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Here's the situation:
US driving license holder with a lapsed UK license
Will have a UK residential address
Wants to get insurance on a vehicle in the UK that they will own and be the registered keeper of
Long-term the plan is to renew the UK license but in the short term are there any insurance companies or brokers that will do this?
Don't think any of the online quote tools will cater for these circumstances
Adrian Flux insurance are quite good at sorting out unusual circumstances. Very helpful call centre staff who seem to know what they are about rather than just reading off a screen.
If they have once owned a UK licence then they will not be able to use their US license to drive solo in UK.
Sorry
rachel
I disagree, you can drive on a foreign license for 12 months from pretty much any origin irrepsctive of if you've ever had a UK license. Do the quiz:
https://www.gov.uk/driving-nongb-licence
Having had a UK license at some point makes it easier as you don't have to prove you did a manual test.
As for insurance it's highly variable, shop around or seek out a specialist.
How can the UK licence have lapsed. I know with the new (showing my age) photo card ones you need to update them every 10 years but that's just to ensure your photo is kept up to date and if your being cynical as a money making excercise. So surely just fill in the relevant form send of a new photo and bosh, a UK licence will land on your doorstep?
The test doesn't work in this circumstance.
Pretty sure rachels right , there are a number of quirks in our licensing system including the belter that your supposed to surrender your license when you are leaving UK to live abroad. --who does that ?
a USA license only gives 12 months UK driving.
Equally did not know that you cannot renew a license that's been lapsed for 2 years without doing a test.
It's an exchange system, Jeff. When you move to a country you hand in your licence which is exchanged for the foreign one. While you hold the foreign licence you can't get a UK one unless you hand in the foreign one. However you can drive in the UK on the foreign licence for between a year and five years depending on which foreign licence you have. As the OP alludes many insurance companies won't insure people with foreign licences. Of the people who have tried to put myself or Madame on their policies as named drivers two have failed and one suceeded. IIRC there was no charge for the company that accepted.
Edit for Trailrat: I did the test I linked for the circumstances in the OP's opening post and it came up with 12 months just as I'd expected.
It’s an exchange system, Jeff. When you move to a country you hand in your licence which is exchanged for the foreign one.
Not necessarily, I took a test to get my US licence, entirely independent of my UK licence. A test in small town Missouri is far easier than exchanging 🙂
But the reason i got a licence at all was because I needed a US licence to be covered via my works insurance. My UK licence wouldn't work for that even though it was satisfactory for most other situations.
Would imagine that trying to insure a UK registered car in your own name with only a US licence would be difficult.
Test only allows you to input that you are foreign.
Doesn't allow you to input that you are an expat coming back (or at least for license purposes.
Other wise im sure there would be a roaring trade in banned drivers doing their test abroad and coming back to the UK to drive "legally" on them
Think about it, Trailrat. There are about 1.3milion expats in the US and Canada. The British governement doesn't pass laws that mean they can't drive when they visit or return to the UK.
One of the reasons for the exchange system is to stop people like me (double nationality) having two licences with two lots of points.
12 months.
And I challenge you and Rachel to find a case where a Brit with a US driving licence has not been allowed to drive in the UK or prosecuted for doing so.
Thanks all
According to Adrian Flux it is possible to get insurance with a US licence and no UK licence it's just expensive to do so
The reason his UK licence has expired is that he hasn't lived in the UK for well over 10 years (although he was born here and passed his test here) and he just never got around to renewing it - you also need a UK address I think which he hasn't had until quite recently
But they recommended getting a UK licence anyway some time during the next 12 months. I can't find anything that says you have to re-take the driving test if you've held a UK licence at some point in the past?
US licences are not exchangeable with UK ones
The exchange concept also relies on the other country notifying the DVLA that you've got a different license.. When I moved to Alberta I handed in (literally) my UK license and got an Alberta one instead. Nobody seemed to inform the DVLA of this and 3 years later they sent a letter to my old address (that luckily got forwarded onto my parents) asking me to renew... so I wrote them a nice letter telling them it'd been exchanged and they seemed to think that meant lost so sent me a nice replacement licence.... Doh.
DVLA confirmed my UK License is still fine, it was only used as a reference to get my Aus license, form filled out on DVLA website with new address and it's coming in the post and I am allowed to drive before it gets here, call the DVLA they were very helpful
When I moved to Texas my UK license was no good for insurance and could not be exchanged as we drive on the other side of the road. All the guys transferring to Aberdeen had to also re-take their tests....
All licenses issued in both states for out of country people were limited term so were/invalid the moment your visa expires.....
The reason his UK licence has expired is that he hasn’t lived in the UK for well over 10 years (although he was born here and passed his test here) and he just never got around to renewing it – you also need a UK address I think which he hasn’t had until quite recently
The photocard may have expired but ordinarily the entitlement to drive part applies until you are 70 (unless on a three year medical license, disqualified or Dvla formally revoke it (most common reason probably being not sending the old paper part off to get points added)). Renewing the license will be easier and probably cheaper than insuring an overseas driver - and will be something you need to do anyway. If he has a recent UK passport the ID part is all joined up so it can be done quickly and painlessly. Depending on the reason he may actually be able to drive as soon as DVLA get the application, without actually waiting for his license to arrive. If he still has the old license he can check it’s status online.
If you have the old number click this link and see how you go
https://www.gov.uk/change-address-driving-licence
"Other wise im sure there would be a roaring trade in banned drivers doing their test abroad and coming back to the UK to drive “legally” on them"
I don't think that this would work, legislation link, see section 103(1) and (2)
As above, check with DVLA. I'm not sure that your entitlement runs out until age 70 unless there are medical reasons, etc