Brits wanting to buy car in Florida. Insurance, licence issues?

You can buy anything.
You will need to satisfy requirements for registration.
Insurance will be cheaper with FL DL. Again - you have to satisfy DMV requirements. Check the site of FL DMV department of motor vehicles for details.
Unless you have a Social Security Number a loan will not build US credit.

That's very helpful. Thank you!

Beware of flooded vehicles sold by individual owners.
Also if the car does not have Florida license plates you might have to pay an impact fee of no less than $100.

OK thanks!

If you buy the car from a large dealership they will help you with the paperwork, mostly do it all for you. If they give you problems just take your business elsewhere.

Retired people find that everything is cheap in Florida - except insurance of every stripe. Brace yourself for sticker shock as a foreign driver.

Actually we insure both a motorhome and a car in Florida and find the rates pretty reasonable.  If you want sticker shock look at insurance rates in New Jersey and New York


Bob K

I am a Belgian and needed to do a driving test to get a Florida drivers license. It was impossible to find an insurance that wanted to insure me without it. Check the requierements for British people to see if you need to do the written and actual driving test some Europeans can get a drivers license easier than others, no idea why because we can all drive all over Europe. good luck

Gosh - that seems surprising!
Will check it out - thanks.
I lived in Brussels for a while. Lovely place.

Hi,

I was with a friend to buy a car some days ago, We bought a car from car dealers (there are a lot of dealers here). The procedure is not so complicated because the car dealers will manage everything for you, including insurance. Then, what we are going to do is getting a plate for the car by ourselves.

You might want to check the DMV in Florida for the requirements to get a Florida Driver's license.  I believe you have to have an actual Florida address to get one.

Bob K

Here is a link to the page for non US residents and obtaining a Florida License from the official DMV page for Florida
http://www.dmvflorida.org/drivers-license-nc.shtml
Bob K

Bob K wrote:

Here is a link to the page for non US residents and obtaining a Florida License from the official DMV page for Florida
http://www.dmvflorida.org/drivers-license-nc.shtml
Bob K

Thank you Bob. I have just viewed the link. It is nice that we can do the test online. I am planning to apply for a driving test within a week. Hopefully that I can get the driving license within a month.

You are welcome and good luck

Bob K

Many thanks for your help, Bob!