# Licensed drivers who are non citizens **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 29, 2025, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/licensed-drivers-who-are-non-citizens/1020259 "2025-06-29T15:50:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![themapleleaf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/themapleleaf/32/14349_2.png) [@themapleleaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/themapleleaf)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2025, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/licensed-drivers-who-are-non-citizens/1020259/21 "2025-06-30T18:12:09Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > 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](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44032839) 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. You beat me to it. The officer told the young woman that they couldn’t accept Canadian licenses in the State of Georgia, apparently complete bunk. [Here is a video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6ZuZD8_mFQ&ab_channel=CBCNews) with an interview with the victim. ---
**Author:** ![tetranz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a587f6/32.png) [@tetranz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tetranz)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2025, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/licensed-drivers-who-are-non-citizens/1020259/22 "2025-06-30T21:59:42Z")
As a New Zealander who moved to New Hampshire in 2000 on an H1B, I had no problem getting a NH drivers license except that I had to deal with the state capital DMV in Concord, not my local. Local DMV told me I could use my NZ license for two years. I think I got the NH license after about six months. I had to do the practical test even though I’d been driving for 25 years admittedly on the other side of the road. I guess it was a little unusual for someone to drive their own car alone to a driving test. Green card holder now. I go to the local DMV like everyone else. Of course much of the stuff around driving licenses has nothing to do with driving. It’s all about the pseudo ID card nature of it. ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2025, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/licensed-drivers-who-are-non-citizens/1020259/23 "2025-07-01T13:10:16Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > 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. Is that for everyone or just non-citizens? In the UK a DL can be used as ID everywhere except for where a passport would be required. When I moved to the UK in 1995 my company shipped my American car over for me. I was driving along the M-25 and noticed a cop behind me. When his lights came on I nearly instinctively pulled over to the right instead of left. The car had a Texas number plate and I had a Texas license. Neither caused any issue, he just wanted to make sure I was aware of the time limits to get the car registered (6 months) and take the driving test (1 year). I told him I’d nearly pulled over to the right and he thought this was quite funny. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2025, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/licensed-drivers-who-are-non-citizens/1020259/24 "2025-07-01T13:26:56Z")
> [@kferr](#): > > Is that for everyone or just non-citizens? It’s for everyone. There is a separate identity card which specifies one’s nationality. For me, a permanent resident from outside the EU, the card looks a little different, noting my residency status and my right to work. ---
**Author:** ![Mops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mops/32/16494_2.png) [@Mops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mops)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2025, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/licensed-drivers-who-are-non-citizens/1020259/25 "2025-07-01T13:48:17Z")
Same in Germany as in Luxembourg (in fact there are credit card size ID cards, separate from passports, in all EU countries except Ireland; the Irish can opt to apply for a passport card, also credit card sized). EU country ID cards are accepted as ID for entry instead of a passport in all EU countries as well as 14 other countries, which is why there are many EU citizens who travel a lot internationally but do not own a current passport. I was one of those at times. Comparing my German driving license and ID, the driving license lacks the following information: - registered address of residence - nationality - eye colour and height Also my DL photograph is small and greyscale; the ID photograph is larger and in colour. If I ever tried to use my driving license as ID as opposed to proving my right to drive the other party would probably suspect that some attempt at deception on my part was in play. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2025, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/licensed-drivers-who-are-non-citizens/1020259/26 "2025-07-01T13:49:18Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Here’s a [case out of Georgia](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44032839) 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. This is definitely a case of YMMV. I was pulled over in Georgia with a Taiwanese driver’s license. (Which was written in Chinese characters! I had forgotten my International Driver’s Permit back at my mother’s place.) The police called his supervisor and after some discussion, they were cool with it. ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2025, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/licensed-drivers-who-are-non-citizens/1020259/27 "2025-07-01T17:55:57Z")
> [@kferr](#): > > Is that for everyone or just non-citizens? In the UK a DL can be used as ID everywhere except for where a passport would be required. Depends. If you’ve got one of the old pink ones (or the even older green ones) with no photo on it, it may not be accepted. ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2025, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/licensed-drivers-who-are-non-citizens/1020259/28 "2025-07-02T11:40:21Z")
I’d forgotten about the old paper ones. I had one when I moved here in 1995 but move house a few times so got the photo ID during a change of address. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/licensed-drivers-who-are-non-citizens/1020259.md?page=1)