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In Texas, only some international driver licenses are considered valid. In order to ensure that you adhere to Texas state laws, you’ll need to understand what those laws are and how your license fits into them. This article will explain how international driver licenses function in Texas and what you can do to obtain an official Texas driver license.

How Long Can You Drive in Texas with a Foreign Driver License?

If you’re a legal resident of a foreign country, then you can drive with a qualifying foreign driver license in Texas for up to one year after moving to the state. This law applies to all valid foreign driver licenses in the state. 

If Texas’s Department of Public Safety (DPS) is incapable of verifying your international driver license with the country that issued it, the state will not consider your license valid. This is a common problem faced by drivers from countries with loosely organized central governments or countries that are embroiled in civil conflicts.

If your international driver license has been issued in a language other than English, you should consider applying for an International Driver’s Permit (IDP) as soon as you decide to move to Texas.

Furthermore, after you have lived in the state for one full year, you are considered to be a resident of Texas. At that time, you will have only 90 additional days to use your international driver license. After that time, you will need to have a valid Texas driver license in order to continue driving on public roadways in Texas.

What Is an International Driver Permit (IDP)?

An International Driver Permit, or IDP, is a driver’s permit that allows international drivers and residents of other countries to drive on public roadways in Texas. Unfortunately, an IDP in Texas only lasts for a maximum of 90 days, which is one fourth as long as similar permits last in most other states. After that 90-day period has expired, you will need a Texas driver license to continue driving.

Applying for a Texas ID

To apply for a Texas ID, you need to have been a resident of the state for at least 30 days. A good way to know if you are a legal resident of the state is to ask yourself one of the following two questions:

• Do I rent or own a home in the state of Texas?
• Have I lived in Texas for at least 12 months?

If either answer is “yes,” then you are a resident of Texas.

Reciprocity Agreements

A reciprocity agreement is an agreement between other countries and Texas to recognize driver licenses issued by each government. If your foreign driver license was issued by a country with which Texas has a reciprocity agreement, then you can simply exchange it for a Texas driver license at your local DPS office without having to go through the application process. 

Countries with Reciprocity Agreements with Texas

The following countries have reciprocity agreements with Texas:

• Albania
• Belgium
• Bulgaria
• Canada
• Croatia
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Italy
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Montenegro
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Turkey
• United Kingdom.

Reciprocity Laws

Although Texas currently has reciprocity agreements with 28 other countries, there are restrictions on which licenses from those countries can be exchanged and who can exchange them. Those restrictions are as follows:

Only People Aged 18 to 75 Can Benefit from Reciprocity Laws and Only for One Year

In order to legally exchange your foriegn driver license for a Texas driver license, you must be between the ages of 18 and 75 years old. Drivers above or below that age range must go through the standard application process to obtain a Texas driver license.

Reciprocal Privileges Are Limited to Private Vehicles

Commercial driver licenses are not eligible for exchange under Texas’s reciprocity laws. Only licenses classed for drivers to operate personal vehicles can be exchanged for Texas driver licenses.

You Must Have Registered Your Vehicle in Your Home Country and Display Proof of Registration on the Rear of Your Vehicle

If your vehicle has been properly registered with your home government before moving to Texas and you have proper proof displayed on your vehicle’s rear end, then you will be able to have your registration exchanged under Texas’s reciprocity law as well.

However, if your registration cannot be verified with the government of your home country or if you fail to display proof of registration on the back of your vehicle, then your registration will not be eligible for exchange under Texas’s reciprocity law.

You Must Display a Placard Indicating Your Home Country on the Back of Your Vehicle

In addition to proper registration paperwork, you must display on the back of your vehicle a placard that states which country is your home country. If you fail to do this, the government of Texas can refuse to authorize a driver license exchange under its reciprocity law.

You Must Have a Valid Driver Permit or License Issued by a Recognized International Agency in English

Last but not least, your foreign driver license must satisfy all three of the following requirements:

• It is currently valid (that means it is not expired, suspended, or revoked).
• It was issued by a recognized international agency (and one that the state of Texas’s officials can easily verify).
• It was issued in English.

In order to benefit from Texas’s driver license reciprocity laws, all three of the above requirements must be met. If a single one of these requirements is not met, you will not be able to exchange your foreign driver license for a Texas driver license under the state’s reciprocity law.