Are Russian driver's licenses valid in the USA?

International IDP rights in the USA

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International IDP rights in the USA

18 Jun 2008, 16:25

Good afternoon everyone.

The topic has been raised several times that it is better to have an international license when traveling around the United States.
What about our national problems from time to time, refusals to rent a car (depending on the company), etc.
One of the reasons given was the lack of inscriptions in English.
What do they say, everything is in Russian and French, but for the American police and Rentkar employees it’s like Chinese and Portuguese to us.

In anticipation of the trip, I was puzzled by obtaining these international rights.
I looked at them and saw that there wasn’t much English there either.
There is still a lot of Russian and French.
Actually the question became - “what’s the point”?
🙂 why are they so much better for presentation in the US?
Or did I not look at them very carefully?

19 Jun 2008, 06:59

19 Jun 2008, 11:16

21 Jun 2008, 22:49

Ukrainian rights are rolling.
(although it is also written in Ukrainian and French)

got caught by the cops a couple of times. no issues with rights were observed

DON'T EXCEED SPEED - IT'S EXPENSIVE.

23 Jun 2008, 21:54

What licenses are needed to travel to the USA?

17 May 2009, 19:41

20 May 2009, 13:15

20 May 2009, 14:59

20 May 2009, 20:47

20 May 2009, 21:46

20 May 2009, 22:07

21 May 2009, 04:35

21 May 2009, 04:55

50+ people over the last 4 years have used plain plastic with no problems.

16 Jun 2009, 23:51

Re: What licenses are needed to travel to the USA?

17 Jun 2009, 07:41

Re: What licenses are needed to travel to the USA?

17 Jun 2009, 08:30

Re: What licenses are needed to travel to the USA?

29 Sep 2009, 13:30

Re: What licenses are needed to travel to the USA?

29 Sep 2009, 15:49

I have rented with laminated ones several times, and once Dollar and Budget did not accept them, but only Hertz accepted them. BUT, it was a long time ago and at one specific airport (Santa Ana, CA)

Driver's license in the USA

America has repeatedly received the nickname “car country.” Almost every resident here has their own vehicle. Today we’ll talk about how to get a license in the USA. Can I use a Russian driver's license, or do I need to obtain an international license? Let's look at these questions in more detail.

Sample driver's license in the USA

Russian or international ID?

Today, all countries of the world can be divided into two groups: members of the first do not require an international driving permit, members of the second do. The United States belongs to the second category, and therefore, drivers from Russia will have to obtain an international driving permit in 2019.

However, you are allowed to use a Russian driver's license for three months if you rent a vehicle. However, if the period exceeds three months, a Russian driver’s license will no longer be enough.

The process of obtaining an international driving license itself is simple: all you need to do is submit the appropriate application through the Gosuslugi service and pay the state fee (1,600 rubles, and 1,120 when paying through the website itself). After this, you need to come at the appointed time and receive an international driving license.

Obtaining an international driver's license can also be done in America itself. You should contact a private company that specifically deals with the preparation of such documents. You will need to pay $60, and the certificate will be ready within an hour.

For Russian citizens, this is also convenient because the employees of such companies often speak Russian, since such companies were created mainly by emigrants from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.

So, once you have your driver's license in your hands, there should be no problems with the law. If your car is stopped by a policeman, it is better to show him a Russian ID at the same time as your international license.

The validity of an international driver's license is 3 years.

Obtaining a US driver's license (Driver license)

What is a driver's license in the USA? A legal feature in America is that this document plays a much larger role than the usual confirmation of the ability to drive a car. Thus, the ID also serves simply as identification: citizens can even buy tickets for flights without a passport, simply by presenting a driver’s license.

Each state determines how long a driver's license will be valid. If we take the national average, the terms are about 6-8 years.

The government agency authorized to issue driver's licenses is the Division of Motor Vehicles.

With an American driver's license, you can drive a car in other countries, including the Russian Federation. However, there is one caveat here: if the period of permissible stay in the United States has expired, the opportunity to use a driver’s license obtained in the United States will also expire.

Watch a video on how to pass the driving test in the USA.

To whom is it issued?

The range of subjects is quite wide: both citizens of the United States and students, refugees, and immigrants can obtain rights. The only exception, perhaps, are tourists. If you only have a US tourist visa, a driver's license will not be issued.

A rather interesting question concerns the age of drivers. If in Russia the law clearly prescribes a certain age, then in the USA everything depends on the state. For example, in New Jersey the age is 17 years old, in the Dakotas it is only 14. In the country as a whole it is 16 years old.

In order to get a driver's license, you need to pass an exam. Let's take a closer look at how it goes.

Exam procedure

1. Submission of necessary documents. So, you will need: SSN (social security number); passport; a document that certifies legal stay in the United States (for example, a Green card); work permit; a document that confirms your address (for example, an invoice issued to you). When you take your driving test, you will also need car insurance.
2. Registration. You need to go to any DMV office and register, after which you will be put in line. Once she arrives, a DMV officer will fill out all the paperwork and test your vision. After this there will be a test on your knowledge of road signs.
3. The test completes the test.
   The number of questions depends on the state: for example, in Florida there are 50, and in New York there are only 20. In any case, the test is very easy, which is noted by both Americans and Russians. In addition, the test itself is similar to the Russian one; it is even possible to take it in Russian. You can make mistakes (1/5 of all questions). Traffic laws in the United States vary from state to state, but are generally simple. The test is checked in front of you, and if everything is correct, your photo is taken.
4. After this, you will be sent an ID document by mail. Having it in hand, you can easily prepare for the practical exam. Driving courses are quite expensive, so if you already have a Russian license and have good driving skills, it is better to proceed straight to the test.
5. The practical exam is generally easy. Particular attention should be paid to the ability to park and turn around. It is recommended to work correctly with mirrors and look around often. The inspector will tell you which street to turn on and what maneuver to perform. You don’t have to pay for the test itself, but if you fail it several times, then a fee will be charged (usually within $6 per attempt).
6. If you successfully complete the internship, you will then be sent a driver license to the same email address. The procedure for obtaining rights will be completed.

As you can see, for a Russian driver in most cases there is a need to apply for an international driver’s license or obtain a license in America itself. However, both options do not seem difficult, and any citizen can easily cope with this. Having received an American license, you can easily get a job as a driver in the USA.

See step-by-step instructions for obtaining a driver's license in the United States.

What licenses can you have to drive a car in the USA?

The question of the validity of a driver's license in other countries faces every tourist who plans to drive abroad. However, most people in Russia are confident that their Russian rights are valid throughout the world, and no problems should arise with them.

In this short post, we will find out whether a Russian license is valid in the USA, in which case an international driver's license can be useful, and how to avoid problems with the police and car rental in America.

Are Russian licenses valid in the USA?

Previously, I, like most Russians, was sure that my Russian license was valid all over the world, and I could fly to any Sudan without any problems, rent a car there and drive off to conquer the African expanses. However, when I began to understand the issue of renting a car in the USA, it turned out that not everything is so clear with our national rights.

The thing is that in 1968 the entire civilized world signed the Vienna Convention, which stated that national driver's licenses that meet the required standards are valid in all countries party to the Vienna Convention. It is thanks to this convention that we can drive in Europe with our Russian licenses.

But America decided to stand out and did not ratify the document. This means that from a formal point of view, our Russian rights are not valid in the USA! And you need to formalize international rights.

Just don’t forget that an IDP is only valid if you have a national driver’s license (in our case, Russian).

What kind of rights are actually accepted in the USA?

But in fact, few people in America know about IDPs, and they very rarely ask for them. Most likely, if an officer stops you and you hand him your international license, he will be very surprised and ask you to give him your Russian license. Rental offices also rarely ask for an IDP.

(photo taken from the Internet)

And yet, not everything is so rosy.

Firstly , the rules of many rental offices state that if your national license has “non-Latin characters”, then an IDP is required to obtain a rental car. Here, for example, is an excerpt from the Alamo rules:

And there is a small, but risky risk of running into an employee at a rental office who will be aware of these requirements and will not give you the car.

Secondly , the sheriff who suddenly stops you on the road can also be informed about the IDP and the invalidity of Russian rights in the United States. In this case, many more problems can arise.

Also, I don’t think that in the event of a major accident, the insurance company will be happy about your invalid license.

Although, of course, the probability of these events is not that great, but...

We decided to get an international driver's license after all. They shoot at sin and pitchforks, as they say.

Moreover, they are issued very simply: you submit an application for receipt through State Services (directly via this link) and pay a fee of 1,120 rubles (the state fee is 1,600 rubles minus a 30% discount for registration through State Services).

Then you go to the traffic police with your 35x45 mm photo, Russian license, internal and foreign passports. Based on these documents, you will be issued your international driving license. You will spend a couple of hours, 1120 rubles, and save a couple of million nerve cells for the entire procedure.

Do not forget that the IDP is only valid in conjunction with your national rights.

But according to the law of meanness, our IDPs in America were never useful anywhere. At the Alamo rental office counter, when I was asked to show my license, I first handed over my IDP, but the Alamo employee said that I needed a normal license. Then I gave them my Russian ones, which we used to register the car. The sheriffs on the roads, thank God, didn’t stop us, so I can’t say anything.

But despite seemingly wasting a couple of thousand rubles, I think it’s better to spend a little time and money than to then shake all the way with thoughts like “what if they don’t give me a car, what if I speed a little too much, the sheriff will stop me and fine me.” for my license, and then he’ll take the car to the parking lot” and the like.

Do you think that applying for an IDP is a stupid waste of money? Then welcome to the comments!

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How to get a driver's license in the USA, can I use Russian ones?

In fact, this topic is so hackneyed that nothing new can be said. Therefore, I will tell you exactly my experience.

In general, you can drive with a Russian license for a month. But in fact, no one checks this. My wife has been driving a car with a Russian license for a year now. At the same time, six months ago, my wife got into an accident and the policeman who filed the accident did not say anything about the rights, although they were already formally invalid.

Getting an American license is as easy as shelling pears. It took me about an hour and a half. If I had signed up online it would have been even faster.

The procedure is like this. You go to the DMV (analogous to the traffic police) and take the traffic rules theory in the form of a computer test. In Russian. The questions are primitive. And in principle, the answers are intuitive. There are 50 questions, you can make mistakes 10 times. Forty correct answers - you are admitted to the driving skills test.

Driving surprised me. Drive around the parking lot, stopping on your feet. Then park in front, perpendicular to the traffic. And drive about five meters in reverse.

Everything is also very simple. No snake, parallel parking in reverse and other things.

The only point is that when driving in reverse, you should not look in the mirrors, but demonstratively turn your whole body and look out the rear window.

After passing your driving test, you go back to the DMV, pay 40 bucks and your license is in your pocket!

By the way, if you have no rights at all, then the procedure is still the same. You don't need driving courses, just learn the questions for the test and move on. The difference is that first you will be given a learner's license, with some restrictions - you can't drive at night and something like that.

So, as you can see, nothing complicated. There would be a desire!

Bender is always in touch:

I’ll make some amendments (since I’ve done it in three different States):

1) “In general, you can drive with a Russian license for a month.” - no, 6 months from the date of arrival (opening Form I-94). The federal law. But up to a month if you change your State of residence (from another State).

2) “My wife has been driving a car with a Russian license for a year now.” — a gross violation, essentially driving without a license.

3) “the policeman who filed the accident did not say anything about the license” - this means a minor accident. I knew a man who drove with our paper license from the 90s.

4) “50 questions, you can be wrong 10 times.” — The number of questions and room for error depends on the State.

5) “Drive around the parking lot, stopping on your feet. Then park in front, perpendicular to the traffic. And drive about five meters in reverse.” — Again, it depends on the State, but it can also change depending on the County: there is a parking lot, there is a city + highway, and there is also a landfill.

6) “The difference is that first you will be given a learner’s license, with some restrictions - you can’t drive at night and something like that.” - I’m not sure about the whole USA, but in California there is only one restriction - there must be a person nearby with a full-fledged California DL and over 18 (I know because my wife is like that).

Will American rights be valid in the Russian Federation and how can they be preserved when replaced with Russian ones?

Good afternoon! I am a citizen of the Russian Federation and am going to get my first license in the USA while studying in California. Tell me, will they be valid in Russia? Or if it becomes necessary to receive Russian ones, then in what case will it be possible to keep the Californian ones so that they are not destroyed?

Regarding your question, I can clarify the following:

According to the Federal Law “On Road Safety”, Article 25 establishes the following:

15. A national driver’s license issued in a foreign state that is not, together with the Russian Federation, a party to international treaties in the field of road safety, is recognized as valid for driving vehicles on the territory of the Russian Federation on the basis of reciprocity, provided that it is presented together with a certified in accordance with the established procedure, translation into Russian, except for cases where in this driver’s license all entries are made or duplicated in letters that coincide in spelling with the letters of the Russian or Latin alphabet.

An international treaty should be understood as the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, which was ratified by Russia, but not ratified by the United States. Thus, based on the above, we can conclude that you cannot, if not mutually and there is no certification in Russian, but the same law says

12. Persons permanently or temporarily residing or temporarily staying on the territory of the Russian Federation are allowed to drive vehicles on the basis of Russian national driver's licenses, and in the absence of such - on the basis of foreign national or international driver's licenses, subject to the restrictions specified in paragraph 13 of this articles.

13. It is not allowed to drive vehicles on the basis of foreign national or international driver’s licenses when carrying out business and labor activities directly related to driving vehicles.

In addition, restrictions have been established related to the age at which it is permissible to drive a vehicle on the basis of a foreign driver’s license. (Part 2 of Article 26 of this law).