British expat hiring a car in the UK: which licence to use?
Discussion
Hi,
I'm a British expat who has lived in Wisconsin USA for the last two and a half years. I have a British and U.S licence. My plod/legal question is this. If I have hired a car using my U.S licence and trigger a camera or were stopped am I obliged to declare that I am also a valid UK licence holder? Would plod even be able to find out roadside or check me out on that? My theory is that I would rather take the fine and dodge points using my American licence and keep my UK one clean as it has been for the last 15 years. Not sure if anyone has faced similar.
I'm a British expat who has lived in Wisconsin USA for the last two and a half years. I have a British and U.S licence. My plod/legal question is this. If I have hired a car using my U.S licence and trigger a camera or were stopped am I obliged to declare that I am also a valid UK licence holder? Would plod even be able to find out roadside or check me out on that? My theory is that I would rather take the fine and dodge points using my American licence and keep my UK one clean as it has been for the last 15 years. Not sure if anyone has faced similar.
I always use my NZ licence in the UK, so I would suggest you use your US one. It could help, and it certainly won't hinder.
If you travelled to any other country, use your UK one - again it could help.
I showed the local highway patrol in upstate New York my UK paper licence a few years ago, "slow down sir" was his suggestion.
If you travelled to any other country, use your UK one - again it could help.
I showed the local highway patrol in upstate New York my UK paper licence a few years ago, "slow down sir" was his suggestion.
Use the US one, unlikely to bother trying to track anything, the ticket generators don't use any brains when trying to track down perps. However, as you are giving the hire company a credit card number, remember the fines may well be paid by them and taken on your card with a nice admin fee, as plod won't care about the points so long as they get paid. Therefore, you should keep a clean licence, but it may cost a few quid.
In the US, I've had plenty of fines, but obviously never any points ended up on my UK licence for stuff that would be banning levels , and it's also managed to get me fines instead of a few days in the hole too (according to cops that stopped me). However, I always make sure I pay them, as I don't want to get arrested on the way into the country one day, or even worse, to be refused entry for a few dollars in unpaid fines
In the US, I've had plenty of fines, but obviously never any points ended up on my UK licence for stuff that would be banning levels , and it's also managed to get me fines instead of a few days in the hole too (according to cops that stopped me). However, I always make sure I pay them, as I don't want to get arrested on the way into the country one day, or even worse, to be refused entry for a few dollars in unpaid fines
I Always use the US one..
I flew into LHR yesterday and have a car from Budget/Avis. No issues with using my NC license.
I was also charged a £75 holding charge on my Credit card.. For incidentals, they said... Fuel, fines, tolls.
They said if the car was returned OK, then my card wouldn't be charged.
My question to them was that if I did get a NIP, I would be long gone back to the US by the time it turned up. He just said that it was normal policy now and couldn't offer an answer. I'm not sure if they can charge your card days/weeks after you have settled your account with them when returning the car.
I flew into LHR yesterday and have a car from Budget/Avis. No issues with using my NC license.
I was also charged a £75 holding charge on my Credit card.. For incidentals, they said... Fuel, fines, tolls.
They said if the car was returned OK, then my card wouldn't be charged.
My question to them was that if I did get a NIP, I would be long gone back to the US by the time it turned up. He just said that it was normal policy now and couldn't offer an answer. I'm not sure if they can charge your card days/weeks after you have settled your account with them when returning the car.
Edited by bridgdav on Saturday 27th February 08:48
Dibble said:
If you still have a valid UK licence it's very easy to check at the roadside. Any pints etc would be recorded against the UK licence, so you could feasibly rack up 12 points and get yourself a totting up ban. Having a US licence wouldn't negate that.
Really?So if I flew back to the UK, rented a car using my US Licence and gave my US address, then you stopped me and I showed you that using my utterly convincing Texas y'all accent, you would suspect me of being British and check to see if I had a UK licence?
HD Adam said:
Dibble said:
If you still have a valid UK licence it's very easy to check at the roadside. Any pints etc would be recorded against the UK licence, so you could feasibly rack up 12 points and get yourself a totting up ban. Having a US licence wouldn't negate that.
Really?So if I flew back to the UK, rented a car using my US Licence and gave my US address, then you stopped me and I showed you that using my utterly convincing Texas y'all accent, you would suspect me of being British and check to see if I had a UK licence?
swapped my UK licence for a Canadian one years ago, always use it when back in the UK for car hire (I could mess with their heads when they ask for a passport and show my UK one, but I don't !) Never had an issue with it, but then as far as I know, I am generally mindful of speed limits/parking when here, as I don't want to have to deal with any issues once I am back in Canada.
mwyatt82 said:
Thanks for the interesting replies! My current UK licence runs till 2019, I know I can't renew it after that point as I must have a UK address which obviously I now don't. I had no idea I had to physically surrender and send it back.
Your UK licence is currently invalid even if your entitlement to drive isn't.If you're hiring a car and your US licence is x years old and the hire company requires it to be x + n years old, they won't let you drive one of their cars, unless you use your UK licence.
Happened to someone I know a couple of months ago. He'd left his UK licence in the States, so didn't get to drive.
Don't know what the time requirement was.
Happened to someone I know a couple of months ago. He'd left his UK licence in the States, so didn't get to drive.
Don't know what the time requirement was.
Roo said:
HD Adam said:
Dibble said:
If you still have a valid UK licence it's very easy to check at the roadside. Any pints etc would be recorded against the UK licence, so you could feasibly rack up 12 points and get yourself a totting up ban. Having a US licence wouldn't negate that.
Really?So if I flew back to the UK, rented a car using my US Licence and gave my US address, then you stopped me and I showed you that using my utterly convincing Texas y'all accent, you would suspect me of being British and check to see if I had a UK licence?
I'm sure if you typed my name in, it would throw up hundreds if not thousands of people with the same name.
Still not convinced although the tin foil hat is on standby.
HD Adam said:
Roo said:
HD Adam said:
Dibble said:
If you still have a valid UK licence it's very easy to check at the roadside. Any pints etc would be recorded against the UK licence, so you could feasibly rack up 12 points and get yourself a totting up ban. Having a US licence wouldn't negate that.
Really?So if I flew back to the UK, rented a car using my US Licence and gave my US address, then you stopped me and I showed you that using my utterly convincing Texas y'all accent, you would suspect me of being British and check to see if I had a UK licence?
I'm sure if you typed my name in, it would throw up hundreds if not thousands of people with the same name.
Still not convinced although the tin foil hat is on standby.
duckwhistle said:
Why not just drive legally while you are here ? It's not difficult and saves a lot of hassle.
That's the intention, I don't have any points or endorsements in 15 years of driving over several countries. Just two parking tickets. I raised the question in the event anything happens, a momentary lapse of concentration is all it can take.HD Adam said:
In what way? I have no convictions for anything, ever.
I'm sure if you typed my name in, it would throw up hundreds if not thousands of people with the same name.
Still not convinced although the tin foil hat is on standby.
Hundreds or thousands of people with the same name, including any middle names? With the same date of birth? Same place of birth? I'm sure if you typed my name in, it would throw up hundreds if not thousands of people with the same name.
Still not convinced although the tin foil hat is on standby.
From experience it is unusual to get more than one person matching all of those criteria.
Cat
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