International Driving Permit and International Driver’s License
Visitors with foreign driver licenses
Foreign
motorists with valid driver licenses from qualifying countries* are free to
drive personal or rental cars while visiting the United States as a tourist and
are advised to carry an International Driving Permit.
Who is considered a tourist?
If you are visiting the United States for a period not exceeding one year and are not authorized to work or attend school in the country.
What is an International Driving Permit?
In addition to having a valid foreign driver license, visitors are advised to carry an International Driving Permit or attach an English translation to their country's national driver license prior to their arrival in the United States.
Who is considered a tourist?
If you are visiting the United States for a period not exceeding one year and are not authorized to work or attend school in the country.
What is an International Driving Permit?
In addition to having a valid foreign driver license, visitors are advised to carry an International Driving Permit or attach an English translation to their country's national driver license prior to their arrival in the United States.
· The International Driving Permit is translated into the nine
official languages of the United Nations and serves as a translation to be used
in conjunction with the visitor's valid driver license
· It is useful in emergencies such as traffic violations or
auto accidents, particularly when a foreign language is involved
· You must obtain this permit in your home country prior to
your arrival in the U.S.
A foreign
visitor must also display the International Distinguishing Sign if driving a
foreign car.
*Qualifying countries from United Nations Convention on Road Traffic, Geneva (1949), Convention on the Regulation of Inter-American Motor Vehicle Traffic, Washington, D.C., (1943) and Vienna Convention on Road Traffic (1968).
Source http://www.state.nj.us/mvc/Licenses/Visitors.htm
Driving with an
International Driving Permit (IDP)
Foreign motorists with a valid driver
licenses from countries that qualify with the United Nations Convention on Road
Traffic are free to drive personal or rental cars while visiting the United
States as a tourist and are advised to carry an International Driving Permit
(IDP). You are considered a tourist if you are visiting the United States for a
period not exceeding one year and are not authorized to work or attend school
in the country. Typically, this will apply to B-1 or B-2 visa holders.
The United States does NOT issue IDP’s to foreign visitors, so you will
need to obtain this document BEFORE traveling to the U.S.
An IDP translates information contained
on your driver's license into 10 languages so that officials in foreign
countries are able to interpret your license. An IDP
supplements a valid government-issued license--it does not serve
as a replacement for a license. If you are stopped by law enforcement, you will
most likely be asked to produce both your IDP and your official driver's
license.
For
New Jersey driver’s license purposes, you may use your country's driver’s
license as proof of driving experience if you have an IDP issued by your
country or if
your country is a member of the United Nations Convention on Road Traffic and
your license is translated into English by a consulate or a New Jersey Motor
Vehicle Commission (MVC) approved translator.
Getting a New Jersey Drivers License
How
to obtain a New Jersey Driver’s License
If
you choose to operate a motor vehicle while living in the state of New Jersey,
state law requires that you obtain a valid New Jersey driver's license within
60 days of residing in the state. International students, scholars, and
their families in New Jersey may apply for a New Jersey driver's license at any
Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) office.
The MVC office closest to the Princeton
campus is located at:
Bakers Basin
Motor Vehicle Commission
3200 Brunswick Pike
Route 1 North
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
Motor Vehicle Commission
3200 Brunswick Pike
Route 1 North
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
Identification Required
The
New Jersey MVC uses an identification verification process called the 6 point
ID verification system which requires that all applicants applying for or
renewing a New Jersey driver license or non-driver identification card prove
their identity through a required combination of documents. Each type of
document is assigned a point value, and the total point value of all documents
presented must be at least six (6) points.
For detailed information or to view the
6 Point ID document requirements or to download a 6-point brochure visit
the New
Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission website.
For international students and scholars
the identification documents required will include:
- Valid passport,
- I-94 card (small, white card stapled
into your passport) if you have one, OR, if you entered the U.S.
after April 30th, 2013, the most recent I-94 electronic printout that you may retrieve from www.cbp.gov/I94
- I-20 or DS-2019 Form
- A Social Security Card is also
required unless you are not eligible to obtain one. For driver’s
license application purposes, J-2 (without Employment Authorization
Document - EAD), F-2 and H-4 holders should request a letter from the
Social Security Administration (SSA) indicating they are not eligible for
a social security number. The nearest SSA office is located at 635 S.
Clinton Avenue, 2nd Floor;
Trenton, NJ 08611. For directions, please view our section on obtaining Social Security Numbers.
For New Jersey driver’s license
purposes, you may use your country's driver’s license as proof of driving
experience if you have an IDP issued by your country or if your country is a member of the
United Nations Convention on Road Traffic and your license is translated into
English by a consulate or a New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) approved
translator.
Please check the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission's website to make sure you have all required
items with you when applying for a license or to download the Driving in New Jersey Manual.
For details on the other DMV offices,
or more information, call 1-888-486-3339 toll free in NJ or 1-609-292-6500 from
out of state, or visit Foreign Visitors Driving in the U.S.
Beware
of the International Driver’s License Scams
Individuals or companies not authorized to issue IDPs sell fakes on
websites, through unsolicited email, and in person for prices ranging from $60
to $400.
If you buy a fake IDP, not only will you be paying for a worthless document,
but you also could face legal problems or travel delays if you’re detained for
using it to drive in a foreign country.
Many local operations target non-native speakers through ads in
foreign-language newspapers that direct people to websites or local storefronts.
The marketers falsely claim that their documents:
· authorize people to drive legally in the U.S., even if they don’t have
state-issued licenses or if their state-issued licenses have been suspended or
revoked
· can be used as photo ID in the U.S.
In fact, if you’re a U.S. resident, and you’re caught using an IDP in
place of a state-issued driver’s license, the consequences can be severe. You
could be charged with driving without a license — or driving with a suspended
or revoked license. If you can’t produce proof of your identity (for example, a
valid driver’s license, a state-issued identification card, valid immigration
documents, or a passport), the officer can assume that you’re trying to
withhold your identity and arrest you. Source https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0050-international-drivers-license-scams
