Our mission is to help you make educated insurance decisions with confidence. We have an advertising relationship with some of the offers included on this page. However, this doesn’t influence our editorial judgment or recommendations. The rankings and listings of our reviews, tools and all other content are based on objective analysis, and we fully own our opinions.
Is a Canadian driver’s license valid in the U.S.?
Written by:
Chris Kissell
Contributing Researcher
Chris Kissell is a Denver-based writer and editor with work featured on U.S. News & World Report, MSN Money, Fox Business, Forbes, Yahoo Finance, Money Talks News and more.
Laura is an award-winning editor with experience in content and communications covering auto insurance and personal finance. She has written for several media outlets, including the USA Today Network. She most recently worked in the public sector for the Nevada Department of Transportation.
Question: Is a Canadian driver’s license valid in the U.S.?
Answer: A current Canadian driver’s license is accepted in the United States. You may drive with your Canadian license within the borders of the U.S. for a period of six months due to reciprocal agreements that the U.S. and Canada have with each other regarding driver’s licenses.
If you plan to stay in the United States for longer than six months, check with the state where you plan to stay to ensure your license will be valid for your trip.
According to Progressive, “If you’re on vacation, you don’t need to take any extra steps — your Canadian license and insurance will cover you during your time in the U.S.”
But if you become a resident instead of a visitor to the United States, then the state where you reside will normally require you to exchange your Canadian license for a state license.
“When relocating from Canada to the United States, you’ll need to register your car with the DMV in the state where you’ll be living. Once you’ve done that, you can purchase car insurance in the U.S. and start the process of transferring your Canadian license to an American driver’s license,” Progressive notes.
Laura is an award-winning editor with experience in content and communications covering auto insurance and personal finance. She has written for several media outlets, including the USA Today Network. She most recently worked in the public sector for the Nevada Department of Transportation.
Ask the Insurance Expert
John McCormick
Editorial Director
John is the editorial director for CarInsurance.com, Insurance.com and Insure.com. Before joining QuinStreet, John was a deputy editor at The Wall Street Journal and had been an editor and reporter at a number of other media outlets where he covered insurance, personal finance, and technology.
Ask the Insurance Expert
Leslie Kasperowicz
Managing Editor
Leslie Kasperowicz is an insurance educator and content creation professional with nearly two decades of experience first directly in the insurance industry at Farmers Insurance and then as a writer, researcher, and educator for insurance shoppers writing for sites like ExpertInsuranceReviews.com and InsuranceHotline.com and managing content, now at CarInsurance.com.
Ask the Insurance Expert
Nupur Gambhir
Managing Editor
Nupur Gambhir is a content editor and licensed life, health, and disability insurance expert. She has extensive experience bringing brands to life and has built award-nominated campaigns for travel and tech. Her insurance expertise has been featured in Bloomberg News, Forbes Advisor, CNET, Fortune, Slate, Real Simple, Lifehacker, The Financial Gym, and the end-of-life planning service.
✓Thank You, Your message has been received. Our team of auto insurance experts typically answers questions within five working days. Note that due to the volume of questions we receive, not all may be answered.Due to technical error, please try again later.
Learn more about driving with an international license
Chris Kissell is a Denver-based writer and editor with work featured on U.S. News & World Report, MSN Money, Fox Business, Forbes, Yahoo Finance, Money Talks News and more.