Drivers Licenses

Bruce_Olson · #1 (**permalink**) 04-15-2004

We are planning on selling our home and taking off on our boat in about one year. Currently, we have drivers licenses issued by our home state. After we sell the boat and take off for other countries, we will no longer have a home address in the US. Even if we renew our licenses shortly before taking off, they will eventually need to be renewed. How do people who are out cruising maintain some form of drivers license that will allow them to rent/drive cars while in other countries?

sadie14 · #2 (**permalink**) 04-15-2004

What are you using as a mailing address?

Bruce_Olson · #3 (**permalink**) 04-15-2004

I don''t know what we''ll use as an address. My preliminary thought is that we would find some professional mail forwarding service and have all mail sent to that address to be sorted and the important items sent to us at different locations. I guess that we could use the address of one of our children for some purposes.

VIEXILE · #4 (**permalink**) 04-15-2004

You''ll be asked repeatedly your residence. Establish it, with a mailing or physical address. Just saying "we live on a boat" don''t cut it. Think islands, mon. Think St. Vincent -type officials. Now, what is your RESIDENCE?18N64W

madcatter · #5 (**permalink**) 04-15-2004

If one of your children or other family member is in your home state, use that address for your "home" address and change it with the DL bureau before you leave. Also, you need to know how many years you are you given before needing to renew (Is it a 2, 4, 6 year license?)and can you renew by mail. If your state doesn''t offer renewal by mail, I''m sure that at some time during the years your driver''s license is valid you''ll make a trip home. Renew the license at that time.

Bruce_Olson · #6 (**permalink**) 04-16-2004

Thanks for the information and suggestions.

wm3846 · #7 (**permalink**) 06-14-2004

I don''t know all the particulars, but you can have a international drivers license and passport issued by the UN.

WHOOSH · #8 (**permalink**) 06-16-2004

Bruce, you really do need to have a clear homeport for the boat (verified by a document or registration) and a real, workable ''home'', whether that''s a mail handling service, kid''s address, etc.

"Taking off" has such an appealing alure...but there are realities that make such details - sooner or later - very important.

Oh, and just renew the driver''s licenses. That will give you 5 years or so, by which time you''ll have all this stuff sorted.

Jack

mmccoy · #9 (**permalink**) 06-18-2004

Maybe I''m missing something here but wouldn''t a passport be preferable to a drivers license?