear397 84]

Be careful with just relying on insurance following the car. Often times insurance companies will want anyone living in a household longer than xx number of days to be on the insurance policy. So if your fiance/wife is there for like 6 months and then gets in an accident and the insurance company finds out she has been living in your household for all that time, they may not cover. 

 

When we encountered this, our insurance (Allstate) said my wife was good to drive my car with my insurance on it for 90 days, then at that point she would need to be added to the policy. Allstate didn't let her be added until she had a US drivers license, so with just social security number and proof of legally being here (K-1 stamp and AOS NOA1) we were able to get her license (this is in Ohio, she did need to take written and driving tests). I did research other insurance companies that let international licenses be added to insurance policies -- Geico allowed this for not unreasonable prices. 

 

Definitely talk to your insurance company about what you can do. Its not something you want to find out after an accident. 

Edited March 29, 2018 by garebear397

[kris&me 572]

If a Non US Citizen is borrowing a car from a family member or friend then the value of the vehicle has to be taken into account. If the car owner only has liability insurance then it might not be necessary to take out a policy at a higher level. If the owner has fully comprehensive insurance on their vehicle then it should also be matched. A relatively low cost method of ensuring that the car is fully covered is to add the foreign guest as a temporary additional driver on the owner’s policy

If a Non US Citizen is buying a car then the value of the car will again play a part. If the car is of low value then liability only or liability with fire, theft, willful damage, personal injury protection (PIP) as well as accident will probably be sufficient. If the car is of a higher value then comprehensive insurance will be a must. Foreign visitors should take into account a few factors to keep the cost of insurance under control. Taking out short term comprehensive insurance can be an expensive business, and it may be more cost effective to take out long term insurance and cash it in at the end of the visit.

Non US Citizens who intends to drive a car during their visit should make a few inquiries on the steps involved before arriving. Knowing a local insurance broker will certainly help. An international driver’s license is a must and it will need to be applied for and issued in the visitor’s country of origin.

Contrary to many reports, visitors to the US are not required to have a local social security number (SSN) in order to apply for car insurance in America.

[doggieandsam 765]

When i first came to the US on a K1 visa, i was able to drive in VA using my UAE license + international driving permit for 60 days. My then-fiance was on Travelers and he was able to add me on to his policy as an additional driver. then i was able to get my state license before my initial 60 days was up, using my unexpired I-94, passport, SSN and AOS NOA1. No EAD yet at this time. They were even able to put my new married name on my license and it is valid for a year from the date of issue. i did have to pass a written and road skills test as my UAE license is non-convertible. Once I had my state license, we submitted a copy of it to Travelers. 

 

So check out Travelers insurance. They have good rates, even better than Geico according to my husband. and they allowed me on for 60 days initially and now permanently with my VA license.

 

Edit: On a side note, the VA DMV in my area could not confirm to me exactly how long i was supposed to be able to drive using the international driving permit. They said to talk to the police to check this, which was lol. Travelers did confirm I could drive for 60 days on it though.

Edited March 29, 2018 by doggieandsam

[Jebee 26]

I live in Colorado and I got my learners permit as soon as I got my NOA1 from AOS. Then I got My 5 year driver's license before my PR got approved. Our Insurance doesn't have a problem with it. Our insurance is USAA.

[Laura & Chris 104]

19 hours ago, Boyd_M said:

Anyone have experience being able to drive when coming to the US.  In my state as long as you have valid Drivers lic and international permit, you can drive.  The problem is how can I obtain liability insurance for my fiancé?  My insurance company says I cannot add her until she has a valid driver's license, which maybe we can obtain the first day or two, but I am not sure.  Just wondering if anyone has been able to accomplish this.  I don't want her having to stay home all day while I am at work if it takes more than a few days to get the license.

you can handing in her current drivers license and apply for one in the state you live in. they just ask for your driving records and a proof of address in the us.

[JoBri 548]

wasn't a problem for my wife from the Philippines here in Tennessee, License or insurance

[javadown2 308]

19 hours ago, Boyd_M said:

Well i have verified that she can legally drive with a PH Drivers lic plus international permit.  It is the liability insurance that I am concerned about, until she can get her DL in my state.  She can take written and driving test with no wait, with the International permit.  I am wondering if a personal liability policy like on a travel insurance policy would be sufficient for that?

Why not just insure the car so anyone can drive it? And I don't see the harm in her waiting until she can get State issued drivers license? I know your concerned that she may get bored, but it won't take that long and there is plenty to do to keep busy.

[issea 43]

I was able to purchase the auto insurance when only having the learner’s permit. I paid 900 usd  or so for half a year to the insurance company PROGRESSIVE. I think it will be possible to buy the auto insurance if your fiancé has his international driver’s license. 

[evapaula 230]

I drove in Oregon for the first few months on my Romanian DL. We went with the assumption that the insurance follows the car.  I actually got stopped by police at some point and they checked my DL and insurance card and didn't have any objections to any of it. I waited for my GC to get a more permanent DL. Now that I think back, maybe we should've checked with the insurance company, but luckily, I had no incidents. 
PS. Being able to drive from day 1 and having a car waiting for me was so important for my sanity!

[Chris Duffy 1,257]

On ‎3‎/‎29‎/‎2018 at 3:44 PM, issea said:

I was able to purchase the auto insurance when only having the learner’s permit. I paid 900 usd  or so for half a year to the insurance company PROGRESSIVE. I think it will be possible to buy the auto insurance if your fiancé has his international driver’s license. 

I am in Texas they have many places that state no driver licenses needed for auto insurance

[Ontarkie 14,559]

I'm also in Arkansas.

Yes some States do have reciprocity with some countries, Canada being one. All I have to do was show my Canadian license and K1 and I got a full 4 yrs DL. Basically they treated my Canadian DL like they would any other state so no extra tests to do. 

 

Now for new Residents you have 30 days to transfer DL. I really doubt they have reciprocity with the PH though. 

On the AR DMV website they do have a note for Non citizens that says they might allow you do drive with a foreign DL. The problem here is the 'might allow', sadly I think this is not for new immigrants or they would have made note of that. 

 

BTW an international DL is just s translation of the DL. So unless it's not in English it's a waste of money. 

 

Oh and I was on my husbands insurance before I switched my DL to and AR one. Ours is through Shelter Ins.