A tourist can drive in the USA on a valid foreign driver’s license, and in many situations an International Driving Permit as well. You do not need to take a U.S. driving test or apply for a state license for a temporary visit. The details that trip visitors up are documentation, insurance, and a handful of traffic rules that work differently than they do at home.
What to Carry When You Drive
Your home-country license is the foundation. It has to be current and show your photo and name. Carry your passport with it, because it confirms your identity and legal entry, and rental companies routinely ask to see both from international customers. Some rental locations also want proof of a return trip before they will release a car.1Budget Car Rental. What Do You Need to Rent a Car
If your license is not written in the Roman alphabet, nearly every rental company and many states will also require an International Driving Permit. Even when your license is in English, an IDP presents your credentials in a standardized, multilingual format that makes interactions with police and rental staff easier.
Do You Need an International Driving Permit
An IDP is a translation of your existing license, not a substitute for it. It only works when carried together with the original. Whether the law requires one depends on the state, so check with the motor vehicle agency for each state on your route.2USAGov. Driving in the U.S. if You Are Not a Citizen
The critical detail: you must get the IDP before you leave home. The United States does not issue them to foreign visitors. Apply through the motor vehicle department or automobile association in your home country, and build in a few weeks for processing.2USAGov. Driving in the U.S. if You Are Not a Citizen
An IDP issued for use in the United States is valid for one year from the issue date.2USAGov. Driving in the U.S. if You Are Not a Citizen If your stay runs longer than that, or you shift from visitor to resident, you will need a state license from the local Department of Motor Vehicles.
Renting a Car as a Visitor
Most tourists rent rather than ship a personal car, and the counter has a few quirks worth knowing before you arrive.
The standard minimum rental age is 21 in most of the country, dropping to 18 in a few states. Drivers under 25 almost always pay a daily young-renter surcharge. At Enterprise, that fee averages around $25 per day and can run higher at some locations.3Enterprise Rent-A-Car. What Are Your Age Requirements for Renting
A major credit card in the renter’s name is effectively required. Some locations accept debit cards but will run a credit check first, and renters under 25 are typically barred from using a debit card at all. Prepaid cards are not accepted for the deposit.1Budget Car Rental. What Do You Need to Rent a Car Expect the company to place an authorization hold at pickup that exceeds your estimated charges, often by $200 or more, and to hold that amount until several business days after you return the car.
If your license uses a non-Roman alphabet, plan to show the license, passport, and IDP together. Some companies flag licenses from specific countries for additional verification.1Budget Car Rental. What Do You Need to Rent a Car
Insurance You Actually Need
Nearly every state requires drivers to carry liability insurance, which pays for injuries or property damage you cause in a crash. New Hampshire is the lone exception, allowing drivers to self-insure by proving they have funds to cover potential damages. As a practical matter, you need coverage everywhere you drive. Driving without required insurance can result in fines, license suspension, vehicle impoundment, and in some states jail time.
At the rental counter you will be offered several protections. A collision damage waiver covers damage to the rental vehicle itself; without it, you are personally responsible for the full repair cost. Supplemental liability protection extends your liability coverage beyond the company’s base policy, which is often minimal. Personal accident insurance covers medical costs for you and your passengers.
Before buying anything, check your travel insurance policy and the credit card you plan to use for the rental. Many premium credit cards include a collision damage waiver benefit, and comprehensive travel policies sometimes include third-party liability. Relying on existing coverage can save $20 to $40 per day.
If you are driving a personal vehicle rather than a rental, you will need a standalone policy from a U.S. insurer, or written confirmation that your home-country policy extends to the United States.
Traffic Rules That Catch Visitors Off Guard
Right Turn on Red
Every state allows a right turn at a red light after you come to a complete stop, unless a sign at the intersection prohibits it.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. United States Code Title 42 – 6322 You must yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk and to traffic moving through on green. A few places override the default. New York City bans right on red unless a sign explicitly allows it, and Washington, D.C. banned the practice citywide effective January 2025.
Four-Way Stops
Residential intersections with stop signs on all four corners are common. The first car to stop goes first. If two arrive together, the driver on the right has priority. If two are directly opposite each other, the one going straight has priority over the one turning left. When in doubt, make eye contact and wave the other driver through.
Move Over Laws
Every state requires drivers to change lanes or slow down when approaching a stopped emergency vehicle with flashing lights on the shoulder. If you cannot safely change lanes, you must reduce speed well below the posted limit. Fines apply, and some states add jail time. In roughly 19 states plus Washington, D.C., the same rule extends to any vehicle on the shoulder with hazard lights on, including tow trucks and disabled cars.5NHTSA. Move Over: It’s the Law
Seat Belts, Phones, and Child Seats
Every state except New Hampshire requires adult seat belt use. In states with primary enforcement, an officer can stop you for that alone. In states with secondary enforcement, they can ticket you only after stopping you for something else. Buckle up regardless.
Handheld cell phone use while driving is banned in 33 states and the District of Columbia. Texting while driving is almost universally prohibited even where handheld calls remain technically legal. The safest habit is not touching the phone while the car is moving.
All 50 states require children to ride in age-appropriate car seats or booster seats. Thresholds vary, but as a general rule children under about eight need some form of restraint beyond a standard seat belt. Rental companies rent child seats for roughly $10 to $15 per day, and locations run out, so reserve one when you book the car.
Speed Limits
Speed limits are posted in miles per hour. Highways run from about 55 mph in urban corridors up to 75 or 80 mph on rural interstates in western states, with a few stretches in Texas, Idaho, Montana, and elsewhere allowing 80 or 85. Two-lane roads outside cities are typically 45 to 55 mph, and residential streets 25 to 35. School zones drop sharply when the warning lights flash, often to 15 or 20 mph, and enforcement in those zones is aggressive, sometimes automated. Speeding fines range from about $25 for a minor violation to $600 or more for excessive speed, before court costs.
If You Are Used to Driving on the Left
Around 70 countries drive on the left, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, and India. If you are arriving from one of them, the switch is the biggest safety issue of your trip. A few habits help.
- The driver sits on the left side of the car. Your instinct will pull you toward the right-side door. Resist it.
- Stay right. The riskiest moments are turning onto a new road or leaving a parking lot, when muscle memory defaults you toward the left lane. A dashboard note reading “KEEP RIGHT” sounds silly and works.
- On multi-lane roads, slower traffic keeps right and passing happens on the left.
- Pick up the car at a suburban location rather than a busy downtown or airport, and spend the first 30 minutes on quiet roads.
Alcohol Limits and Why DUI Hits Tourists Harder
The legal blood alcohol limit for drivers 21 and older is 0.08% in 49 states. Utah sets a stricter limit of 0.05%. For drivers under 21, every state sets the threshold at 0.02% or lower, which functions as zero tolerance.6NHTSA. Lower BAC Limits
A DUI arrest runs on two tracks at once: a criminal case and an administrative license action. Most states have implied consent laws, meaning that by driving on their roads you have already agreed to a breath or blood test if arrested. Refusing does not help. In most states it triggers an automatic license suspension of six months to a year and can lead to harsher sentencing if you are convicted anyway.
For a visitor, the stakes reach further than the criminal penalty. A DUI conviction is a criminal offense that can affect your visa status, complicate future entry to the United States, and in some cases lead to removal proceedings. A single night can produce immigration consequences that follow you for years.
Tolls in a Rental Car
Many highways, bridges, and tunnels charge tolls, and a growing number are entirely cashless. There is no booth and no way to pay on the spot. A camera photographs your plate and the toll bills to the registered transponder or to the plate’s owner.
Most rental cars have a transponder on the windshield linked to the company’s toll program. When you pass through a cashless toll, the company pays it and then bills you for the toll plus a daily convenience fee. Avis, for instance, charges $6.95 per day on days you use tolls, capped at $34.95 per rental, and the toll itself may be charged at the full cash rate rather than the discounted electronic rate. Other companies price their programs similarly.
To avoid the surcharges, you can bring a compatible transponder from home or buy a regional one like E-ZPass on arrival. If you use your own device, cover the rental’s built-in transponder so it does not also register charges, add the rental car’s plate to your account, and remove it when you return the car.
Bringing Your Own Car
A tourist can temporarily import a personal vehicle for up to one year, provided it arrives with them. Under this exemption, the car does not need to meet U.S. safety or emissions standards, but it cannot be sold while in the country and must leave before the year is up. There are no extensions.7U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Importing a Motor Vehicle
At the port of entry, file a DOT HS-7 declaration with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and an EPA Form 3520-1 with U.S. Customs.8National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. HS-7 Declaration – Importation of Motor Vehicles and Motor Vehicle Equipment The HS-7 asks for your passport number and country of issue, and the car must be currently registered somewhere other than the United States. Selling the car or overstaying the limit can lead to forfeiture.
The federal exemption does not release you from state requirements. You still need valid insurance and a license that meets each state’s rules. If you are driving in from Canada or Mexico, confirm with your home insurer that your policy covers U.S. roads, or arrange supplemental coverage before crossing.
If You Get a Traffic Ticket
Tourists are subject to the same traffic laws as U.S. drivers and receive the same citations. Ignoring a ticket is the wrong move. Most jurisdictions issue a failure-to-appear warrant if you miss the deadline, and that warrant stays in the system. It can surface during a later visa application, at a border crossing, or during a routine police stop on a future visit.
If the ticket comes while you are driving a rental and you do not pay, the rental company will typically pay it and charge the amount back to your credit card, usually with an administrative fee. For more serious violations, the court expects you or a local attorney to appear. Many traffic courts allow you to resolve matters by mail or online, so check the citation before you leave the country. Resolving a ticket while you are still in the United States is almost always simpler and cheaper than handling it from home.