Driving an RV or Motorhome in the USA with Your British Driving License

So, you want to hire an RV in the USA and take a roadtrip using your UK driving license? What do you need to know?

Can You Drive an RV in the USA with a UK Driving License?

Yes, you can.

That’s the short answer.

And it doesn’t matter whether you’ve driven a motorhome in the UK before or not. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve driven overseas or not either. Even if you’ve only driven your own hatchback in the UK, you can rent and drive an RV in the USA subject to certain conditions.

Let’s look at those.

Your UK License Must be a FULL License

You must have a full driving license (a provisional is not acceptable) and it must be a valid license too.

But you don’t need a US license to drive here as a British tourist when you’re on holiday (the rules are different if you’re planning to move to the USA).

Having points on your license doesn’t affect this providing your license is still valid.

Your UK License Must be in English

This is, by standard, the case for most UK driving licenses of course. But if your license is not in English then you will need an International Driving Permit (IDP).

These are really easy to obtain. At the time of writing you can get them over the counter in your local Post Office at a cost of £5.50. You’ll just need to take your photocard license with you (or a passport for proof of ID if you have an old paper license).

For driving in the USA, you’ll need IDP 1949.

What Documents do I Need to Carry When Driving in the USA?

Make sure you have your full, valid UK driving license and proof of insurance and identification (a passport, for example) with you.

Does a Standard Driving License Cover Large RVs?

For all of the RVs that we rent out, a standard UK (category B) license is absolutely sufficient.

Of course, this alone doesn’t mean you’ll instantly feel confident driving a large vehicle unless you’ve driven a motorhome or caravan back home.

Rest assured though, that when you arrive and collect your RV, you’ll get an initiation tour of 30 to 60 minutes and will be given advice and information about driving and operating the vehicle.

Key Differences Driving in the USA vs UK

While you can drive in the USA using your UK license, there are of course some differences to be aware of.

In the USA, we drive on the right hand side of the road whereas in the UK, driving is on the left
Many of the roads are wider than roads in the UK
Some laws differ state to state