<p>I am planning on buying a car, since I'm an international student I will wait and buy it once there.
How does it work?</p>
<p>Let's say I go to this place and negotiate and all that and finally we have a deal.......What's next? Do I need a US drivers license before purchasing? or can I get it later? I already got an insurance "quote" When and how does it work if I want to insure (ance? ) that car, what if I dont? How do I put the car under my name? What about plates? annnddd If I buy it in a different state then how does it work? thanks :)</p>
<p>I think that unless you pay for the car all upfront, you’re going to find it very difficult to get anyone to sell you a car with financing.</p>
<p>If I were you, I’d make sure that I had my US Driver’s License first. Each state has their own policy about what is an acceptable foreign drivers license. On top of that, I’m a little doubtful that you’ll be able to get car insurance under an international drivers license.</p>
<p>As far as plates go, you have to go and register your car at the local DMV. It doesn’t matter where you buy your car, you just have to register your car in the state that you’re residing in. (Well the state you claim residence in, anyways.)</p>
<p>As was said, you probably won’t be able to get financing being an international student. You have no credit score and being international, credit score doesn’t matter (so you could theoretically default on the loan and not have any consequences).</p>
<p>No you don’t need a license unless you plan on driving the car off the lot. It varies by states whether or not they’ll accept a foreign driver’s license. You register the car at the DMV, show proof of insurance while there, and that’s it.</p>
<p>1.) See if it’s feasible to function without a car.
2.) Consider car-sharing programs like CityCarShare or ZipCar if available.
3.) Consider just renting a car.</p>
<p>The thing is, even if you know how to drive, the United States is weird in the sense that all the road signs and markings are completely different from the rest of the world.</p>
<p>Not necessarily - I think that at least some of the rental car companies will rent to those 21 and over, though there may be an additional charge.</p>
<p>Zipcar rents to everyone 21 and over, with no age-related charge. In some locations, Zipcar will even rent to those 18 and over.</p>