Can I drive in US with Indian driving license ?
This is a common question among the non immigrant visa holders from different countries. So, whether you can drive having Indian or any other countries driving license depends upon the visa type you have.
Generally most of the people coming from India are on H1b, L1, H4 and B1/B2.
Driving license rules for H1b, L1 and H4 visa holders.
Generally, you are allowed to drive with your Indian driving license for your initial days. But it is still risky as you will have hard time to convince the officer if you are caught. My friend was driving with his Indian driving license and was caught. Even though he had US learning license and Indian driving license still he had to pay a hefty penalty. This was happened in California. It is always better to get the driving license before driving.
Driving license rules for B1/B2 visa holders
If you are coming for short term for business or tourism, you can use your Indian driving license for driving anywhere in the United States of America. You can even use your Indian driving license to rent a car anywhere in the US.
International driving license from India.
If you have international driving license then you can drive without any problem. I know some of my friends having international driving license from India were driving in USA.
Each state in USA has different rules for driving license. So always check with the state DMV office for accurate information.
How can I drive in US with Indian driving license without any problem?
If you are coming on working or dependent visa then get an international driving license or get DL in USA itself. If you are coming for short term then you can use your normal driving license from India to drive anywhere in USA.
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