Even if an Ohio license was suspended, if he has a valid license from some other jurisdiction he can still drive in Florida. If he had no other valid license then whether it was his license or privileges to drive in Ohio although licensed in another jurisdiction would make a difference.
The only possibility that would make a difference is if his privileges to drive in Florida were revoked based on activity in Florida.
Florida does not require an International Drivers License. So you can use your Chinese license. The only problem would be if there is a warrant out for you based on your issue in Ohio.
Nobody requires an international driver’s license because, well, there is no such document as an international driver’s license. There is an international driver’s permit but in reality all that is is a translation of a person’s actual driver’s license. It helps avoid confusion as I suspect there aren’t a lot of police in Florida that are fluent in the Chinese language.
Since China is not signatory to the 1949 Geneva Convention that the idp stems from and as such I don’t believe they issue idp’s that are valid as an idp as issued by a signatory member, I wonder what would happen if op drove in a state that did reauire an Idp.
I have yet to find any state that requires an idp though but it is recommended for any driver whose license is not in English. It’s a matter of convenience and not law in many circumstances.
That is a good point about the warrant though. Maybe the op should investigate that matter before even coming to the states.
Yes it is a permit not a license. Force of habit made me type license.
According to USA.Gov
I didn't go through all the states but I did check Florida. One would assume that if you are in a state that requires IDP to go along with your countries DL then you would be considered driving without a license.Some states require an International Driving Permit (IDP) from foreign nationals, in addition to a valid license from your own country. Contact the motor vehicle department of each state you will drive in for its requirements.
Just to clear, the Ohio suspension means the OP cannot drive in OH. The OP may drive in most other states with the Chinese license, however, (assuming that his/her privilege to drive has not been suspended or revoked in that state). There are, however, a few states which adopt a rule that you cannot drive in that state if your right to drive is suspended or revoked in ANY state. Florida is not one of those, but since the rules do vary a person with a suspended/revoked license in one state needs to understand the laws for each state in which he wishes to drive with a license that has been issued by some other state or country.