Driving on a J-1 Work and Travel Visa: License, IDP and Car Insurance

The state you drive in decides which permit you need. The rules below are from five state motor vehicle agencies: New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Delaware. The living hub has the rest of life in the US.

The short version

1. Ask the state motor vehicle office if your home license is enough.
2. Get an International Driving Permit in your home country before you fly.
3. Carry your home license with the permit, because the permit alone is not a license.
4. Do not take a job as a driver, because the program does not allow it.
5. Buckle your seat belt every time you drive.

Can you drive on your home license?

Maybe, and it depends on the state. A foreign license may be paired with an International Driving Permit (IDP), and not every state requires the permit. Contact the state department of motor vehicles for each state you plan to drive in to see whether it requires an IDP.

Three state pages show how different the wording is:

• New Jersey lets visitors drive up to one year on a foreign license, as long as it comes with an IDP issued in your country of residence.
• Virginia lets a visitor drive on an international license only when it is accompanied by a valid driver’s license from the home country.
• Florida requires visitors who want to drive to carry a valid license issued in their name from their country of residence.

Citizens of some countries need no IDP at all to drive legally in the US. Check with the motor vehicle agency in your country, or contact your country’s embassy in the US, to find out whether one is required.

Beware of offers selling an international driver’s license that cannot be suspended or revoked. In Virginia those licenses are not valid and are not authorized by the Commonwealth.

How the International Driving Permit works

An IDP is a form of identification that many countries recognize, and it allows you to drive legally in a different country. It is not a license by itself. Virginia calls it invalid alone, though helpful when it accompanies a valid license.

Four rules to remember:

1. Get it before you fly. The US does not issue IDPs to foreign visitors.
2. Ask the motor vehicle department of the country that issued your license.
3. The fees and the time it takes depend on the issuing country.
4. An IDP issued for use in the US is valid for 1 year.

You may need both your license and an IDP to rent a car in the US, so check the rental company’s policy in advance. Florida suggests the same for visitors who rent.

Applying for a state driver’s license

A visitor’s license and a state license are different things. A state driver’s license allows you to drive anywhere in the US. The residency rule for getting one differs in each state. A DS-2019 is named for J-1 applicants on the Florida, Virginia and Delaware pages. These pages are written for people applying for that state’s own license, not for visitors who drive on a foreign license.

Details that trip people up:

• Florida issues a 60-day temporary paper permit without a photo first, then mails the license within 60 days after identity and legal status are verified. If status is not verified, it mails a denial letter.
• Virginia accepts only originals, no photocopies. First-time applicants must show proof of legal presence.
• Virginia collects your Social Security number but does not print it on the license. Delaware asks for it only if you are eligible. Florida needs the name on your Social Security record to match the license.
• Maryland may check your lawful status with the Department of Homeland Security. Its process also expects a knowledge test and a road test in a car you provide, plus a vision screening.
• New Jersey’s reciprocity agreements, which let drivers skip certain testing steps, cover only Taiwan and South Korea, and only applicants 18 or older with a class D license.
• Delaware limits the expiry to your authorized stay.

The Maryland page is for people moving to the state, and the New Jersey license pages are for people who have recently moved there, not for seasonal visitors.

Car insurance

Insurance is a state rule too. The papers you must show differ, so read the state page before you drive a car.

Penalties follow quickly:

• Delaware fines a first offense of driving without insurance not less than $1500, and suspends the license for 6 months.
• Virginia charges a $600 penalty and suspends the license and registrations if a vehicle you register is not covered by liability insurance.
• New Jersey drivers without the required insurance can face hefty fines and suspension.

New Jersey liability insurance pays others for damage you cause, but it does not cover medical expenses. Personal injury protection pays medical expenses if you or covered people are hurt. Delaware police can ask for proof of insurance at any stop, and New Jersey accepts an electronic card. Virginia also requires an annual safety inspection sticker before you operate a vehicle there. The health insurance page covers the medical cover your program needs.

Driving and your job

A Work and Travel job cannot be a driving job. The program excludes work as operators or drivers of vehicles for which drivers’ licenses are required. It makes no difference whether they carry passengers. Getting around shows the non-driving options.

The rules that cost most

Three habits matter more than any paperwork:

• Buckle up. Doing so is the single most effective thing you can do to protect yourself in a crash. In 2023, 23,959 passenger vehicle occupants were killed, and nearly 50% of them were not buckled, based on known seat belt use. Air bags are not enough to protect you. Florida requires a seat belt for passengers age 6 through 17.
• Put the phone away. Reading or sending a text takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds. At 55 mph that is like driving the length of a football field with your eyes closed. In 2023, 3,275 people were killed in crashes involving distracted drivers. Each state sets its own distracted-driving law.
• Respect the limit. Speed limits protect all road users. In 2023, speeding was a contributing factor in 29% of all traffic fatalities. Going the limit can still be too fast for conditions.

Drinking and driving

Driving with a BAC of .08 or higher is illegal in all 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico, except in Utah, where the limit is .05 (NHTSA, 2025 capture). Even a small amount of alcohol can affect driving ability. Drivers at .08 are about 4 times more likely to crash than drivers at zero. Judging your own BAC is very difficult.

Under 21, the bar is lower. Zero-tolerance laws outlaw driving after any amount of drinking for people younger than 21. If you drive while impaired, you could be arrested or in a crash causing serious injury or death.

If you are arrested, consular notification rules apply: foreign nationals must be advised that they can have their consulate or embassy notified. For 58 countries, the consulate or embassy must be notified regardless of the person’s wishes. The laws and your rights page covers what else to know about police.