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Replacing a U.S. Driver's License After Moving Out of the Country

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  • 11-26-2016, 04:14 PM
    bloodbath
    Replacing a U.S. Driver's License After Moving Out of the Country
    My question involves a driver's license issued by the State of: North Carolina

    Since I'm now living in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, I had to switch my North Carolina license for a Luxembourgish license, which I did back in September. (If I didn't do it within a year of entry, my NC license would become void in Luxembourg and I'd have to do the licensing examinations here, but that's a separate story.) Part of the process required me to surrender my license to the Luxembourgish authorities who would then return it to the issuing authority, which I did do; since I surrendered the license, I thought that'd be all.

    Out of curiosity, though, I looked up my driving record online on the NCDOT website... and it still lists my NC license status as being "Active" and the system allows me to order a duplicate! (And this is almost three months after I gave up the NC license.)

    So, the question is, since I'm going back to the US for Christmas vacation and will probably be doing a nonzero amount of driving while I'm there, would I need to order a duplicate of the NC license to use there, or would I be fine to just keep and use my Luxembourgish license?
  • 11-26-2016, 04:21 PM
    jk
    Re: Replacing a U.S. Driver's License After Moving Out of the Country
    Not being a resident of North Carolina you would not need nor qualify for a North Carolina drivers license.
  • 11-27-2016, 12:20 AM
    flyingron
    Re: Replacing a U.S. Driver's License After Moving Out of the Country
    Getting a foreign license (even if you surrender the old one to that country's DMV equivalent) doesn't cancel your NC license as it would if you got another US state license. However, as JK points out as long as you no longer are a resident of NC the fact they still show it as active is immaterial. However, if you left with something that caused it to be suspended (unpaid traffic tickets, lets say), then you will be illegal to drive in NC no matter what other licenses you hold.
  • 11-28-2016, 04:00 AM
    bloodbath
    Re: Replacing a U.S. Driver's License After Moving Out of the Country
    Fair enough, though my confusion is mostly that I assumed it's a situation similar to when I lived in Ohio as a student where, despite living in Ohio, my domicile remained NC. I'm in Luxembourg on a temporary residence status and still have my domicile in NC (including voting there).

    (I've never so much as had a ticket, so the NC license wasn't suspended... and the license had to be valid to do the switch.)
  • 11-28-2016, 05:26 AM
    flyingron
    Re: Replacing a U.S. Driver's License After Moving Out of the Country
    If you are a resident of NC, then you need your NC license. Apply to get it replaced (you can do so online).
  • 11-28-2016, 08:36 AM
    Highwayman
    Re: Replacing a U.S. Driver's License After Moving Out of the Country
    Expect to have your license show up at some point and it will be cancelled. Then, even if you have a physical license, it will be no good. You will have no way of knowing when that happens.

    Stop trying to scam. If you no longer live in NC you are not entitled to have a NC license. If you ever move back then you can worry about getting a NC license again.
  • 11-28-2016, 08:39 AM
    flyingron
    Re: Replacing a U.S. Driver's License After Moving Out of the Country
    What scam? THere's no provision that NC will cancel a license because one was issued in Lichtenstein. It will stay in effect here until you cancel it explicitly or you obtain one in another US state.

    Further, he asserts he is still domiciled in NC and merely temporarily studying abroad. If he has a residence in some NC county, that will be good enough for the DMV here.
  • 11-28-2016, 08:45 AM
    Highwayman
    Re: Replacing a U.S. Driver's License After Moving Out of the Country
    Luxembourg.

    OP never stated he was a student living abroad.

    I was assuming that NC DMV would treat the surrender the same as one from another state, which may or may not be the case.
  • 11-28-2016, 09:00 AM
    flyingron
    Re: Replacing a U.S. Driver's License After Moving Out of the Country
    From his second post: I'm in Luxembourg on a temporary residence status and still have my domicile in NC (including voting there).
  • 11-30-2016, 03:08 AM
    bloodbath
    Re: Replacing a U.S. Driver's License After Moving Out of the Country
    Quote:

    Quoting flyingron
    View Post
    From his second post: I'm in Luxembourg on a temporary residence status and still have my domicile in NC (including voting there).

    Indeed. And, in fact, I am a student in Luxembourg. Residence status regulations are a bit odd here, but the underlying thing is that I have neither an indefinite-duration work contract, indefinite stay permit, nor right of residence here; I still vote in NC, my permanent address is still in NC, I still file(d) NC income tax returns as a resident, and my only tie to Luxembourg is the fact I'm a Ph.D. student here (with a presumed date of departure).

    The question I initially asked wasn't about me trying to scam anybody: it was merely whether I needed to order a duplicate license in order to drive while I'm back home (which I see happening).
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