I'm not putting state licence plates on my car... your thoughts?

[editz]

Hi, with my student visa in AZ, i'm importing my car temporarily from England.

Customs allows me to import the car for 12 months, without it meeting safety or emissions standards and without it having any US plates on - can remain on the original British plates. They also allow me to use my UK driving licence for 12 months without having to take any US test.

This was all confirmed with AZ + CA DMV.

From what I've read on here, police don't seem to agree / know much about these international agreements. What is the likelihood of me being stopped? And even though its legal, the officer believing that i'm breaking the law and wants to issue me with a citation / impound the car etc.

Thanks!

[mtxpro752]

In CA you are likely to get a ticket for it, if you have supporting documentation the courts will toss it. I don't accept Mexican licenses as being for real and I have no means of confirming the validity of a foreign license in the field.

Get some sort of supporting documentation, such as a letter from the state DMV in which you are operating your car stating your exempt status. CA DMV allows 10 days for someone moving from out of state to register the vehicle in CA.

One thing you should think about, what if your car is stolen.... I can't run a plate from the UK to see if it's stolen or not and sorry but a "Be on the lookout" notice isn't sent nationwide to let us know to look for the one car with UK tags that was just stolen.

[Dingo990]

I only know Missouri and Kansas law. If you are on a roadtrip or something and I stop you, I'd say you better have some supporting paperwork. Neither state allows any sort of exception and I'd probably default to the laws of where you currently reside, but without paperwork I probably wouldn't believe your story.

I'd also recommend you get a state driver's license if at all possible or carry your passport/student paperwork most times. MTX brings up a valid point, we have no way of checking on the status and the officer might issue a citation and require you to come to court. Beyond that, an officer might assume you aren't likely to appear in court and arrest you until you posted bond

[Iowa #1603]

If it is legal---------------well it is legal

I agree with the posters above that you should seek some type of paperwork from your LOCAL DMV


You will probably find yourself inconvenienced at some point due to the officer not being familiar with your license, registration or paperwork.

In the end it is your call-----------------but at Zero Dark 30 when you get pulled over by the police------------what happens then will be HIS/HER call

[SgtCHP]

Here are some CA Laws that you may find of interest. Pay particular attention to the definitions of residency. If you take up gainful employment, pay resident tuition fees, rent or purchase a home, apartment, loft, etc - off campus - you are deemed a resident and must comply with all licensing laws - driver and registration.

Resident

516. "Resident" means any person who manifests an intent to live or be located in this state on more than a temporary or transient basis. Presence in the state for six months or more in any 12-month period gives rise to a rebuttable presumption of residency.

The following are evidence of residency for purposes of vehicle registration:

(a) Address where registered to vote.

(b) Location of employment or place of business.

(c) Payment of resident tuition at a public institution of higher education.

(d) Attendance of dependents at a primary or secondary school.

(e) Filing a homeowner's property tax exemption.

(f) Renting or leasing a home for use as a residence.

(g) Declaration of residency to obtain a license or any other privilege or benefit not ordinarily extended to a nonresident.

(h) Possession of a California driver's license.

(i) Other acts, occurrences, or events that indicate presence in the state is more than temporary or transient.

Amended Ch. 13, Stats. 1991. Effective February 13, 1991.


Registration Required

4000. (a) (1) No person shall drive, move, or leave standing upon a highway, or in an offstreet public parking facility, any motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, pole or pipe dolly, or logging dolly, unless it is registered and the appropriate fees have been paid under this code or registered under the permanent trailer identification program, except that an off-highway motor vehicle which displays an identification plate or device issued by the department pursuant to Section 38010 may be driven, moved, or left standing in an offstreet public parking facility without being registered or paying registration fees.

Registration Required: Primary Use

4000.4. (a) Except as provided in Sections 6700, 6702, and 6703, any vehicle which is registered to a nonresident owner, and which is based in California or primarily used on California highways, shall be registered in California.

(b) For purposes of this section, a vehicle is deemed to be primarily or regularly used on the highways of this state if the vehicle is located or operated in this state for a greater amount of time than it is located or operated in any other individual state during the registration period in question.

Amended Ch. 1008, Stats. 1988. Effective January 1, 1989.


Use of Foreign License Plates: Limitation

6700. (a) Except as provided in Section 6700.2, the owner of any vehicle of a type otherwise subject to registration under this code, other than a commercial vehicle registered in a foreign jurisdiction, may operate the vehicle in this state until gainful employment is accepted in this state or until residency is established in this state, whichever occurs first, if the vehicle displays valid license plates and has a valid registration issued to the owner, and the owner was a resident of that state at the time of issuance. Application to register the vehicle shall be made within 20 days after gainful employment is accepted in this state or residency is established in this state.

(b) A nonresident owner of a vehicle, otherwise exempt from registration pursuant to this section or Section 6700.2, may operate or permit operation of the vehicle in this state without registering the vehicle in this state if the vehicle is registered in the place of residence of the owner and displays upon it valid license plates issued by that place. This exemption does not apply if the nonresident owner rents, leases, lends, or otherwise furnishes the vehicle to a California resident for regular use on the highways of this state, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 4000.4.

(c) Any resident who operates upon a highway of this state a vehicle owned by a nonresident who furnished the vehicle to the resident operator for his or her regular use within this state, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 4000.4, shall cause the vehicle to be registered in California within 20 days after its first operation within this state by the resident.

Amended Sec. 30, Ch. 594, Stats. 2003. Effective January 1, 2004.

Nonresident Driver

12502. (a) The following persons may operate a motor vehicle in this state without obtaining a driver's license under this code:

(1) A nonresident over the age of 18 years having in his or her immediate possession a valid driver's license issued by a foreign jurisdiction of which he or she is a resident, except as provided in Section 12505.

(2) A nonresident, 21 years of age or older, if transporting hazardous material, as defined in Section 353, in a commercial vehicle, having in his or her immediate possession, a valid license with the appropriate endorsement issued by another state or other jurisdiction that is recognized by the department, or a Canadian driver's license and a copy of his or her current training certificate to transport hazardous material that complies with all federal laws and regulations with respect to hazardous materials, both of which shall be in his or her immediate possession.

(3) A nonresident having in his or her immediate possession a valid driver's license, issued by the Diplomatic Motor Vehicle Office of the Office of Foreign Missions of the United States Department of State, for the type of motor vehicle or combination of vehicles that the person is operating. .

(b) Any person entitled to the exemption contained in subdivision (a), while operating, within this state, a commercial vehicle, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 15210, shall have in his or her possession a current medical certificate of a type described in subdivision (c) of Section 12804.9, which has been issued within two years of the date of operation of that vehicle.

(c) A nonresident possessing a medical certificate in accordance with subdivision (b) shall comply with any restriction of the medical certificate issued to that nonresident.

Amended Ch. 272, Stats. 1993. Effective August 2, 1993.
Amended Sec. 1, Ch. 103, Stats. 2002. Effective July 2, 2002.

Residency

12505. (a) (1) For purposes of this division only and notwithstanding Section 516, residency shall be determined as a person’s state of domicile. "State of domicile" means the state where a person has his or her true, fixed, and permanent home and principal residence and to which he or she has manifested the intention of returning whenever he or she is absent.

Prima facie evidence of residency for driver’s licensing purposes includes, but is not limited to, the following:

(A) Address where registered to vote.

(B) Payment of resident tuition at a public institution of higher education.

(C) Filing a homeowner’s property tax exemption.

(D) Other acts, occurrences, or events that indicate presence in the state is more than temporary or transient.

(2) California residency is required of a person in order to be issued a commercial driver’s license under this code.

(b) The presumption of residency in this state may be rebutted by satisfactory evidence that the licensee’s primary residence is in another state.

(c) Any person entitled to an exemption under Section 12502, 12503, or 12504 may operate a motor vehicle in this state for not to exceed 10 days from the date he or she establishes residence in this state, except that he or she shall obtain a license from the department upon becoming a resident before being employed for compensation by another for the purpose of driving a motor vehicle on the highways.

(d) If the State of California is decertified by the federal government and prohibited from issuing an initial, renewal, or upgraded commercial driver’s license pursuant to Section 384.405 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, the following applies:

(1) An existing commercial driver’s license issued pursuant to this code prior to the date that the state is notified of its decertification shall remain valid until its expiration date.

(2) A person who is a resident of this state may obtain a nonresident commercial driver’s license from any state that elects to issue a nonresident commercial driver’s license and that complies with the testing and licensing standards contained in subparts F, G, and H of Part 383 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

(3) For the purposes of this subdivision, a nonresident commercial driver’s license is a commercial driver’s license issued by a state to an individual domiciled in a foreign country or in another state.

(e) Subject to Section 12504, a person over the age of 16 years who is a resident of a foreign jurisdiction other than a state, territory, or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or Canada, having a valid driver’s license issued to him or her by any other foreign jurisdiction having licensing standards deemed by the Department of Motor Vehicles equivalent to those of this state, may operate a motor vehicle in this state without obtaining a license from the department, except that he or she shall obtain a license before being employed for compensation by another for the purpose of driving a motor vehicle on the highways.

(f) Any person from a foreign country, except a territory or possession of the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or Canada, shall obtain a class A or a class B license from the department before operating on the highways a motor vehicle for which a class A or class B license is required, as described in Section 12804.9. The medical examination form required for issuance of a class A or class B driver’s license shall be completed by a health care professional, as defined in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 12804.9, who is licensed, certified, or registered to perform physical examinations in the United States of America. This subdivision does not apply to (1) drivers of schoolbuses operated in California on a trip for educational purposes or (2) drivers of vehicles used to provide the services of a local public agency.

(g) This section does not authorize the employment of a person in violation of Section 12515.

(h) This section shall become operative on September 20, 2005

Amended Sec. 10, Ch. 766, Stats. 1995. Effective January 1, 1996.
Amended Sec. 3, Ch. 952, Stats. 2004. Effective January 1, 2005. Operative September 20, 2005.

[FL Trooper]

It's not that we are not familiar with the laws, it is that we know the laws in our state. There is a difference between federal law and state law in that a state may be more restrictive than the federal government. Just becasue Customs says that is all you need does not necessarily mean that's true. You also need to be in line with the laws set forth by the state you'll be living in, and keep in mind should you travel to another state you will need to be in line with their laws as well.

I don't know how the rest of your systems work, but we can run some foreign DL's and find out if they are valid or not.

[editz]

Seems very confusing as I'm getting a different response from police and the DMV - I'm assuming the DMV should be the overriding authority? I've read personal accounts of people who have temporarily imported their vehicle and they say the same as the DMV.

From a police point of view, are you guys applying state laws that apply to US residents?

Reason I asked about CA, is because I will need to pick the car up from the port and drive it through to AZ, where it will be kept for 12 months.

CHP your post about residency is very interesting, though from what I've read, conflicting! Because I would be a student on an F1 Visa and a non US citizen - therefore I have to leave within 12 months and would never be seeking permanent residency - so exempt from residential terms.

[dontknowwhy]

CHP's post was going to be dead on the money. His job for 20+ years was to know everything there is to know about traffic laws in his state. Plus, he posts directly from the code section. And as FL said, just because Customs says one thing doesn't mean state's will say the same. Have you looked at getting an international driver's license (or driving license as is said in the UK)? I now work at a university and we were briefed on IDL's when we started getting international students.

BTW, when I studied in Edinburgh, I was told by UK Customs I could rent a car with my US license, though when I double checked with a constable, he said I could rent whatever I wanted as long as I didn't drive it, haha.

[HotSoup]

Keep in mind that the people at the MVD office aren't the brightest bulbs in the pack and probably aren't up to speed on title 28 laws...do your own research on it .... don't just depend on MVD to tell you.

[editz]

Have you looked at getting an international driver's license (or driving license as is said in the UK)? I now work at a university and we were briefed on IDL's when we started getting international students.

BTW, when I studied in Edinburgh, I was told by UK Customs I could rent a car with my US license, though when I double checked with a constable, he said I could rent whatever I wanted as long as I didn't drive it, haha.

I didn't see the point in getting an international driving licence because it just translates your licence into English - which mine already is.

I can't believe that you can't rent a car and drive it in UK on a US licence - thats the whole point of car rental companies existing...and what the international traffic convention exists for.

I also wouldn't understand the purpose of the EPA allowing non residents to import a vehicle for their personal use - if the police then won't allow it. I've called AZ and CA DMV twice, both with exactly the same answers - each time from a supervisor. So somethings going wrong somewhere? This should hopefully be resolved before any shipping takes place!!!

[towncop]

I didn't see the point in getting an international driving licence because it just translates your licence into English - which mine already is.

I can't believe that you can't rent a car and drive it in UK on a US licence - thats the whole point of car rental companies existing...and what the international traffic convention exists for.

I also wouldn't understand the purpose of the EPA allowing non residents to import a vehicle for their personal use - if the police then won't allow it. I've called AZ and CA DMV twice, both with exactly the same answers - each time from a supervisor. So somethings going wrong somewhere? This should hopefully be resolved before any shipping takes place!!!

Here's an easy solution. Contact AAA. They are one of the only places where you can get a TRUE INTERNATIONAL driver's license. Any cop that has problems with illegals in their jurisdiction will know what a TRUE IDL is and will not give you any trouble. The state of Indiana has had a terrible problem with illegals and/or folks waiting for their citizenship to come through and them driving on their Mexican or El Salvadorian license only. With the IDL, they're fine.

[CruiserClass]

Here's an easy solution. Contact AAA. They are one of the only places where you can get a TRUE INTERNATIONAL driver's license. Any cop that has problems with illegals in their jurisdiction will know what a TRUE IDL is and will not give you any trouble. The state of Indiana has had a terrible problem with illegals and/or folks waiting for their citizenship to come through and them driving on their Mexican or El Salvadorian license only. With the IDL, they're fine.

An International Driver's License is just a translation of your original driver's license and does not grant any authority to drive when not paired with the proper documents. It is simply a way to have your license available in other languages. In order to drive in Indiana on a foreign driver's license, you must have the license in your immediate possession as well as proof of legal entry on a non-resident visa. The OP would be fine to drive in Indiana on his UK license as long as he had it on her person along with his passport showing a student visa, which is a non-resident visa, and his proper entry visa stamp. IC 9-24-1-7.

He would also not be required to register his vehicle with Indiana unless he met residency requirements for 60 days, and as long as he is simply a student on a student visa he is a non-resident. IC 9-28-2-2. If he gains residency status, intentionally or not, he is required to register the vehicle and get Indiana plates within 60 days.

[editz]

Thats the sort of answer I was hoping for!

Now to confirm this with AZ...

[CruiserClass]

I can't believe that you can't rent a car and drive it in UK on a US licence - thats the whole point of car rental companies existing...and what the international traffic convention exists for.

Like so much else, it varies by location and circumstances. I rented cars in Cyprus and Qatar on a US license and a tourist visa. Once I had a work visa for Qatar I had to get a Qatari license. Then I could still rent in Jordan, Bahrain, and Cyprus with no issue using either my US or Qatari license.

[AZtribesman]

editz,

28-2533. Registration; violation; additional civil penalty; disposition of civil penalty

A. In addition to all other penalties prescribed by law, an owner of a motor vehicle that is or was registered in another state, territory or foreign country who knowingly fails to register the vehicle for the first time in this state as required by law is, notwithstanding any other law, subject to a civil penalty of three hundred dollars.

B. A court shall not dismiss an action brought under this section merely because the defendant has obtained the appropriate registration after violating this section.

C. The law enforcement agency that cites the owner for a violation of this section shall retain twenty per cent of the civil penalty provided by this section. The court shall deposit, pursuant to sections 35-146 and 35-147, any remaining monies collected under this section in the Arizona highway user revenue fund.

If you live in AZ for more than 6 consecutive months, own a home or condo, have kids in a public school, or work in AZ you are deemed a resident. If you live in Pima or Maricopa County, as a resident, you are required to get emissions and registration for AZ. The reason for this is since you are both living and driving here, you need to pay your fair share of the registration tax in order to pay for your portion of the wear and tear of the public roads you are using here. If you were just visiting ie a 90 tourist visa, you would not have to do this. However, your intial post said you will be here for 12 months.