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Comment by Fifer82 | Hacker News Reader

What if I have an Automatic Driving Licence (UK) and I go to America and rent a Stick Shift then the Police pull me over?

Also could I go to a developing country, get a licence there, then it is valid in the UK and America?

These questions came to mind when I read your comment.

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> Also could I go to a developing country, get a licence there, then it is valid in the UK and America?

Depends on the country you get the license from. https://www.gov.uk/exchange-foreign-driving-licence has a simple click through questionaire that implies your 3rd world license would be valid for 12 months. Looks like you can also get an IDP [0] which will be recognised in most places in the world, but again only valid for 12 months.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Driving_Permit

The US doesn't care if you took the test using a manual or automatic, so that restriction wouldn't be recognized. You'd get a ticket (or whatever the appropriate action is for the offense) for whatever reason the cop pulled you over.

I doubt the police in the US would even mentally register that restriction, since it's a completely foreign idea to people in the US.

These are interesting questions! I don't know the answers, but I guess international law is often bad at dealing with edge cases.

Is it an international law situation?

I am probably using the wrong terminology. I guess there are reciprocal agreements between countries to recognise each others driving licences. I'm not sure whether that counts as international law.

"What if I have an Automatic Driving Licence (UK) and I go to America and rent a Stick Shift then the Police pull me over?"

First off, you would have to find a rental manual transmission. I don't know if I have ever seen a manual in all the times I have rented here in the U.S.

The police will not care about that status on your license. They probably will not notice it.

I think you’d have quite a hard time finding one. Maybe at a specialty rental place, but not one you’d likely find at an airport.

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