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Have you heard about Emily Nield and her saga in the state of Georgia? The CBC (Canadian Broadcast Corporation) tells us how she was pulled over for speeding by a Georgia police officer, and then arrested because she was driving on a Canadian driver’s license and was unable to produce her passport.
She made this video and sent it to friends from the back of the police car.
CBC account continues,
One of her friends was able to determine her location in Adel, through a feature on SnapChat, and called the sheriff’s office in Cook County, Ga.
Nield said she was permitted to speak to her friend, but her requests to speak to the Canadian Consulate or her parents went unanswered
The story ends with Nield paying bail and being released. It took her a few days to get the case thrown out. The officer who arrested her may have been within her rights not to accept a facsimile of an original passport (i.e. the copy on the phone), but being right and doing what’s right are two different things.
What’s skinny on the driver’s license?
States are independent entities and so each is permitted to make their own rules on what is required to drive in their state. Some require International Driver’s Permits (IDP), others nothing more than your driver’s license and travel document (passport). The rational for the passport is that foreign driver’s licenses are not known to local law enforcement, whereas, every state’s driving permits are in a centralized database and can be checked for authenticity, such is not the same for driving permits issued by a foreign entity. We turned to USA.gov for the skinny.
USA.GOV offers this advice:
Short-Term Visitors
If you intend on getting an IDP, you must do so in advance of your travel:
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- The United States does not issue IDPs to foreign visitors. To get an IDP, contact the motor vehicle department of the country that issued your driver’s license.
- If you want to rent a car, you may need both your license and an IDP. Find out the rental company’s policies and other requirements in advance.
- Beware of international driver’s permit/license scams.
Residents (Non-U.S. Citizens)
The residency requirement for obtaining a U.S. driver’s license is different in each state:
- If you are eligible to apply for a driver’s license, you must get a driver’s license from the state where you live.
- Check the requirements and find out how to apply in your state’s department of motor vehicles.
- A U.S. driver’s license allows you to drive anywhere in the U.S. It is your responsibility to know and obey the laws of the state where you are driving.
Our Advice?
Check the rules for the US State you will be driving (link above) about what driver’s license you need. Then carry the identified support documents on your person, with copies left with friend/relative (just in case).
