How to renew my drivers license from abroad?
It sounds like you may need to let it expire. A quick google search says this re: Ohio: Renewal after license has expired more than six months: Applicant must apply for a temporary instruction permit and then take all the necessary examinations before they can receive a permit, license or endorsement. (http://www.daytondailynews.com/homes/content/community/special/driver.html) So I guess the kicker is to plan to visit well within 6 months of November, and get a renewed license then, without having to retake the test etc.
The other posters have it right… If you’re living in Oman, you should get a license from there now that yours has expired… (As mentioned, technically if you knew you’d be moving permanantly, you should do this as soon as you move)… Once you go back to the US, you can then trade it for a US license again… In most places, you can do this without having to retake any tests, but it may cost some money…
I also had to let my California driver license expire while I was living overseas. What sucks is that the insurance companies regard any lapse in US driver license as the same a suspension, so rates will go up. I don’t know about other states, but California DMV will gladly let you renew your license well before it is about to expire. That won’t help you now, but could help in the future. And yes, an international license is useless without a valid local license.
Can drive on my American license in Oman, but the trouble is, my residency papers may not be ready before the license expires and I suspect that I can’t apply for an Omani license before I’m officially a resident. Not planning on living in Ohio again, so no worries about my feelings of attachment to my home state! Thanks for the link though, bluefrog.
You can only renew by post if you’re serving abroad in the military. If you get an Omani licence and an international drivers’ permit (in Oman, translated to English) then you may be allowed to drive on it for visits or short stays in Ohio, or surrender it for an Ohio license with relative ease. It all depends on whether the Ohio BMV has a reciprocity agreement with Oman: some states do, some don’t. Get in touch with them to check.
