Riding in the USA on Restricted Licence?

[simpy1]

Hey guys - does anyone know if you can ride in the USA on a NZ restricted licence? (within licence conditions, of course)

I'm heading over to Montana in August to help with a wheat harvest - I get to drive a combine harvester which is pretty exciting! But there may be the chance for me to go for a ride or two while I'm there. Assuming I can find a 250cc bike (I may have to be on a farm bike!)

I guess I shouldn't ride anything bigger than 250cc as travel insurance won't cover me, and the cops over there tend to be a little scary. Plus they have guns...

[Grubber]

Ummm....have you driven a combine before??? I hope so, as they are a fairly complicated piece of equipment.
Sorry i can't help you on the licence thing.

[simpy1]

I haven't driven one before. But I figure if my girlfriend and her little sister can drive them, then so can I!

[Bren]

How long are you going? If at all possible you may be able to pick up a licence from the DMV over there....when I was over there a while ago I did not have a full NZ car licence....so went to the DMV and ended up with a texas licence 2 weeks later!

[simpy1]

I thought about that! Ill be in the USA for just over 2 weeks, but only 10 days in Montana. I looked into it and I think I would need a residential address there to get a licence. But yeah that is one option!

[Grubber]

I haven't driven one before. But I figure if my girlfriend and her little sister can drive them, then so can I!

OMG! Glad ya don't work for me. Best of luck with that,

I'm picking your girlfriend may come from a harvesting family which explains why they can drive one.

[simpy1]

I appreciate your concern about my harvesting skills. I'll be fine. But I'm still looking for an answer about riding in the USA!

[PaddyFZ1]

Sorry i cant say that i can help you with the restricted liscence thing.
But if you are only going to be in the states for a couple of weeks just bring your NZ liscence and you will be fine.
Im currently in South Georgia, and ive been here 4 weeks with a couple to go. Most cops will even let you off a speeding ticket, I got off doing 68mph in a 45mph zone. Cop couldnt be arsed doing all the extra paper work to process the NZ liscence.
As far as i know they dont have any size restriction when you get your liscence over here, but good luck trying to find a 250, unless its a motorcross bike.

[DarkLord]

Hope the coppers are decent in Montana - nice to hear Paddy's story about them. Hopefully Montana cops aren't anything like LA cops.... they freaked me out while I was there. I was walking down Century Boulevard right in the heart of LA and about 6 cop bikes and 2 cop cars showed up outside a burger joint where one lady came out with her hands up.

All that for one lady... crikey!!

[Blinkwing]

Hope the coppers are decent in Montana - nice to hear Paddy's story about them. Hopefully Montana cops aren't anything like LA cops.... they freaked me out while I was there. I was walking down Century Boulevard right in the heart of LA and about 6 cop bikes and 2 cop cars showed up outside a burger joint where one lady came out with her hands up.

All that for one lady... crikey!!

They obviously love brandishing their guns and would rather do that than anything else, i.e. paperwork.

[DarkLord]

They obviously love brandishing their guns and would rather do that than anything else, i.e. paperwork.

I wanted to take a photo but I didn't really want to get shot in the face :P

[SMOKEU]

I wouldn't want to piss the American cops off after watching 'Cops' on C4.

[sefer]

You legally need a international license to drive in the states, and you can't get a motorcycle one with a restricted license, so legally no.

In saying that you'd probably get away with showing your NZ license only (rental place never asked for my international license, even though my NZ one has "learners" plastered all over it due to have a L restriction on one of my classess, police might though). Still, a risk if you try that.

[simpy1]

Well after discussing with the gf, it seems there's one cop in the whole area (nearest town has 80 people) so the chances of me getting pulled over are basically zero. Only issue is that I wouldn't be covered by my travel insurance!

[Smifffy]

I've rented cars and driven numerous times in the US, only ever with my NZ license. Not been stopped by the law tho. Interestingly enough I did stop a cop. It was CLEARLY obvious that we were in the WRONG part of town. He called up his despatcher to get us directions to our hotel, and all but told us not to bother stopping at red lights lol (j/k).


You legally need a international license to drive in the states, and you can't get a motorcycle one with a restricted license, so legally no.

In saying that you'd probably get away with showing your NZ license only (rental place never asked for my international license, even though my NZ one has "learners" plastered all over it due to have a L restriction on one of my classess, police might though). Still, a risk if you try that.