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How do I get car insurance with an international driver's license?

I recently came to the United States from Belarus for a year to study abroad. I am hoping to keep my old driver's license as I don't want the hassle of getting a new license. How do I get car insurance with my international driver's license?

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Nick Kunze · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
The ease with which you can get car insurance with a foreign driver’s license will vary from state to state. But plenty of international students (including Belarusians!) drive while they’re attending school in the United States.
To get U.S. car insurance as a non-citizen: You need to prove that you can legally drive in the U.S. To do this, you must have a foreign driver’s license and an international driving permit (IDP).
Keep in mind: You will likely pay more than a U.S. citizen to carry a car insurance policy. This is because you won’t have a credit score or a trackable
driving record
. Because of this lack of information, insurance companies can’t properly identify your risk level and will most likely place the risk on the higher side to offset potential costs.
You might have other options: Consider how often you’re driving. In some cases, renting a car is the smarter idea, both in terms of finances and insurance. When you rent the car, just opt for the car rental company’s insurance.
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