DMV - catch 22 with drivers license / vehicle registration? (rental car, rental)

[blueheronNC]

So a friend of mine is moving to NC from CA and is going in circles trying to figure out how to get an NC driver's license. He has a car registered in CA and has liability insurance for that with GEICO. According to the NC DMV website, you have to show proof of liability insurance in order to get an NC driver's license (even before you do any sort of vehicle registration). The liability insurance has to be "for a company registered to do business in NC."

Here's the thing - normally, one would just tell the insurance company to insure the car in NC even before registering it, but he has no intention of bringing the car to NC. He wants to buy a new car in NC. But he needs an NC driver's license to buy that car. He also can't "dummy bring" this car into NC briefly because his spouse needs to use the car in CA during this move period. So will having CA liability insurance on this car count since it's with GEICO, or will he somehow need to insure the car in North Carolina itself despite leaving it in CA?

[Time2Travel]

GEICO is licensed to sell insurance in NC and the fact that the insured vehicle is physically located in California should be irrelevant. It doesn't matter anyway because you can still get a license without having any insurance at all. From the NCDMW website....


"North Carolina law requires that you provide proof of insurance when registering your vehicle. Your vehicle must be insured by a company licensed to do business in the State of North Carolina.

Proof of liability insurance includes providing insurance documents that show your name, the effective date of policy, the expiration date of the policy, and the date the policy was issued.

Even if you do not own or drive a currently registered vehicle you may still apply for a license, but a restriction will be placed on your driver license. This restriction limits you to only driving "fleet vehicles." To remove this restriction you'll have to pay the Liability Insurance Restriction Removal, Fee: $10.00 ."



And you don't have to be a licensed driver in NC to purchase a car here. If you've got money and ID (from any state) you can buy a car.

[arbyunc]

No problem. If you don't plan to drive a private vehicle in NC, you can get a license with a "fleet" vehicle restriction. This allows you to drive rental cars, employer vehicles, etc. You can later have the restriction removed if/when you purchase a vehicle.

[blueheronNC]

Originally Posted by arbyunc

No problem. If you don't plan to drive a private vehicle in NC, you can get a license with a "fleet" vehicle restriction. This allows you to drive rental cars, employer vehicles, etc. You can later have the restriction removed if/when you purchase a vehicle.

Understood. Obviously if the CA "proof of insurance" is sufficient, this is a better situation than having that restriction placed on his license since he plans on driving private vehicles in the interim. Does his CA insurance have to show his NC address on it, or can it still show his old pre-move address?

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by blueheronNC

He wants to buy a new car in NC.
But he needs an NC driver's license to buy that car.

No he doesn't. I've done exactly this and have my car with NC plates and insurance too since April...
and still have my out of state DL in my wallet. All he needs is a NC address that he is confident about.
---

back story: The RE agent offered to let me use theirs (and to dummy up a lease if needed) but I held off buying the car until I had a house under contract. In 2 weeks I'll do the NC motorcycle rider course and after THAT I'll get one new license for it all using my new address.

[blueheronNC]

Originally Posted by MrRational

No he doesn't. I've done exactly this and have my car with NC plates and insurance too since April...
and still have my out of state DL in my wallet. All he needs is a NC address that he is confident about.
---

back story: The RE agent offered to let me use theirs (and to dummy up a lease if needed) but I held off buying the car until I had a house under contract. In 2 weeks I'll do the NC motorcycle rider course and after THAT I'll get one new license for it all using my new address.

From the DMV website: "When moving to North Carolina you must obtain a North Carolina driver license BEFORE you can register a vehicle. " According to these forums that law was enacted 9/07 so perhaps you had done this before the change?

NCDOT: New to NC or Moving?

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by blueheronNC

From the DMV website: "When moving to North Carolina you must obtain a North Carolina driver license BEFORE you can register a vehicle. " According to these forums that law was enacted 9/07 so perhaps you had done this before the change?

NCDOT: New to NC or Moving?

I know. I saw that too and was told the same basic thing when I visited the DMV in person (in April).
Still, I have a car and insurance and no NC license (yet).

[arunkott]

There shouldnt be any problem with getting a DL in this case.
Things you ll need to carry to DMV if you don't have your own car and do have ur name in any insurance cover.

1. Insurance proof ( My name was there in my wife's car policy or alternatively you can buy a non-owner policy for a month)

2. Id proof ( I used passport , u can use ur old DL)

3. Residential Proof

4. A car with registration papers ( I took a rental car with the rental receipt taken on my friends name)


I got my DL in 10 mins.

[Jkgourmet]

Ah. Just wait until you have to show what your full, entire middle name legally is. I've used my middle initial only since I was a kid (50+ years ago), and had one helluva hassle getting documentation that DMV accepted that showed my full middle name!