Did you just let your US drivers license expire?
Posted by The-American-Abroad@reddit | expats | View on Reddit | 79 comments
My license expired last year, and as I am no longer a resident of any US state, I can’t renew it.
This is a bit irritating as I guess I’ll have to take the entire test again when/if I want to drive. And presumably because it’s expired already I can’t easily get one in my local European country.
Has anyone figured this out?
DeliBebek@reddit
My state-issued drivers license will expire in a few months. I already have one in my country of residence. Because drivers licenses in the U.S. are issued at the state level, there is no agreement with the country I live in, regarding conversion of the license. So, after 38 years as a licensed driver, I had to take the local written exam and driving exam.
Consistent-Barber428@reddit
45 years for me. Took theory and practical in Spanish. Brutal.
goombatch@reddit
Yeah. I did it in Czech at age 55, bunch of teenagers in my mandatory class which I did not understand a word of… memorized the theoretical test (thankfully fixed set of questions) and had to take practical twice - first inspector did not like foreigners and I failed a mirror check (for bicycles) on a right turn.
j9wxmwsujrmtxk8vcyte@reddit
How is 'did not like foreigners' related when you fucked up a critical safety check that can and has gotten people killed?
goombatch@reddit
Fair. I was merging into a roundabout and failed to check right mirror. But I had been proceeding down a wide road and had checked all sides before entering the circle, knew there was no bike. I only said the inspector disliked foreigners because my instructor (a Prague city police officer by the ear) warned me that he was biased that way.
Sye990@reddit
I'm going through this myself currently, passed the theory and now I'm dumping money into a few lessons before being able to take the practical. It's insane how much money it takes to get this handled.
DeliBebek@reddit
Good luck. Fortunately for me, the driving course understood. Rather than put me through the classes and training, they had me do two ride-alongs with an instructor, to coach me on exactly what the driving grader would look for.
The cost was still what I would have paid to do the complete course.
Small_Dog_8699@reddit
Some states have reciprocity agreements. When I lived in Paris my Colorado DL was honored.
Sandiegosurf1@reddit
France allows many US states to exchange their drivers licenses for a French one.
States with Full Reciprocity in France • Alabama • Arkansas • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • Ohio • Oklahoma • Pennsylvania • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming
Sandiegosurf1@reddit
But not California. Womp womp. :-(
Small_Dog_8699@reddit
Totally understandable
refrito_perdido@reddit
Same deal for me, had to do the process of getting a driver's license as if I had been a brand new driver (US licence wasn't recognized). It was the most drawn out and annoying process of any paperwork or official document I've had to get. I also did the written test, classes, and exam each in a different language (it would have been MORE work to do it in just one) which just made it that much more complicated.
And then to drive in the US with your foreign license, you may need an international driver's permit. Some states DON'T require it though, so you may not even need it - just check for where you'll be driving.
CharacterLive5686@reddit
No. I don't have one. I am Scottish and living in France. I have never been to America.
Count2Zero@reddit
I converted my US driver's license to a German license before it expired, as I was a resident of Germany then.
SpecialistBet4656@reddit
In my state. they make you re-take the written test. You might have to randomly re-take it whenever you go in for a renewal anyway
redditaccount760@reddit
Where are you an expat in and what state did you live in in the US? When I moved from France to Virginia, I was able to get a driver’s license because of agreements between the two. I didn’t have to pass any test nor did I have to give my French driver’s license.
Consistent-Barber428@reddit
As many have mentioned depends on the state and the country. Is not possible between NY and Spain. But once you have an EU license, it os exchangeable throughout the EU.
me_who_else_@reddit
It is not. The national EU license has a note, that it was converted.
Anxious-Slip-4701@reddit
You can not necessarily exchange one EU nation's licence for another if the original source of the licence is from an exchange. There is a code on the back of exchanged licences.
Consistent-Barber428@reddit
Interesting. I had to pass the test is Spain, so now I can exchange it EU wide. Not unlike US states accepting other states licenses. But that does make sense given that not all EU countries accept US exchanges.
redditaccount760@reddit
Yup that’s why I asked what country and state because it’s only for a number of combination
ericblair21@reddit
Yes, and don't expect it to make sense, either; it's just whatever random bureaucratic agreements the respective governments happened to sign. I think you can exchange an Idaho driver's license for a German one, for instance, but not a NY State one.
jredland@reddit
Can you just renew in the state you last lived and provide a friend or relatives address? That’s what I did
ShiningReflection@reddit
The most important issue in the United States is not having your license expire, but having a lapse in auto insurance. If you decide to come back, not only will you need to start over for a new license, but will pay the absolutely highest insurance rate because of the lapse. It's a wicked system that punishes globetrotters.
dmv_ready@reddit
Yeah I've seen a few people in this exact spot. The honest answer is most states won't let you renew without proving residency, but a handful (Florida and a couple others, last I checked) are looser if you still have a US bank account and a mailing address you can prove. Some folks keep theirs alive via a parent's or sibling's address, which is technically a gray area but isn't really enforced. If you ever need one in the US again, the retest annoyance varies by state: some require the full written plus road test if your license has been expired more than a year, others just the written, others wave you through if you bring a valid foreign license. Worth checking the specific state you'd move back to before assuming the worst.
edwardsantes@reddit
renew before you leave with any additional certifications you already have, and get your international driver's license before you leave with all additional certifications
when you arrive get your local as soon as possible
Embarrassed_Key_4539@reddit
We leave next month and I just renewed mine last week to ensure I’ll have a valid one for 10 years
Putrid-Energy210@reddit
Do you also have an International Driving Permit?
Embarrassed_Key_4539@reddit
No, I’ll get my Costa Rican DL through homologation once my visa goes through though
ForeignPie6851@reddit
I've lived outside the US in periods from one year to eight years so that I had a few driver's licenses expire on me. No problem about taking the test again. I just presented my expired license from one state and a few documents to show where I lived in my new state, in Connecticut, Virginia and Maryland at various stages, and the local DMV each time gave me only tests for my eyesight, nothing more. Just don't lose your expired license.
kiefzz@reddit
I swapped my NY license for a DL in Serbia.
Wanted to keep my NY license and had a new one mailed to a friend's address.
Checked in later to see they cancelled it - guess they found out I had exchanged it here.
Eddydavik2@reddit
I just let mine expire. I have yet to have a reason to need one anymore. If I do go over to the US again, I can just use an IDL.
TabithaC20@reddit
What? An International Driver's License is only valid if it is with your current US DL. It's just a piece of paper. Unless you mean that you will use a foreign drivers license in the US?
Eddydavik2@reddit
That’s correct. I have a valid drivers license in Japan.
Putrid_Alternative31@reddit
Be aware that you need a valid license somewhere in order to get an IDL. It just piggybacks on whatever license you have, so you don't want to be left without any license at all.
Eddydavik2@reddit
I have one in Japan
probablyaythrowaway@reddit
You will have to take the test again regardless if you wanted to drive in Europe anyways. I don’t know any eu country that accepts US driver license for local swap.
MrJim911@reddit
Portugal does a swap. With some exceptions around expiration and driver age.
Reysona@reddit
Germany.
probablyaythrowaway@reddit
Well that is surprising. Although maybe not with the amount of Americans they have living there?
Reysona@reddit
So sorry, I misread the OP. US licenses can be swapped there as long as the state has a partnership agreement with Germany, still is valid, and I think swapped within 6 months of arriving.
Careless_Pie_803@reddit
Sorry, that is incorrect. You can swap a US license from certain US states for a German one (no theory or practical test required) as long as the US license is not expired. I was in Germany for almost 2 years before I got around to taking the First Aid class (required) and the eye test (required, but you can do it at any optician’s office). My US license is literally sitting in a drawer at the registration office. I had to turn it in when I was issued the German one. I got an international drivers license that I can use for trips back to the US.
Reysona@reddit
Good to know, thanks for the correction!
keja1978@reddit
I returned to California after 18 years away and they just renewed my license with a written test, no road test. I was surprised.
spekoek@reddit
My license didn’t transfer from the US to NL. I took lessons and qualified for a Dutch driver’s license with a manual car (English written and driver’s test). I let the US one expire.
smeggysmeg@reddit
I was able to trade it in for a Dutch driver's license. I don't have the required documentation to renew in my US state, and I don't want the tax implications that may come from having a valid license.
momhasbipolar@reddit
For those of your who kept your license, what did you do about the address on your license? I just moved states last year and have no family in my current state, and have only acquaintances. I’m also renting. So I’m a bit concerned about keeping my address as is on my license if the DMV sends mail to my apartment (although of course I’ll use mail forwarding). I’m not sure I’m comfortable enough with any of my acquaintances to ask to use their address. Maybe one, who has a stable address.
Strictly speaking, I have to notify the DMV of change of address within ten days, but I’m pretty sure I can’t get a driver’s license where I’m going until six months after I’ve moved. But I’ll need to turn in my U.S license to get a driver’s license in my host country.
maddog2271@reddit
You may wish to check with the local authorities what you could do…if not long expired they might be able to get you a license. However not having a valid American license while long term or permanently out of the states has advantages, because for example various states use driving licenses of assign jury duty, among other things. So if you have a valid license while permanently away you could miss a jury summons and that would be a headache stateside as they would probably issue a bench warrant for you. The summons thing happened to me in my home state.
ajaxdrivingschool@reddit
The summons thing also happened to me, but in California, and they have a specific “I’m out of the country” choice on the opt out form.
However, this assumes one has a reliable mail opener screening your mail.
kndb@reddit
I got mine renewed online in the WA state. I didn’t know that it was possible. I just went and tried through their website. Paid and gave them the shipping address. And it worked. I then forwarded it to myself via my virtual mailbox service. It cost about $50 extra to FedEx it to my location abroad but at least I still have my drivers license.
3yoyoyo@reddit
Virtual mailbox might be useful
gadgetvirtuoso@reddit
I exchanged my TX license for a license in Ecuador. My TX license expired this year and there aren’t any appointments available the last time I was in TX to renew it. TX gives 2 years before you have to start all over again I will try to renew it during that time but if not I’ve got another one.
CuriosTiger@reddit
I earned my US and European licenses independently, and since I have basically every license class, I don’t want to lose anything. Heavy classes don’t transfer easily. So I keep renewing on both sides of the pond, but it’s increasingly difficult.
Better_Chicken_5184@reddit
I switched mine immediately upon moving to a new country and they shredded my old one.
arnenat@reddit
Totally depends how long ago it was but if you used a domicile service like yourtaxbase.com you can use their residential address and documents to set up your domicile in Florida (0% tax too). At that point you’d be a Florida resident. Florida has a 1 year expiration grace period for renewal. You should be able to simply apply online and send it to the address yourtaxbase gives you and they’ll hold it for you until you want them to mail it to you.
kevurb@reddit
been there (couldnt get home during COVID and then couldnt get home during their grace period after the pandemic). Just brush up on the rules of the road the night before, morning of and you’ll be fine. I didnt even check if my country had reciprocity with my state, but good to know!
Forward_Tank8310@reddit
Pretty normal. When I moved from Ontario, Canada to California at 35, I had to do the written and driving tests for a license.
Craicriture@reddit
There’s reciprocal agreements between some states’ licensing authorities and some of their counterparts in other countries, so you can exchange your license back and forth rather than let it expire.
Catcher_Thelonious@reddit
Some states allow you to renew past the actual expiration date.
Consistent-Barber428@reddit
Yes NY is 2 years. But you will need a local address.
Fresh_Individual5500@reddit
FWIW New Mexico is cool with me using a UPS store mailbox as my address. My new DL has been sitting there for a couple of months until return to collect it. Unfortunately I need to use public transportation to get there because no one will rent me a car with an expired drivers license.🙁
5T6Rf6ut@reddit
Why do you need it if you aren't going to live in the US? The first time I moved abroad, I got a local license from the country where I was living. Then when work brought me back to the US, I was able to use my license from that country to get a state license without a driving test.
A US drivers license does nothing for you while outside the US. Keep your passport up to date but otherwise live where you're living.
scanese@reddit
Any foreign license will let you drive in Europe for up to 6 months and in some countries you can exchange your license if it’s not expired. US licenses aren’t the most widely accepted for exchange due to standards being much higher in some EU countries, but some still do. And getting a license in countries like Germany or the Netherlands is very difficult and expensive.
Mr_Lumbergh@reddit
Yeah. I was being forced into a RealID, and obviously am not there for the photo and the proof of residence.
Moonrak3r@reddit
I was able to renew my US license online and have it mailed to a relative’s house. YMMV based on the it’s issued in.
Superspark76@reddit
US driver licences aren't usually accepted for an exchange to an European one so you would have to take a test in an EU country anyway. (Or one with an accepted standard like UK)
Shadow_in_Wynter@reddit
I don't know where OP lives, but France, for example, has reciprocity with 18 US states.
rncole@reddit
I had to turn mine in to without return when I exchanged it for a Dutch license.
man_jis@reddit
Mine expired 2 years ago. In my state the rule is you can renew it if it’s within 6 months but it has to be in person so I couldn’t do it. Past this you have to apply for a new ID and retake the license test. I am going home this year to apply for a new ID, but won’t get the license.
Impossible-Snow5202@reddit
I just let it expire. I do not currently have any plan to move back to the US, and I live in Spain for now and do not need a car for anything. It is a lot less expensive and time-consuming to hire a driver or delivery service once or twice a year if I need help.
anniiebananie@reddit
I let my US drivers license expire to prevent the state of PA from coming after me later for taxes after I stopped being a resident. However, I had exchanged my PA license for a French one well before it expired via the reciprocity agreement.
If your state is eligible for reciprocity, maybe you could try to renew your expired license (using a US address if you have friends or family in that state) then exchange it for an EU one?
Small_Dog_8699@reddit
State says I have to return to renew in person. Fuck that. I got one in country.
tenniseram@reddit
I have a license increase country I live so I don’t need one for the country I don’t live in any more. If I ever go back I will probably have to do the test.
abzz123@reddit
If you moved to Europe you likely can’t drive with nonEU driver license there anyway (the country I am in allows foreign licenses only for the first year, I assume other countries are similar). So if you want to drive you have to take the test again.
Waste_Worker6122@reddit
Yes, I just let my US drivers license expire. Couldn't see the point in keeping it. When I visit the USA I simply drive on my NZ drivers license. Although not required (for most states) I get an IDP as well. I've never had any issues renting cars, etc. when travelling in the USA.
SeanBourne@reddit
I figured this could be an issue and renewed shortly before departing - and then renewed again when visiting a couple of years ago. Also took advantage of reciprocity to get an Aus license within 2 months of moving here. (Don’t even drive here, but better to have it/ have it active than not have it if/when I eventually need it.)
Renewed the Aus one last year and opted for the 10 year license for max flexibility.
There’s a nonzero chance I move to the UK in the semi near future - even though I’d live somewhere super urban and am unlikely to drive, I’ll use reciprocity again and get the UK license pretty early on in my time there.
A lot of this is luck of the draw with reciprocity… but IMO worth it to stay on top of renewals etc.
Clean-Examination-61@reddit
I have a Florida license. France has reciprocity with 7 US states (Florida is one of them). I’m in the process of switching to a French license.
SlippingAway@reddit
Just do it. I had my license from Montana transferred to El Salvador. By the time I was living in Ireland, both of them had expired (and weren’t transferable anyway).
I did the theoretical test which was interesting, different. I hired an instructor to try driving on the left side of the road and after a couple of practice drives, I passed the practical test. I transferred this license to Estonia. And then will transfer this current one to Norway.
Don’t overthink it.
dogwoodcat@reddit
Sounds like a classic case of the "bad planning." Unfortunately now that it has expired there is little you can really do.