Renting a car in the USA with a foreign license, no Intl Drv Lic

[LocalYokul 177]

Drivel, Big D. That applies to renewing a non-expired license. Got copy and paste for obtaining a license when the previous license has expired?

That might be useful.

 

You can still renew up to 10 years after they expire, but any longer and you need to start all over, driver's written test and a driving test.

[LocalYokul 177]

A bit off topic, but I thought a funny anecdote, I was in California last week and it took little effort to get a "prescription" for medical Mary Jane.

I had a good time, to say the least !

[Evil Penevil 7,610]

It is hardly surprising if your ex produced a non-English licence expecting that to fly in the USA!

 

She simply forgot to take her IDL with her that day. She had her national driver's license and passport in her purse and just didn't think about the IDL. She had never been stopped by the cops and I don't think she necessarily expected the national license to fly. Her name, license number, passport number and I believe a notation about her IDL were all on the rental car contract that serves as proof of registration and insurance when the cops ask for it in the U.S.

 

I would have thought the magistrate would have accepted that as proof she had a genuine national license, fined her and let her get on her way. He was just being an assh*le to cause so much inconvenience over so minor an issue.

 

You seem to think the police did wrong but your wife was the one speeding....was she on the right?

 

What was wrong was she'd been caught in a speed trap - a section of road on the outskirts of the town where it's natural to resume normal speed (55 mph on that state highway) because there aren't any structures on either side of the road. But the speed limit remains 45 mph and a cop is waiting to nab out-of-state drivers.

 

I doubt very much he stopped local people for going 8 mph over the limit as they would get a ticket and later contest the case in court. They'd also b*tch like crazy to the town council. But by detailing a cop to stop out-of-state drivers, the town could raise a lot of money, probably more than $1,000 a day.

 

I'm not sure what you mean when you write, "was she on the right?" She was definitely on the right side of the road, but she wasn't in the right to speed. As the state trooper explained to my driver's ed class in my junior year of high school, you can be fined for driving one mph over the limit. Nevertheless, it's normal practice to cut drivers some slack over minor transgressions of the speed limit. But according to the letter of the law, he had her.

 

Evil

Edited August 21, 2013 by Evil Penevil

[BigDUSA 71]

Drivel, Big D. That applies to renewing a non-expired license. Got copy and paste for obtaining a license when the previous license has expired?

That might be useful.

 

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 4

Sorry to bother you. Just trying to help. I find it almost interesting. You ask for help and when I offer you turn nasty.

Edited August 21, 2013 by BigDUSA

[BigDUSA 71]

FFS BigD, MM is in Pattaya!

Did you miss? " I would have a family member back home do some advance work and see if I can get my license renewed quickly."

[MM 6,562]

Read the topic title. When I rent at the airport, I won't have a California drivers license.

 

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 4

 

 

[Gary 4,070]

Hopefully you still have your expired California licence. Mine was expired but my Thai licence was current. I think they ran my expired licence through their computer to see if it was still valid when it expired. I got the car.

[jacko 8,578]

 

She simply forgot to take her IDL with her that day. She had her national driver's license and passport in her purse and just didn't think about the IDL. She had never been stopped by the cops and I don't think she necessarily expected the national license. Her name, license number, passport number and I believe a notation about her IDL were all on the rental car contract that serves as proof of registration and insurance when the cops ask for it in the U.S.

 

I would have thought the magistrate would have accepted that as proof she had a genuine national license, fined her and let her get on her way. He was just being an assh*le to cause so much inconvenience over so minor an issue.

 

 

What was wrong was she'd been caught in a speed trap - a section of road on the outskirts of the town where it's natural to resume normal speed (55 mph on that state highway) because there aren't any structures on either side of the road. But the speed limit remains 45 mph and a cop is waiting to nab out-of-state drivers.

 

I doubt very much he stopped local people for going 8 mph over the limit as they would get a ticket and later contest the case in court. They'd also b*tch like crazy to the town council. But by detailing a cop to stop out-of-state drivers, the town could raise a lot of money, probably more than $1,000 a day.

 

I'm not sure what you mean when you write, "was she on the right?" She was definitely on the right side of the road, but she wasn't in the right to speed. As the state trooper explained to my driver's ed class in my junior year of high school, you can be fined for driving one mph over the limit. Nevertheless, it's normal practice to cut drivers some slack over minor transgressions of the speed limit. But according to the letter of the law, he had her.

 

Evil

So she didn't have her IDL and her national licence was incomprehensible to the local police.

You do realise that the IDL is invalid if not accompanied by the original licence, and visa-versa.

What a magistrate accepts perhaps isn't up to what you think.

 

And you believe speed limits should be dictated by the presence of buildings on each side, actually they put signs up instead!

Now you also claim the police discriminated against her, Is she a minority?

 

Yes...I did mean right hand side of the road.......attempt at humour.

If the limit was 45, and she was doing 53, I guess that is just a little beyond the minor transgression level..

I got pulled over similarly.... I wanted to get away from the damned cop riding my arse and I think he pushed me to accelerate as I left the town!

I guess after he checked the legality of my UK licence, he was charmed by my UK accent.

Sad fact they use speed tickets to earn money these days.

Edited August 21, 2013 by jacko

[Evil Penevil 7,610]

This is certainly becoming an involved discussion about a 20-year-old traffic violation by my ex-wife. I named the incident to illustrate to MM why it's a good idea to have an international license in the U.S., not to defend my ex-wife or decry the inflexibility in the enforcement of Pennsylvania's traffic laws.

 

and visa-versa.

 

That part is not accurate. It's true that you're not allowed to drive in the U.S. on an international drivers license (actually, it's called an International Driving Permit) without having a valid national license. However, there is no requirement under Pennsylvania law to produce an IDP. The term IDP doesn't appear in the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code.

 

The relevant chapter and paragraph states that non-resident drivers must have a valid drivers license from their home states or countries to operate a motor vehicle and must be able to produce such when requested by authorities. The tricky part is proving to the police, magistrate, judge or other official that the foreign license is valid. It's standard practice to use an IDP as a convenient method of proving authenticity and a translation of the national license, but it isn't mandated by law.

In any case, police and magistrates in the U.S. have broad discretion regarding traffic laws. Many times the police will let an offender off with a warning and magistrates will dismiss a case before them.

 

What a magistrate accepts perhaps isn't up to what you think.

 

That's true, but I hope the magistrate would exercise common sense in dispensing justice. Her name wouldn't have appeared on the rental contract if she hadn't been able to show a valid license to the clerk at the Hertz counter at Newark Airport. And it also begs the question of how you prove the authenticity of the IDP, which is a much easier document to forge than a national drivers license.

 

And you believe speed limits should be dictated by the presence of buildings on each side, actually they put signs up instead!
Now you also claim the police discriminated against her, Is she a minority?

 

That's not at all what I said and it's a deliberate stretch on your part. I'm not sure what you hope to accomplish. Are you trying to claim Joe Kicker's mantle?

 

I was explaining how speed traps function in rural areas of the U.S. That has nothing to do with the conditions that dictate speed limits on specific roads but how those limits are enforced. No doubt, though, that she certainly did belong to a minority in Pennsylvania as both an out-of-state driver and a citizen of her country. I definitely believe rural cops discriminate against out-of-state drivers on some types of traffic stops and especially when issuing tickets.

 

Yes...I did mean right hand side of the road.......attempt at humour.
If the limit was 45, and she was doing 53, I guess that is just a little beyond the minor transgression level..

 

Again, not really. Pennsylvania law classes some traffic violations as serious offenses. Everything that's not a serious offense is regarded as a minor offense. In terms of speeding, you have go 15 mph or more above the speed limit for it to be considered a serious offense.

Evil

Edited August 21, 2013 by Evil Penevil

[jacko 8,578]

This is certainly becoming an involved discussion about a 20-year-old traffic violation by my ex-wife. I named the incident to illustrate to MM why it's a good idea to have an international license in the U.S., not to defend my ex-wife or decry the inflexibility in the enforcement of Pennsylvania's traffic laws.

 

You seem intent to do so. I am sure MM found it all extremely relevant.Perchance his aircraft is diverted to Pa.

[short 215]

I've used them for decades and it's never happened to me. You're probably thinking about the hillbilly branches where you are.

 

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

Up to you.

 

Please write a report afterwards.

[nus01 305]

The pompous assh*le of a magistrate lectured her sternly about following U.S. laws and regulations before fining her $75 for driving 53 mph in 45 mph zone. I asked what would have happened if she hadn't been able to get a hold of me immediately. He said she'd have been held in jail until the IDL could be produced or the foreign license could be verified by other means.

 

Evil

Reverse the situatution "falang" sitting in thai jail for not obeying Thai laws, everyone would be saying they desrved what they get.

[short 215]

I can see it now. They make Martin take a road test and the first thing he does is go down the left side of the road.

[MM 6,562]

I did that on an empty road (usually key off the other cars) and my daughter said "Dad, why are you driving on the wrong side of the road". Yeah, that could happen.

 

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[jacko 8,578]

I did that on an empty road (usually key off the other cars) and my daughter said "Dad, why are you driving on the wrong side of the road". Yeah, that could happen.

 

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 4

I was in the UK from the UAE some years back and my very well paid friend was taking his new acquisition out for a spin and took us to a nice country pub in his classic Rolls Royce. On the way out we came nose-to-nose with another car on the access road and he said 'what's wrong with this cunt!'.... I said 'YOU are on the wrong side of the road'. The guy in the other car was not inclined to beep or shake a fist at a classic Rolls, perhaps he thought HRH was in there coming back from the pub!

[syd_tybil 70]

So what was the resolution of this issue when you were in the states? Did Enterprise accept the Thai license alone or want an IDP also?

 

I will be in a similar situation fairly soon, renting a car in California with my CA license expired and a valid, current Thai license.

[MM 6,562]

So what was the resolution of this issue when you were in the states? Did Enterprise accept the Thai license alone or want an IDP also?

 

I will be in a similar situation fairly soon, renting a car in California with my CA license expired and a valid, current Thai license.

Sorry for not following up. Enterprise had no problem with my Thai license, but the clerk cautioned me that I might have trouble with the police in a vehicular stop.

I just drove carefully to avoid finding out what would happen in that case.

Bottom line, renting no problem.

 

Tapatalk

 

 

[syd_tybil 70]

Ok, thanks for the information.

[MM 6,562]

Sorry for not following up. Enterprise had no problem with my Thai license, but the clerk cautioned me that I might have trouble with the police in a vehicular stop.

I just drove carefully to avoid finding out what would happen in that case.

Bottom line, renting no problem.

 

Tapatalk

 

I need to correct something here. I normally rent from Enterprise, but I opted for Avis this time because United offered a deal on a fly/drive package. So...the rental was from AVIS, not Enterprise.

I doubt it would make much difference who you rent from, but then again...?

 

Ok, thanks for the information.

 

See correction above.

[Evil Penevil 7,610]

MM, on 29 Oct 2013 - 16:36, said:

doubt it would make much difference who you rent from, but then again...?

I asked about this at the Hertz counter at Newark Liberty because I could have faced the same situation as MM and syd-tybil on my next trip to the U.S. - an expired state license but a valid license from another country (not Thailand). I was told renting with a foreign driver's license but no IDP wouldn't be a problem at any major U.S. airport, but could be a problem at more obscure locations. Also, the counter clerk warned about possible hassles with local law enforcement, up to and including having the vehicle impounded.

 

Luckily, I was able to get my state license renewed this trip, so it won't be a hassle for me.

 

Evil

[syd_tybil 70]

Just another data point in this thread. I successfully rented a car at the San Francisco airport through Enterprise with just a Thai drivers license. They did not ask for an International Driving Permit (IDP) or warn me of any problems that might result from using the foreign drivers license. I drove carefully and did not get pulled over. I'm not sure if the police would be so welcoming of the foreign license if they stopped me, but I was fortunate not to play that scenario out.