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General information
In order to drive legally in the united states, you should
have both: a driving license from your home country and an"
international driving license". The international driving
permit is easily recognizable in the US than your home country
permit.
To apply for an American driving license, contact the
local office of your Department of Highway Safety & Motor
Vehicles. This does involve a fee , which varie from state
to state, but ranges between 20$ to 75$.
International driver license
Usually "International driver Licenses"
are accepted in all the States of America. You can rent cars
with your International Driver License. But if you plan to
stay quite a long time in the States you can pass a local
state exam and get a temporary American Driver License, or
bring you home country driver's license and try to obtain
an equivalence. Then your American Driver License, will be
your Identification Card "ID", it will replace your
passport and your International Driver License.
American driver license
To apply for an American driving license
You'll need to get to your local Motor and Vehicles Registry
with your:
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PASSPORT
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VISA
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COUNTRY'S DRIVER LICENSE
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The approximate cost of the Driver license is between 20
and 75$ depending on the state your are applying in. You'll
have to pass an exam on a computer or a written exam and then,
once you passed with not too many fault, you'll have to pass
a driving test. All of this will take you about 1 hour. In
the States the durability of a Driver License is about 6 Years,
then you have to renew it for the cost of about 10$. Don't
forget that in America most of the States allow driving at
the age of 16 .
Note:Sometimes a recognition or an equivalence can
be given to you, specially for Motor -Cycle driver's license...If
you have with you an International driver License you'll be
able to use it for a maximum period of usually 3 Months, that
also applies for you locals country driver licenses that can
be used for 3 Months ...
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General information
Most of the car rental companies require that you be at
least 21 years of age and possess at least one major credit
card. In many cases you must be 25 years old or pay an additional
fee if you are not !
The average cost for a small car rental is 30$ per day, 150$
per week, 1000$ a month.
Keep in mind that you will certainly need an automobile insurance
around 10 to 20$ per days plus the cost of the car rental
itself !
You can always haggle over the price even with famous company.
If you are a good bluffer you can easily have a discount from
20 to 30% even for short term rental.
What company should you choose ?
What kind of insurance you need with your rental car ?
Collision Damage Waiver (CDW)
Collision Damage Waiver options contractually waivesor
limits your personal responsibility for damage to or loss
of your rental car. CDW is not an insurance.
This protection can be full or limited to an amount. For example
if your auto insurance covers your rental car but with a deductible
of 500$, take the CDW up to 500$ only.
Some credit cards includes
this coverage, call your provider before taking CDW.
Extended Protection (EP)
EP consists of two types of benefits for the renter:
Liability* and Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist Protection**:
*Liability Protection:
Provides you and authorized drivers with PRIMARY liability
protection for claims made against you by others for bodily
injury or death and/or property damage from the use or
from operation of the rental car. It is "primary" because
the coverage takes effect before other sources of liability
coverage that might be available (such as your own personal
policy). Without EP, most car renters may only provide up
to the minimum liability limits required in the state of rental.
In most states, the minimum liability limits are relatively
low, usually less than $50,000 per accident. Also, the minimum
liability coverage car renters provides in many states is
secondary to your personal coverage. EP provides a substantially
higher level than the state minimum limits, up to $500,000,
of primary liability benefits.
**Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Protection (UMP):
Protection against uninsured/underinsured motorist. Includes
uninsured/underinsured motorist protection benefits,
which are provided to you and/or your family member who suffers
bodily injury or death by a negligent driver, a negligent
underinsured driver, or a negligent hit and run driver
In the United States, where many drivers do not carry liability
coverage for injuries or damage they may cause, UMP can be
very beneficial and can Provides up to US $100,000 of UMP.
All those protection can be already included in your auto
insurance policy, call your provider before signing.
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Where to buy your car?
A used vehicle is a major purchase and requires comparison
shopping for prices and values to find the best deal. There
are many sources available for today's purchaser:
New car dealers generally keep only the best cars
and usually give them through inspection. In addition, consider
buying from a dealer who handles the particular brand of vehicle
that you are interested in. Look for a full service department
and a well stocked supply of parts. They may offer a"
parts and labor guarantee". Be sure to visit several
automobile dealerships.
Rental returns (also referred to as program cars)
are often an excellent value. These vehicles are typically
less than two years old, well equipped and maintained, with
good guarantees. Some "unexpected places" to look would be
domestic dealers for used imports or luxury dealers for mid-priced
"Sedan". Find a friendly salesperson that you are
comfortable with and ask questions to determine the person's
knowledge about cars.
Private individuals are another source to be considered
when purchasing a used vehicle. However, a private party may
not necessarily offer a better deal. Buyers may end up overpaying
for a car because they somehow assume they are getting a better
deal from a private party.
One benefit is that the potential buyer can meet the seller
face to face and inquire about any mechanical problems, who
was the principal driver, why the vehicle is being sold and
request maintenance records.
When purchasing a vehicle from a private individual, there
are no guarantees of any kind. It is strictly "buyer beware".
In addition, the buyers will have to provide their own financing
for the vehicle or pay cash.
You will find ads in:
Local newspapers or Specialized magazine as Auto-trader.
Internet :
And if you are looking for a cheap car you can watch for
"for sale" signs posted in car windows.
Used cars inspection
Be careful : Used car should be inspected very carefully.
Click here for the used car buyer checking
list, bring it with you when visiting
the car.
Registration
You will need to register the car you bought to the
Department of Motor Vehicles in your state.
To register the car you will need :
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The " title" which has
been signed over by you for ownership 
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A "bill of sale" from
the seller
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A valid driver license
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A proof of insurance coverage
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Most of the time you'll have to pass an " emission
test " or " smog test".
To get your tag it'll take you about 10 minutes to 4 hours
depends on the line !
The cost involved with registering a car
vary from state to state and may range between 50$ and
150$.
When you register for the first time you have to buy the
tag physically, which cost around 100$.You choose to customize
your tag with oyur name a the name of a sport's team
The whole cost without customizing will be around 230$
if you decide to customize it'll be more around 300$.
Miscellaneous
If you get a subscription to the American
Automobile Association " AAA "
for an annual due of about 56$, you'll get lots of advantages
such as : free emergency breakdown 24h /24h, free touristic
information with detailed maps, international driving
license issues, hotels discount, good prices on car rental…
Sell
Think about the time you bought your car...
It's the same "Routine" but on the other
way...You can place ads in:
Local newspapers or Specialized magazine as Auto-trader.
Internet :
Otherwise you can always post a "for sale"
sign in your car windows.
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Leasing a car in the United-States is a very commonplace
thing...We'd say that about 55% of the American Population
leases their car.Why do people lease?And what is the purpose
of leasing?How much does it cost?...We 'll try to answer
to these questions as clearly as possible.
Why do people lease Cars? And what's the purpose
of it?
Usually people who lease cars are people who like to
change their cars every 2 years, and with the leasing,
you can afford yourself a very expensive car in the market
for a low monthly cost. For instance you'll be able to
lease a brand new BMW or a Mercedes for the cost of about
350$/month, instead of buying it 40,000$, which you might
not be able to offer.
How much does it cost? And how it works?
To lease a car you need to have credit , or if not build
credit with Loans or credit Cards...
Go to any car dealer you like, pick up a car you like
and ask to lease it, the car dealer will check on your
credit, then will ask you to fill out a form , which is
more a "leasing contract" be careful
with the "leasing Contract" about those points:
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Car leasing is usually for a 2 years minimum period
to 3 1/2 years
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You have a certain mileage you can't exceed per
year, usually around 12000Miles
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Each Mile above the yearly Mileage costs you about
10 to 15cents!!!
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You can't change or add anything on the car
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There are different kinds of leasing contract:
-The ones including technical repairs
-The ones including full cover insurance
-The ones including half cover insurance
-The ones which doesn't include insurance and you
have to use yours
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So again be very careful with the contract stipulations
don't hesitate to negotiate:
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You'll have in most of the case "Coupons"
for oil changes.
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The Towing is paid by your car dealer , it's usually
in the contract, watch out!
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The yearly mileage, ask for more than 12 000Miles
per year if you think you're going to need it
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If you want after the 2 years leasing contract to
buy the car , contact 2 or 3 months before the end
of the contract the dealer to make him an offer...Usually
they will make their own offer , but most of the
time the price isn't worth it...
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Check for the "Lowjack"
Insurance, in case the car get stolen, you'll get
about 5000$ back , depending on the car and the
year.
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If you don't use the regular 12000Miles a year ,you'll
get a refund or save them for the next year.
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The Pros and Cons of leasing:
Every 2 or 3 years you have the chance to get a new car,
you have a very reliable car and you can pick up almost
anyone you'd like (if you have good credit).
With lease you get low monthly payments,much lower than
if you have asked for a credit to buy a new car...But
in the leasing you don't gain anything. You spend money
every months and at the end of the leasing you just give
the car back, it can be compared to a "car rental".At
least if you buy a car you own it and you can still sell
it if you want.Sometimes if you haggle enough , you can
purchase the car you leased for a good price. But watch
out car dealers are very smart!
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General information
To get a car insurance you can call insurance companies,
go and see them or insure your car through Internet. When
you'll insure your car you'll decide the amount of the coveragein
case of accident and crash, and depending on other factors
prices may vary from one to another company. But always try
to get a full risk coverage !
The only national auto insurance for foreign nationals
is available through American Insurance Underwriters (AIU).
The company handling their insurance plan , Sunrise Financial
Concepts, can be reached at 1-800-478-7648, let
them know you age, as insurance for individuals under 25 is
more costly ! ! ! !
What company should you choose ?
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General information
If you have a camera with you, it's time to take
picture that could worth big $
Don't move your car and wait for a police patrol to come.You'll
have to fill out the papers of the accident statement with
the police officer.He will listen to your version of the facts
and then to the one of the other person involved in the accident.The
police officer will judge who's to blame for the accident
and will give him a ticket . The person with the ticket will
have to go to "court" to explain the
case
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General information
Always ask for a quote before doing anything.
It is required by law in most states !
Big garages are not always more expensive than small ones.
Small garages are less reliable in case of problems with your
car after repairs.
Some garages are affiliated with consumer union like AAA.
Keep in mind the value of your car before repairing it !
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