State laws vary on if a driver's license (or insurance) is needed when you first buy and register a car. In some states the person or dealership selling the vehicle must verify the person is licensed and has insurance in order to give them possession of the vehicle and allow them to drive off in it while in other states this is not required.

As a couple of examples:

In California a driver's license is not required to be shown to buy or register a car to the best of our knowledge. However if you do not have a driver's license it is very difficult to get insurance which can be an issue in most all states.

According to the New York Department of Motor Vehicles, laws in this state do not require you to have a driver’s license or even a learner’s permit to apply for registration on a vehicle. You do however have to show proof of identity and show date of birth since you must be at least 16 years old to register a car in your name in NYS.

State laws vary greatly on what is required to register a car. Normally you can drive up to 12 months on your valid foreign license however show states will want you to carry an international driving permit (IDP) along with your license (if it is not in English) while others do not require this.

Before buying a car in the United States while only having an international driving license we would advise you to check with the Department of Motor Vehicles of the state in which you want to register a car to see what their registration requirements are in your case. If you are able to register a car without a US license you may though need to show proof of insurance at the time of registration which can be difficult to obtain without a US license.

Some insurers will start you an auto insurance policy but require you to shortly (in 30 to 45 days normally) acquire a US driver's license on which to rate you. If you are unable to obtain a US license than your car insurance policy could be cancelled. So if you are not planning on getting a State driver's license you would need to find a specialty insurance provider that would cover you with your international/foreign license. The state's insurance regulator may be able to help you find an insurance carrier that could provide for your needs.

If you do obtain a driver's license in the US you can get free auto insurance quotes here with us.