More info about driving in UK?

+1

Our son got his provisional licence shortly after arriving last September from Texas (he already had a British Passport so this step was easy for him), took 3 lessons with a driving instructor to become familiar with driving here (roundabouts in rush hour city traffic!!) and then spent a few months driving to and from work and recently passed his theory test and has started lessons a week ago with the aim of how to pass the test. I wish he would get on with it as he now only has 5 months left to get it.

I'd recommend he get a date booked for the test ASAP.  When I booked a date in July, earliest available was December!

I'd recommend he get a date booked for the test ASAP.  When I booked a date in July, earliest available was December!

 

Could I give him your email address  ? Maybe he will listen to a stranger, he certainly doesn't listen to his dear old Dad!!

Thanks for the info, I will pass it onto him - he has another lesson due on Monday.

 

Could I give him your email address  ?

Of course.  But as a trade off, I'll give my 4 year old your phone number.  She asks approximately 500 questions a day.   

Could I give him your email address  ?

Of course.  But as a trade off, I'll give my 4 year old your phone number.  She asks approximately 500 questions a day.   

This is not a good trade, durhamlad.  Do not do it!

Of course.  But as a trade off, I'll give my 4 year old your phone number.  She asks approximately 500 questions a day.   

Been there, done that, I think I'll pass, but thanks for the offer 

@tiff, and anyone else living in NI - don't forget that a lot of information you find will be for GB only and doesn't apply to NI as one of the things they do differently is driver and vehicle licencing. As such I think you'll still need 'R' plates once you pass your UK test and after the 12 months you get on your US licence expires.

I'm not sure on that, however.

I am also an American living in NI. I was quoted 10000 pounds per year for insurance with just my US drivers license, but they said when I got my provisional that the cost would go down considerably. Now when I get my provisional, can I drive on my US license by myself or do I have to abide by the learner rules because that's what my insurance cost is based on? (Does insurance insure the driver or the specific license?)

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I was quoted 10000 pounds per year for insurance

TEN THOUSAND??? 

TEN THOUSAND??? 

Lol yeah it would be cheaper for me to just rent a car for a year than just get insurance. Doesn't make any sense.

I've looked into multiple insurance companies as well and most of them won't even insure a foreign license.

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Lol yeah it would be cheaper for me to just rent a car for a year than just get insurance. Doesn't make any sense.

I've looked into multiple insurance companies as well and most of them won't even insure a foreign license.

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Admiral insured me on my US license during that first year.

Lol yeah it would be cheaper for me to just rent a car for a year than just get insurance. Doesn't make any sense.

I've looked into multiple insurance companies as well and most of them won't even insure a foreign license.

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We used aviva and they even gave the no claims discount based on my US driving record. Keep looking! I'm sure you can find someone

We used aviva and they even gave the no claims discount based on my US driving record. Keep looking! I'm sure you can find someone

The same with our son last year, he provided Aviva with a pdf letter from his US insurance company stating the number of years without a claim.

You can drive on your US licence with no restrictions for up to 12 months from the date you move to the UK.

You have until the end of those 12 months to pass all the UK driving tests and gain a full UK licence. If you do not get your UK licence by the end of the 12 months you will no longer be able to drive on your US licence and therefore will be treated like a learner driver, meaning L or R plates on the car, always being accompanied by a UK licenced driver etc.

You don't get to skip any steps, unfortunately... US licence holders have to go through the same procedure for getting a licence as new learner drivers in the UK. The only difference is that if you do it within those first 12 months, you can legally drive on your US licence until you get the UK one, so you don't have to drive under 'learner' rules.

Would this be true for a UK citizen who has a US drivers license and moved over after long term abroad?


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Would this be true for a UK citizen who has a US drivers license and moved over after long term abroad?


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I would think so. My son moved back to the UK from the USA after 29 years away and he was only 4 when we took him away. I contacted DVLA and they confirmed that he could drive on his US licence until he passed his UK test but that he couldn’t take the driving part of test until he had been in country for 6 months.  He takes the driving test tomorrow!!

Would this be true for a UK citizen who has a US drivers license and moved over after long term abroad?


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I would think so. My son moved back to the UK from the USA after 29 years away and he was only 4 when we took him away. I contacted DVLA and they confirmed that he could drive on his US licence until he passed his UK test but that he couldn’t take the driving part of test until he had been in country for 6 months.  He takes the driving test tomorrow!!

I guess it will depend on whether the UK citizen held a UK licence before moving to the US or not.

In durhamlad's son's case, he was only a child when he moved to the US so he did not learn to drive in the UK. However, if sking206561 or their spouse is a UK citizen and moved to the US as an adult who held a UK licence, then if they still have a valid UK licence, they shouldn't need to do anything, or if they have a UK photocard licence that has expired, they may just be able to apply for a renewal of their UK licence. However, if it has been expired for more than 2 years, it looks like they may need to retake the driving tests.

See:
http://www.yourdrivinglicence.co.uk/what-happens-if-driving-licence-has-expired.html
and
https://www.gov.uk/renew-driving-licence