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Old 01-21-2007, 01:52 PM
 
2 posts, read 13,333 times
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I have just recently shifted to Scranton, PA from abroad. I have an IDP to drive the car. However i was told that i cant purchase a car unless i have a PA driving license here. Is this true? and if it is, then how can i expedite it to get it as soon as possible, in a month. Can anyone help me out for the same.
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Old 01-21-2007, 02:05 PM
 
Location: Pahrump, NV
1,068 posts, read 2,170,798 times
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I'm wondering if the same is true for me and my husband. We will be moving from CA to PA in about a year and planned on puchasing a new vehicle when we got to PA. Will we be able to do that if we still only have CA driver's licenses, or will we have to obtain PA driver's licenses first? Thanks for any info.
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Old 01-22-2007, 12:14 PM
 
208 posts, read 637,441 times
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I can't answer the question about coming from overseas and the rule may possibly be you need to have a valid US license, not necessarily PA. However I can answer the California question. We are originally from PA, live in WV and still go back to PA to our car dealer to buy vehicles. I obviously have a WV license and we bought a car in PA. I do not believe it matters what state you have a license from. When we lived in PA, my husband bought a car from a dealer across the river in NJ. Good luck!
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Old 01-22-2007, 03:38 PM
 
Location: Missouri
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I'm sure you could buy the car, but you won't be able to register the car. It's illegal to drive an unregistered car. You will need to have car insurance and a valid Pennsylvania drivers license.

http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/motorVehi...r/buying.shtml
http://www.dot10.state.pa.us/pdotforms/fact_sheets/fs-buysell.pdf (broken link)

How to get a drivers license:
http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/teenDrive...rsPermit.shtml
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Old 01-22-2007, 04:37 PM
MB2
 
Location: Sebastian/ FL
3,496 posts, read 9,328,729 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hinavin View Post
I have just recently shifted to Scranton, PA from abroad. I have an IDP to drive the car. However i was told that i cant purchase a car unless i have a PA driving license here. Is this true? and if it is, then how can i expedite it to get it as soon as possible, in a month. Can anyone help me out for the same.

I guess it all depends, on what country you are from. I'm from germany, and live here in the US. However, my nephew came to visit me for 3 months, and bought a car. I registered the car, added him as a driver on the insurance (with his german driver's license), and all was good. Some european countries (like germany, for example) don't even require you to have a IDP, due to the fact, that we have to go an "X' amount of driving hours in, under all sorts of conditions, and that our license in germany usually cost approx. $1500. (This is NOT a typo!).
The usual amount of time you have to invest to obtain your license is approx 3 to 4 months, and will end up with a temp. license for 1 year, if you pass. Also, you have to be 18 years of age, or older.

Just thought to pass that on, and to maybe explain, why people from germany are usually better drivers.
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Old 03-07-2007, 03:56 PM
 
Location: South-Central Penna. (Harrisburg)
222 posts, read 1,390,084 times
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my wife is from indonesia, she had the same problem. she had to register here as a legal perminant resident, then apply for a pa drivers license after she took the test. you would be able to buy the car as someone else said, just not legally drive it. many dealerships let you leave and then you ahve a month to register and insure it. pennDOT is pretty contradictory when it comes to vehicle services, i have found differing things a) online on the website b) in person, the person could be having a good or bad day and c) in other official printed materials. Good luck.
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Old 03-08-2007, 03:11 PM
 
1 posts, read 12,058 times
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I moved to Lancaster County from East Hampton, NY about 3 years ago. I still work and spend much time in NY though. I ran into a small problem getting my PA license because my birth certificate has a slightly different name. I still need to get that fixed. Anyway, last year I bought a new Tundra in PA and registered and insured it there with no problems. Still have my NY license. Hope that helps.
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Old 03-08-2007, 07:50 PM
 
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I don't think it is legal to have a license in more than one state...
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Old 03-08-2007, 08:12 PM
 
43,011 posts, read 106,272,023 times
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Regardless of where you come from, it's important to register your car within 20 days of moving here.

The driver's license has a 60 day grace period before obtaining a PA license, but you need a PA license before registering your car.

So basically you need to do it all within 20 days of moving here.

If you don't, you could receive additional fines when you get pulled over by police.

Here's the PENNDOT site for new Pennsylvania residents: http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/new_resid..._vehicle.shtml
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Old 11-15-2007, 07:23 PM
 
1 posts, read 10,879 times
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Hi,

You can buy a car if you have an PHOTO ID even. You can even get the registration and insurance done on that.
Many of my friends who came from india, bought the cars using the PHOTO ID and later got their local driving license done.

So i think thats possible,

Best Regards,
Kiran
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