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Do I need a drivers license, to travel by automobile on the public roads of the US, if I am a US citizen with a passport card?

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    Why would you think that a passport card has any relevance to traveling on a public road in the US?
    – phoog
    Commented Apr 10, 2022 at 20:21
  • what do you think a driver's license is for?
    – njzk2
    Commented Mar 26, 2023 at 11:48

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Tl;dr

The driver of a motor vehicle on public roads in the United States must possess a valid drivers licenses. This is governed by each state's law, and is a consistent rule.

More detail:

No person in the US needs a driver's license to travel by automobile on public roads in the United States.

If, however, you mean to ask if one needs a drivers license to drive a motor vehicle on public roads in the United States, then the answer is "A US passport card is insufficient. One needs a driver's license."

A US passport card is not a drivers license, In the US, drivers licenses are issued by the states, not by the federal government.

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    It's true that driver licenses are issued by states, but for people present in the state for a limited time (around 30 days) foreign driver licenses will be honored. Depending on the state and the language the foreign license is in, both an international driver license and the foreign driver license may be needed to drive.
    – Gerard Ashton
    Commented Apr 10, 2022 at 14:21
  • @GerardAshton True, states and countries typically have those laws in place. That's why I said "One needs a driver's license," without further specificity.
    – DavidRecallsMonica
    Commented Apr 10, 2022 at 14:39
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    It's probably also worth noting that just as you don't need a driver's license to be a passenger in an automobile, you don't need a passport or passport card either.
    – Michael Seifert
    Commented Apr 10, 2022 at 19:36
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    @GerardAshton limits on the order of 30 days apply to people newly establishing residence in a state. Temporary visitors can drive on their foreign or out-of-state driver's license for longer periods. The 1949(?) road traffic convention, which the US has ratified, requires drivers with licenses issued by other participating countries to be allowed to drive with their foreign licences for at least one year.
    – phoog
    Commented Apr 10, 2022 at 20:19

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