Do you need a passport to get a driver's license?

You do not need a passport. You might need your birth certificate, but with a valid stateside license, you may not even need that. I'm sure someone will post who has been through it recently.

State Driver's License, birth certificate or some other form of ID with full name also you need your social security card and 45 dollars....you may be able to get away with State Driver's License and Social security card.

I have a USVI license and well as my Florida and my Puerto rico license all that i had to show was by birth certificate which proofs you are an american citizen if not a us citizen then you must take your passport and residency card.

On a somewhat related note... once you have your USVI license, if you come back to the mainland and try to use it, do you encounter problems with geographically/politically challenged people who try to tell you that it's a foreign license?

No.

No problem with your driver's license, but if you read the fine print on an auto insurance policy issued in the USVI it probably will only cover you driving in the USVI. In order to get my policy issued by Lloyds to cover me when I go stateside I had to ask for and pay for a special endorsement. The cost of the endorsement is much less than purchasing the collision and liability insurance from the rental car company. Also you are covered if someone lends you a car.

Jim

In relation to this.... I arrived Wednesday. I have a stateside driver's license. I haven't started driving yet since I do not have a vehicle yet. But I sould here soon... hopefully.

Do you have to go get a USVI license immediately once you start driving or is there a time period you are allowed before switching over?

You are supposed to get your licensed changed within 90 days of moving.

I know some people who have lived there for years with only a stateside license.

If I am not mistaken, and I may be, a stateside license is valid here for 90 days.

In regards to using your Stateside license for 90 days is all relative if you get a ticket in the USVI with a stateside license it will show in your record that you must change your stateside license in 90 days to USVI if you get another ticket and it has been more than 90 days from your first one you could be liable to pay a big fine and they could deny up to six months a USVI license. So is all relative because if you can show with airplane tickets that you come and go all the time then you would not have no problem. But here like in Puerto rico they do not have good records is a mess in the DMV. USVI.

I went to the motor vehicle department here in STX a couple of weeks ago to try to get a driver's license. I told them I go back and forth between here and my home in the U.S. (just got back yesterday) and want to keep my stateside driver's license. They said no way and that it is illegal yet I could get ticketed if pulled over with my stateside license. I'm clearly not going to license and re-license multiple times per year between here and Washington state so I'm kind of stuck.

Based on what I read here I think I'll keep my Washington license along with my most recent boarding pass in the car...

By the way, if you are maintaining a U.S. address you can get insurance there that will cover you here. I have a policy from Liberty Mutual that covers my vehicles in the U.S. and the one I shipped here so far and it was accepted by the motor vehicle department (you just need to have an insurance card from your carrier with your local address and VIN for your vehicle.)

I have a USVI license and well as my Florida and my Puerto rico license all that i had to show was by birth certificate which proofs you are an american citizen if not a us citizen then you must take your passport and residency card.

I believe the above is illegal. You are to have only one drivers license which is recognized as good enough in other states and territories for non-residents. In Florida you can obtain a license that is marked "Valid in Florida Only." if you are a part time resident.

If your not in the USVI's for more than the 90 days at a stretch, then you could run on your stateside drivers license. But you better not be a registered voter or file your income taxes as a USVI resident, etc. and you might be required to prove you have left before the 90 days roll by.

I got my license this morning, and it went really quickly (after I finally found the DMV). I had to fill out the form and take it to the cashier (they do accept credit cards), with my old license, SS card, and passport (substitute for birth certificate). Then I went to the license window and got my picture taken, and surrendered the old license. I was in and out in less than 40 minutes.

One thing I wanted to get on the record was that the woman behind me was turned away from the picture window because she was wearing a tank top. "We don't take pictures in sleeveless shirts." I couldn't see her, but it didn't look like she was wearing a really skimpy top or anything. Anyway, I guess getting your driver's license on St. Croix is a little like visiting the Vatican. Modesty counts.