For all I know, there my be 51 different answers to this, which is why it is here, and not in “Factual,” but how are non-citizens licensed to drive? are they still issued driver’s licenses like the ones we all got before REALIDs, with the assumption that they have a passport for flying, even in-country? are these valid for things like getting into bars? just as simple proof of age? if you get stopped while driving, do you need the license, then some other proof like your passport?
I’d start here:
Depending on the U.S. states you will visit, you may need an International Driving Permit (IDP) as well as a driver’s license from your country.
A friend of mine lives in Illinois (and has since the early ‘90s), but is a resident alien: she’s still an Irish citizen, living here as a permanent resident with a green card. She has an Illinois drivers’ license (and, again, has for decades). I can ask her about the details as far as how she was able to get her driver’s license.
As is usually the case this can vary form state-to-state but yes, generally it is possible for non-US citizens to get a US driver’s license.
Most states allow non-citizens to obtain driver’s licenses if they can provide proper documentation of their legal status and residency. This typically includes people with:
- Valid visas (work, student, tourist, etc.)
- Green cards (permanent residents)
- Other forms of legal immigration status
The required documents usually include a valid passport, immigration documents (like I-94 forms or visa stamps), and proof of state residency. They may also require a Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). Again…check with the state that will issue the license.
Several states allow undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses, including California, New York and Illinois. These states typically require proof of identity and residency but don’t require legal immigration status.
The rationale behind these policies is often practical that people who are driving anyway are licensed, insured, and familiar with traffic laws.
I have no idea if Real-ID is part of this or restricted to only US citizens.
Surely those here in the United States on student visas or work permits such as H1-B visas are issued driver’s licenses?
And from the website of the State of California Department of Motor Vehicles,
Any Californian who can prove their current legal presence in the United States (U.S.) with one of the accepted identity documents (original or certified copy) is eligible to receive a standard or REAL ID driver license or identification (DL/ID) card. This includes all U.S. citizens, permanent residents who are not U.S. citizens (Green Card holders), and those with temporary legal status, such as recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) or Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and holders of a valid student or employment visa. For Californians with temporary legal status, their DL/ID card will expire depending on their immigration status, will expire on the same date as their U.S. legal presence document, and they can receive a new card with a documented extension of their legal status.
Having a license to drive is based on residency, not citizenship.
Even though I am an American citizen, I cannot get a US driver’s license, because I am not a resident.
I do have a Swiss driver’s license, because that’s where I live, and I have the equivalent of a green card which allows me to live here. I had to show my green card to get my first CH driver’s license. Alongside my birthdate, it is written USA, as that is where I was born.
When I am in the US, theoretically I should have an International Driver’s License, which is mainly needed to provide proof in English that the driver is licensed in their place of residence. As the Swiss driver’s license is also in English, it’s not really necessary.
At least in Pennsylvania, I can get a drink based on my US passport. Years ago I had problems buying pseudoephedrine in Pennsylvania because the rules state that the buyer has to have a Pennylvania identification document, such as a driver’s license. A manager made the decision to allow me to buy pseudoephedrine based on my US passport.
You might be confusing enhanced drivers licenses (which only a few states offer) with REAL ID. To get a REAL ID, you only need legal presence in the country.
I am an American citizen, living as a permanent legal resident in a European country.
I have a driver’s license here. The process to get it had a few extra steps compared to a local, but was generally painless.
The distinction here is that the license is only permission to drive. It confers no sense of my identity beyond that, and I can’t use it as ID anywhere.
Nevertheless, I don’t see why the difference in the US would add some insurmountable obstacle.
I think you know this and said it but I think it is worth being clear for those who may not know…
I looked in to this when traveling recently(ish) and, AIUI, these are NOT a driver’s license in any sense. They are merely a means to communicate relevant info to police in a foreign country in their language. Presumably they carry a bit more weight in that the issuer has verified you are who you say you are and that you do have a valid driver’s license in your country but I’m not really sure how far even that goes in another country. It just helps smooth the interaction with police some if you get pulled over (not a bad thing).
Have you been in a republican state recently? This is just the sort of thing they like to do to foreigners (make life more difficult for them).
My thought exactly. And not just foreigners. Anybody they have “othered.”
Og help you if you try to drive in some places in the US on a foreign driver’s license. Most cops – I imagine, 90 percent of them – would realize that you can drive on a foreign driver’s license in the US. But every now and then a case will make the news where a cop, usually in some extremely rural jurisdiction, will insist that a driver needs a US driver’s license in order to drive here. Here’s a case out of Georgia where a Canadian(!) woman driving through was jailed for two days because the cop who pulled her over insisted that she needed a Georgia driver’s license to drive in Georgia.
Concerning the International Driver’s Permit, allow me to tell a little story. The story is 60 old, so who knows now.
An Australian was spending a sabbatical year at Tulane. He had an IDP and, of course, an Australian licence to drive. He was stopped by a New Orleans cop. He showed him the IDP. The cop had never seen one before and doubted that it permitted him to drive. He went into a long story of treaties and the US government, etc. The cop said he’d heard of the US government, but didn’t believe it had any jurisdiction over driving in LA. Finally the cop asked him if he had any other driver’s permit, so the guy showed him his Australian licence and the cop was happy to accept that.
First time, I went to Europe, I got an IDP but no one ever wanted anything but my PA license. After that I have driven in many places with only a local permit and have never had any problem. I once got stopped in NJ and I thought that my Quebec licence would give him a pause, but he accepted it without any problem and actually let me off with a warning, although I was clearly guilty (didn’t see the no left turn sign–dark rainy night).
REAL IDs require proof of lawful presence, so people who have green cards or employment authorization , etc can get them. Some states also issue “standard” licenses which don’t require proof of lawful presence. Tourists here for a few weeks are not going to get a new license but they can drive with their home country’s license and possibly an International Driving Permit
On a tour around the US a couple of years ago, when I hired the car in LA I used my Australian drivers license as proof of identity and capability to drive. Was accepted without question by the service desk. I also had an international licence with me, but was never called on to use it.
While I used my license as a form of ID on several occasions commercially, I was never in an interaction with a LEO.
In Massachusetts, undocumented immigrants can now obtain a standard driver’s license, regardless of their immigration status, due to the Work and Family Mobility Act, which took effect on July 1, 2023. This law allows eligible residents to apply for a learner’s permit and driver’s license after passing the required vision screening, learner’s permit exam, and road test.
Here’s a breakdown of the key points:
Law:
The Work and Family Mobility Act allows undocumented immigrants to apply for a standard Massachusetts driver’s license.
Eligibility:
Any Massachusetts resident who can prove their identity and residency, regardless of immigration status, is eligible to apply.
Process:
Applicants need to provide proof of identity and residency, pass vision and written exams, and pass a road test.
Social Security Number:
If an applicant doesn’t have a Social Security number, they can provide a denial letter from the Social Security Administration, dated within 60 days of the application.
Road Test:
A qualified sponsor (21 or older, with at least one year of driving experience and a valid driver’s license) is required on the day of the road test.
Benefits:
The law aims to improve road safety by increasing the number of insured drivers and encouraging driver education, while also benefiting undocumented immigrants by allowing them to drive to work, appointments, and school.
Shouldn’t that be 56? The 50 states, DC, Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. 
While I was a student at UC Davis in California, I taught one of my classmates, a Chinese citizen how to drive after she obtained her learner’s permit. She had no issues with getting the learner’s permit or the actual driver license although she was in the US on a student visa.
I rented a car in Italy last summer. I pulled out my international driver’s license. The guy doing the paperwork brushed it aside. He says the police might want to see it, but he didn’t care. I don’t recall if he looked at my home driver’s license or not. He certainly checked my id (a us passport).