owning a vehicle in the states

[Stingray01]

General enquiry. Bought a place on the east coast, florida, and the place wants sorting out. I need to buy an oldish pick up to collect gear and take rubbish to tip. Was told the other day that I need a Florida licence and the insurance would be quite expensive, this was from an insurance agent in the states. he said, No licence...no insurance. Need to know if this is true or if there is any legit way to overcome the licence thing. p.s. going off the point a bit, is there such things as yearly M.O.T's for the motors in Florida

Thanks

Jamie

[Cuban]

Sounds correct as I was told the same, but I managed to get a Florida license to drive there.

Each applicant is treated on a case by case, so cannot say for certain if you could get one.

I am away on tour until the weekend so can't give more details / contacts right now, but will on my return if you still need help?

...Only on line today due to the July Summer weather!

[Matt Harper]

Stingray01 said:

General enquiry. Bought a place on the east coast, florida, and the place wants sorting out. I need to buy an oldish pick up to collect gear and take rubbish to tip. Was told the other day that I need a Florida licence and the insurance would be quite expensive, this was from an insurance agent in the states. he said, No licence...no insurance. Need to know if this is true or if there is any legit way to overcome the licence thing. p.s. going off the point a bit, is there such things as yearly M.O.T's for the motors in Florida

Thanks

Jamie

Hi Jamie
There is a way. Next time you are over here, set-up a company (you can e-incorporate on www.sunbiz.org). All you need is an LLC - Could be Stingray01 LLC. It'll cost about $180 to do it.
Then you can title your pick-up to the company and insure it as such. Then, you can drive it on a UK license, as long as you stay under VWP 90 days visit duration. The only other alternative is to take a FL driving test and renew your license every time you come in. (Total pain in the arse, that.)
No - there is no FL equivilent to the MOT test - no smog test, no nothing. You are at liberty to drive any old POS on the road, as long as it's lights, tires, wipers and windshield 'look' OK.
The number of people who drive around on slicks here is ridiculous, when you consider the summer rainfall.

[john_uk]

Hi Jamie,

Thats not the case don't worry. All you need is a US address (which you have) and you're fine, even with your UK license.

I bought a Corvette Z06 in the US and drove it for a couple of months, there where plenty of insurance companies willing to insure me on my UK license. Remember the US is full of many foreigners; Mexicans, Russians and not forgetting many expats from the UK! The cost was pretty reasonable, but if you take the time and get a US license it will cut the cost for you.

All will be fine, go and buy your truck...and a Corvette too!!

Edited by john_uk on Tuesday 15th July 15:04

[Matt Harper]

I think the insurance question has come-up several times before - who are all these companies that insure foreigners on non-US licences, without ssn's etc? - because I have lived here a while now and I couldn't find one.
Geico, All-State Floridian, State Farm, Progressive, Esurance - none of these companies do it.

[Stingray01]

That would be a great relief john if I could do that. When I enquired with 2 insurance Companies they both said that I needed a florida licence, otherwise no insurance. I'm looking into what Matt said but if you had insurance companies there to insure your vette can you let me know, e-mail if you like names and tel' numbers. I would be grateful. I mentioned to the 2 insurance companies that I have my villa address in Florida and my address in the U.k. but they still would'nt have none of it. Not buying a vette there, got a C3 and a C6 here at home. I'm looking at a Ford 350 twin wheel pick up, rougher the better, but the boots must be good. No M.O.T. in Florida then Matt. Mind you the motors I have seen there are always clean and look in good nick, don't know about underneath though!

thanks.. Jamie

[Matt Harper]

Don't misunderstand me, I'm not suggesting John is incorrect - I've just never been able to find an insurer who would give cover without a SSN or an FL drivers license. They do cover company titled cars - I did this, when I first arrived here.
Unfortunately FL licenses are only issued for the duration of your I-94 or visa - and never for more than 12 months, so those foreigners that have licenses that are current for a few years to come, don't do anything that would require you to hand it back (change of address, traffic citation etc).
If there's anything I can do to assist - phone calls, fax documents etc., just say the word. I live in Orange County, close to OIA.
If your pick-up is going to live in Volusia - the salt air will eat it, by and by - but the F250/350 series are pretty much unburstable. No MOT to worry about. Citations for un-roadworthy operation are usually 'after the fact' - i.e. your totally bald tyres and lack of brakes caused you to mow-down the children at the bus-stop and you are subsequently nicked for un-roadworthy op, as a result.
If your car looks OK, 99% of plod are satisfied - same with seatbelts, which are mandatory. You have more chance of winning the state lotto than being pulled for a seatbelt infraction. However, if you've been busted for speeding and you are not buckled-up - bingo, another ticket.

[Stingray01]

Thanks Matt.
I spent quite some time on the net yesterday and from what I can make out from the web pages of Florida traffic control, is that if I want to buy and insure a truck in Florida, I can do this on a UK licence but only for a few weeks until I get my Florida licence. As I can only stay in the Country for 90 days the vehicle still has to be insured even if it's stuck in the garage for a long time. (Hope I understand this correctly) If I come back into the Country, I have to get the Florida licence every time. It makes not a scrap of difference if I have a home there for holidays they still won't let me buy and insure a vehicle....Crazy.. I don't know anyone in the States otherwise I may have gone down the route of putting the motor in his/her name and with me a named driver, or would a u.k. citizen not be allowed on his/her insurance policy.

I've bought this place in Palm Coast, Flagler, not far from the sea. Do you know if this is a bad area for 'rust eating the cars away)
Is there any hire companies you know of where I can get an old truck to rent at a cheap rate.

[Matt Harper]

Stingray01 said:

Thanks Matt.
I spent quite some time on the net yesterday and from what I can make out from the web pages of Florida traffic control, is that if I want to buy and insure a truck in Florida, I can do this on a UK licence but only for a few weeks until I get my Florida licence. As I can only stay in the Country for 90 days the vehicle still has to be insured even if it's stuck in the garage for a long time. (Hope I understand this correctly) If I come back into the Country, I have to get the Florida licence every time. It makes not a scrap of difference if I have a home there for holidays they still won't let me buy and insure a vehicle....Crazy.. I don't know anyone in the States otherwise I may have gone down the route of putting the motor in his/her name and with me a named driver, or would a u.k. citizen not be allowed on his/her insurance policy.

I've bought this place in Palm Coast, Flagler, not far from the sea. Do you know if this is a bad area for 'rust eating the cars away)
Is there any hire companies you know of where I can get an old truck to rent at a cheap rate.

Yes - this is a bizarre situation. The fundamentals, when living in this country (temporarily or otherwise) are drivers license and social security number. Yo can have an FL drivers license - but you will have to renew it (not re-test) every time your visa waiver I-94 expires. This legislation came into effect about 18 months ago - intended to make life a little more difficult for illegal aliens (not that they even have licenses, of course).
As stated earlier, you can establish a business entity, addressed at your home in Palm Coast, for less than $200. My CPA did it electronically, through sunbiz.org - this does not need to be a 'trading entity', but you need to keep it active, in terms of annual filing of registered officers etc. You can then buy the vehicle and title it to the corporation. Insurance then becomes straightforward - your company is the primary insured, not you personally.
US auto insurance is less specific than in UK. You do not have 'named drivers', as such. Anybody may drive my car, with my permission. Additionally insurance is bought in 6 month cycles, so if you're only here once or twice per year, you could save a significant amount. I know the above is do-able, because I did it myself with Progressive.
Palm Coast is nice. Great beaches and close to Jax and St Augustine - but the salty air will chew-up your (un-protected) vehicle in a hurry. It's easy to spot cars that live on the coast v inland. You just don't see rust on inland FL cars (the paint just gets burned to a crisp instead).
Finally - yes, you can rent a pick-up (not an F-350 Dualie though). Be careful. If you're going to use it to lug cinderblock around, it's a no-no - they'll sting you for every little scratch or ding. If you just want to move the occasional sofa, that might be the way to go.
If there's anything I can do to help, let me know.

[Stingray01]

All in all a complex matter for a brit to buy and insure a car there so given up on the idea. There may be a guy in Florida who could put the truck in his name and insure it in his name. we could use it when we need it or do you think that would be against the rules. I suppose the insurance would be as 'cheap as chips' for him as he has another truck.

Thanks for your help Matt. what do you think about this idea.

Jamie

[Matt Harper]

Yup - that would work.

[john_uk]

Hi Jamie,

Sorry for delay in replying to you, I've been stateside again and just got back.

This company takes car of my insurance while using cars in the USA;
http://www.progressiveagent.com/

Good luck!

John