Ludwig von Dracula Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 I'm wondering if any Canadians (or others) can share their experience of bringing their car into the United States for several years. What kind of insurance will I need to get and what are the prices like? Will my Canadian driver's licence be OK, and what happens when I need to renew it? Becoming an international student certainly has its share of little complexities... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beanbagchairs Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 Each state has its own rules and regulation regarding driver's license. So, you should check with the specific state you are going to live in. I imagine they will honor your Canadian driver's license and supply an equivalent US driver's license. I have no experience in this though. You may want to check this out: http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Foreign_Visitors_Driving.shtml Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robot_hamster Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 I think you just have to get a new driver's license by going to the DMV and showing them that you have a Canadian license, but it might be different from state to state. As far as insurance goes, this can depend too. Some states require you to have a minimum amount, others don't. Prices are going to vary from place to place and policy to policy. My husband and I insure 2 vehicles for about $300 each month. I think we went with a lower total coverage amount, which probably isn't wise but we can't afford the higher rates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dramanda Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 I'm in California. Although I had my full Canadian license, I had to re-do a driving test to get a California license. Bummer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwig von Dracula Posted April 14, 2011 Author Share Posted April 14, 2011 Thanks for the replies. I really hope I don't have to redo my driving test, for goodness' sake...and $300 for two vehicles definitely sounds more expensive than what we paid in Manitoba (which has a government monopoly on auto insurance, no less--I'm going to miss my social democratic safety net!). Oh well, the experience of living in another country for a few years will be rewarding despite the red tape and minor annoyances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eisenmann Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 Don't know what kind of car you have, but I would imagine some cars may be more difficult than others. We don't have some models here eg skyline, focus rs. those cars may not pass smog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robot_hamster Posted April 16, 2011 Share Posted April 16, 2011 Oops, I just realized I wrote $300 each month. I meant $300 every six month period. Gosh! That would be insane if it was $300 a month! LOL! Sorry! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwig von Dracula Posted April 16, 2011 Author Share Posted April 16, 2011 Oops, I just realized I wrote $300 each month. I meant $300 every six month period. Gosh! That would be insane if it was $300 a month! LOL! Sorry! OK, good! That's comforting... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cndngrl21 Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 If you are happy with your Canadian insurance, you might just keep everything as is. When you are a student and not an immigrant you can keep a Canadian address as the main address, and then you put a secondary address as where you will park it in the US. Then you don't have the hassle of changing everything back and forth, especially if you have to take a test to change your license in the state you're moving to. I had my car in California for about 4 years like this with no problems. When I had a car accident (the other driver's fault) my insurance even hired a local person to assist me, rather than try to help me over the phone all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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