Going back to the States to visit

Each state is different about residency requirements and driving license renewals.  Arkansas lets me renew from the UK.  Arkansas requires basic vision screening at each renewal (they have a little viewer thing on the counter at the DMV that you look into and read the letters), so since I was renewing from over here I had to go for an eye exam and have it signed off by an optometrist.  But otherwise, I had no trouble renewing (which is good, because I have to do it again next year, I think).  Check with your state's officials before you leave so you'll know what to expect when the time comes to renew.

Yep and depending on the state, you may need to provide proof of address in the form of post, rental agreement or utility bill.

Look up the requirements on your states DMV website and keep that in mind. You might need to get some post in your name sent to your parents house.

I use my former home address which is my ex husbands home. But we are very close friends so that isn't an issue.

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Former MN resident, but from WI originally and use my parents address for mail. I went "home" to Wisconsin in 2016 with a MN drivers license that was a few months expired. Popped in the local DMV and after an eye test and a check made out to the SoS, walked back out a half hour later with a provisional WI license (real one came in the mail a few weeks later - Note: I was a previous WI license holder). Since then have been able to rent a car both in the US and overseas (NOT the UK, though).

WI is really quite easy - They accept a printed statement of your bank account as proof of residency (and since my bank accounts have my parents address it counted - this was something i changed online - but I also had them send some statements to the house as well). I also hauled in my Social Security Card which has the WI first three identifier digits,  and made sure to go to a non-crowded DMV likely staffed by some folks who are, shall we say, not as up to date on the world as the rest of us (aka my dopey hometown and not, say Milwaukee or Madison).

While its great to maintain a US drivers license, i will admit that this strategy does, in fact, make me a little nervous.

Uhhhh, lieing on a government form can get you in trouble.    If they find out.

Some states do online renewal, so no problems. Some don't. Some are very restrictive in not allowing you to keep their license if you don't live in the state. Apparently, others are not. You'll need to check in your home state to be sure.

My California license was accepted here for a year, although technically it was not valid once I stopped living in California. I had renewed it in person a couple of months before leaving, so when it expires I could renew it online. Well, it's possible, anyway, but I'm not going to because that would flag me as a resident of the state - and there are state income taxes in California if I'm a resident. Which I'm not, anymore.   

I am now jumping through hoops to get a UK provisional license so I can take driver's ed again, and get an "automatic transmission only" license here. So I will be able to drive when I go back to the States, because you really cannot get around in California without being able to drive. It'll also be nice to have an ID card issued by the UK govmt with my mug shot on it, so I don't have to use my passport as an ID all the time.

Of course, I started the process to get the UK license in early July. Had to wait for my  Irish Passport Card to show up to send back the form they sent me after I initally applied. , I sent it on to the DL people with the form. Sent it special delivery. It's signed for as of the 2nd of this month. And nothing is showing up in the system - it still says they are waiting for the form back from me. But it's only been 5 working days. I'll give it another 5 before I start hyperventilating that they've lost my Irish passport card. 

Well, after I contacted them yesterday to find out what the status was (the online tracker kept saying they were waiting for a document from me), today I see on the online tracker that the license has been issued. So sometime in the near future it should arrive, with my Eire passport card I hope, in the special delivery envelope I sent to them for that purpose. Fingers are crossed.

Well, after I contacted them yesterday to find out what the status was (the online tracker kept saying they were waiting for a document from me), today I see on the online tracker that the license has been issued. So sometime in the near future it should arrive, with my Eire passport card I hope, in the special delivery envelope I sent to them for that purpose. Fingers are crossed.

They'll send the passport separately from the license, so you should get the passport in the special delivery envelope and the license via regular mail.

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As long as they both show up, I'm good.
With the hassle getting the Eire card was, I'd be more annoyed if that one got lost, of the two of them.

Probably time to think of finding Tommy Automatic's driving school!  I still have a few weeks befor the Uni students get back in town and make driving here more of a challenge than it is.

All this so I can go home for a visit! 

Well, after I contacted them yesterday to find out what the status was (the online tracker kept saying they were waiting for a document from me), today I see on the online tracker that the license has been issued. So sometime in the near future it should arrive, with my Eire passport card I hope, in the special delivery envelope I sent to them for that purpose. Fingers are crossed.

Is this for your provisional? I sent them a special delivery envelope to return my brp in. Took about 2 weeks after they received my application for me to get my license. Got brp back first, license the next day. 

Yes, for my provisional license. Applied online, then waited and a couple of weeks later got a letter from them with a form to send back.

As I'm here as EU I had to get someone who has a UK license to vouch for me, send in my passport card, and wait. I started early June, but had to have it put on hold as my passport card was held up in being issued for a bit. I sent it all on to them and they received it 2 August. So... since the mail's been here today already and neither was in it, perhaps something will come tomorrow. So far the special delivery tracking number isn't live in the Royal Mail tracking, but I am thinking it won't be updated probably until it has already arrived here! (As things have been going lately.)

Rotten photo, too. I simply don't take good photos. Always look like a cranky, wrinkly old lady in them.
I'm really not usually cranky. 

My tracking didn’t update until the day it was delivered lol.

My photo was horrid. Thanks to Asda photo booth