Driving in America - Washington and Virginia
Discussion
Afternoon,
I'm wondering if anyone could advise on this issue. I'm going to America later in the year, and I'll be driving. Car hire is already in place. Specifically, I'll be picking up the car in Washington DC, and driving through Washington State to Virginia for a few days, and then back to Washington again.
What will I need in terms of driver permits and licencing? I've checked on the DMV website and it mentions getting an International Driver Permit (IDP) where required in states that don't permit drivers to use foreign licences. However, checking the licencing sites for Washington and Virginia, it's not clear if these states will let me use my UK licence (I assume they will?).
Should I get an IDP, or will I be okay on the Eastern Seaboard?
I'm wondering if anyone could advise on this issue. I'm going to America later in the year, and I'll be driving. Car hire is already in place. Specifically, I'll be picking up the car in Washington DC, and driving through Washington State to Virginia for a few days, and then back to Washington again.
What will I need in terms of driver permits and licencing? I've checked on the DMV website and it mentions getting an International Driver Permit (IDP) where required in states that don't permit drivers to use foreign licences. However, checking the licencing sites for Washington and Virginia, it's not clear if these states will let me use my UK licence (I assume they will?).
Should I get an IDP, or will I be okay on the Eastern Seaboard?
My advice would be to take both the paper & photo ID parts of your license.
The chances are they will not ask for your paper part, but it is better to have it just in case. I forgot the paper counterpart and had to queue for an hour to pick up our Mustang in San Francisco all the while wondering if they were going to ask for it (They didn't).
The chances are they will not ask for your paper part, but it is better to have it just in case. I forgot the paper counterpart and had to queue for an hour to pick up our Mustang in San Francisco all the while wondering if they were going to ask for it (They didn't).
OllyAitch said:
Don't forget that Washington is not in Washington state, it's in DC; District of Columbia, make sure you check their requirements
Quite. DC to Washington State is one heck of a drive!!I have rented cars in several states, though never in DC/Virginia. Like Roastie said, I also like to have photocard and paper counterpart licence, although I've never been asked for the paper part yet!
Never meeded amy other permits.
IDP's are only required if the license your are holding is not in English, so with your UK license you will be fine.
As for the speeds etc. on the highway, stay within these limits as there is little point in attracting attention by driving faster than the rest, it really is not necessary and with the distances involved it makes a turns the huge drives into very, very, very large drives instead.
Chris
As for the speeds etc. on the highway, stay within these limits as there is little point in attracting attention by driving faster than the rest, it really is not necessary and with the distances involved it makes a turns the huge drives into very, very, very large drives instead.
Chris
toohuge said:
IDP's are only required if the license your are holding is not in English, so with your UK license you will be fine.
Chris
This. The IDP basically is just a translation of your right to drive in to numerous other languages. Assuming your licence isn't in Welsh or something you'll be fine.Chris
Also be aware that DC is chock-a-block with red-light and urban speed cameras. They also have (purely coincidentally) some very low speeds limits on roads that you would expect to be higher.
Also, although for years the concept of lane discipline has been alien to folks in the US, there are laws in place that you should keep right except to pass, and the highway patrol in MD and probably VA have recently cottoned on to the fact that this is another easy source of revenue for them.
Also, although for years the concept of lane discipline has been alien to folks in the US, there are laws in place that you should keep right except to pass, and the highway patrol in MD and probably VA have recently cottoned on to the fact that this is another easy source of revenue for them.
Minemapper said:
Also be aware that DC is chock-a-block with red-light and urban speed cameras. They also have (purely coincidentally) some very low speeds limits on roads that you would expect to be higher.
Also, although for years the concept of lane discipline has been alien to folks in the US, there are laws in place that you should keep right except to pass, and the highway patrol in MD and probably VA have recently cottoned on to the fact that this is another easy source of revenue for them.
But you can still pass both sides on a freeway presumably?Also, although for years the concept of lane discipline has been alien to folks in the US, there are laws in place that you should keep right except to pass, and the highway patrol in MD and probably VA have recently cottoned on to the fact that this is another easy source of revenue for them.
I'm also going to be driving to/from DC/Virginia later this year so I'm interested in any tips on types of Highway Patrol vehicles in use, unmarked cars etc. etc.
I'll have my Valentine One with me, of course...
ks!it's been a few years but i would say
- enjoy the drive and leave plenty of time, as said they still have old fashioned traffic officers that sit with radar roadside.
- Viginia have a number of scenic routes at very low speed limits -
- if you have never driven in the US before get used to the signage, they signpost road numbers more than places as per the UK, so if you don't know the roads you need then you can get confused
- use sat nav if not certain
driving into Washington wasn't an issue although the park and ride metro worked well.
- enjoy the drive and leave plenty of time, as said they still have old fashioned traffic officers that sit with radar roadside.
- Viginia have a number of scenic routes at very low speed limits -
- if you have never driven in the US before get used to the signage, they signpost road numbers more than places as per the UK, so if you don't know the roads you need then you can get confused
- use sat nav if not certain
driving into Washington wasn't an issue although the park and ride metro worked well.
Minemapper said:
Yes, and if caught, they will smash it in front of you, and make you pay a hefty sum for the privilege.
What a load of cobblers! Might have (illegally) happened to a few folks in France, but it's not illegal to OWN the device, so that would be theft/willful destruction of property if it happened in the US.The worst that could happen would be temporary confiscation and held as evidence, if suspected to be used in connection with a felony. (speeding isn't usually a felonious act).
Yes, I'm sure they're all as pure as the driven snow, those VA troopers. Must have just been me that was unlucky.
6 years commuting/driving around DC/NOVA. Happened on a trip to Norfolk about 6 months after I started that job. Hey though, if you say it didn't, I'm sure it was all a bad dream.
6 years commuting/driving around DC/NOVA. Happened on a trip to Norfolk about 6 months after I started that job. Hey though, if you say it didn't, I'm sure it was all a bad dream.
Minemapper said:
Yes, I'm sure they're all as pure as the driven snow, those VA troopers. Must have just been me that was unlucky.
6 years commuting/driving around DC/NOVA. Happened on a trip to Norfolk about 6 months after I started that job. Hey though, if you say it didn't, I'm sure it was all a bad dream.
I think that if you'd stated this, rather than your original comment, which suggested that illegally destroying people's property is common behavior by VA law enforcement, I would not have challenged it.6 years commuting/driving around DC/NOVA. Happened on a trip to Norfolk about 6 months after I started that job. Hey though, if you say it didn't, I'm sure it was all a bad dream.
If that happened, it was not lawful. Had it happened to me I would have made a formal complaint and pressed charges - and in all probability got off the illegal use of radar ticket too - there being no useable device to implicate me.
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