Most of the calls we get about car insurance for international drivers in California come from adults. Every so often, though, a parent calls because the family is moving here or visiting for a long stay, and their 16 or 17 year old already has a license from home. Another situation we have handled in our agency is a 16 or 17 year old student who holds a license from their home country and contacts us directly, without a parent here. In both cases the car insurance works much like it does for an adult. The driving rules do not, and the difference comes down to one document the DMV issues: the nonresident minor’s certificate. This post explains how a teen on a foreign license gets car insurance here, whether they are here with family or on their own, what the certificate is, and what the DMV needs before it will issue one. For the general rules on insuring a driver with a foreign license, see our page on auto insurance with a foreign or international license in California.
Can a 16 or 17 year old drive here on an international driver’s license?
Yes, but only for a short window. California Vehicle Code section 12504 gives a nonresident who is 16 or 17 just 10 days of driving after entering the state on a valid license from home. An adult visitor can keep driving on a valid home-country license for as long as it is valid. A minor cannot. An International Driving Permit does not change this: the permit is a translation, not a license, and it should be carried with the original.
After those 10 days, the teen may keep driving only if they carry two things at all times:
- A valid driver license from their home country or state (the home country or state must be one that requires a license to drive).
- A nonresident minor’s certificate issued by the California DMV.
The certificate is only issued if the DMV has proof of financial responsibility on file for the minor. In plain terms, the teen must have car insurance, and the DMV wants to see the proof before it issues the certificate. That is why, for a teen, the auto insurance comes first and everything else follows.
The nonresident minor’s certificate is not an SR-22
We explain this because of a call we once got from a worried parent who had read “certificate” and “proof of financial responsibility” and assumed the teen was being asked for an SR-22. The two have nothing to do with each other. An SR-22 is a certificate the insurance carrier files with the DMV after a suspension, a DUI, or an uninsured accident. The nonresident minor’s certificate is a document the DMV issues to a teen with a clean record, simply because California treats drivers under 18 differently and wants to know a nonresident minor is insured before letting them drive here beyond the first 10 days.
It is also not a California driver license. The teen keeps driving on the home-country license and carries the certificate with it.
What the DMV needs before issuing the certificate
Vehicle Code 12504 lists two conditions, and both have to stay true for as long as the teen drives in California:
- The home license stays valid.
- Proof of financial responsibility stays on file with the DMV.
If either one stops being true, the DMV cancels the certificate and the minor has to surrender it. Vehicle Code 16484 ties into this directly: when proof of financial responsibility on file no longer serves its purpose, the DMV requires new proof. For a nonresident minor, that means a canceled policy can take the certificate with it.
Proof of financial responsibility usually means liability insurance that meets the state minimums: $30,000 for injury to one person, $60,000 for injury per accident, and $15,000 for property damage. Ask the DMV how they want the proof delivered for a nonresident minor and what form to use for the certificate application; the DMV decides the format, not the insurance company.
| Driver | How long a foreign license works in California | What is needed after that |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor 18 or older | As long as the home license is valid | Nothing, unless they become a California resident |
| Visitor 16 or 17 | 10 days after entering the state | Home license plus a nonresident minor’s certificate from the DMV |
| New California resident, any age | 10 days after becoming a resident | Apply for a California driver license |
Getting a car insurance quote for a teen with an international license
This is the part we handle. The teen cannot get the certificate until they have car insurance, so the quote and the binding come first.
Here is what we usually see on these calls:
- The family is bringing a car or buying one here, and the parents are getting their own policy on a foreign license. The simplest path is to add the teen to that car insurance as a named driver. One policy, one proof document, and the DMV gets what it needs.
- The family is staying with relatives and the teen will drive a relative’s car. The relative’s policy can sometimes add the teen as a driver. That is a conversation with the relative’s insurer, and our post on adding an international driver to car insurance covers how that works.
- The teen is here on their own, for example as an exchange student or a student living with a host family, and will drive a car they bought or a host family’s car. That is a policy in the teen’s name, or a named-driver spot on the host family’s policy, and the insurance company will look at the home-country license and driving history. A parent back home does not need to be on the policy.
- The teen will be the main driver of their own car while the family is here. That is a policy in the teen’s name with a parent involved.
A few things make the car insurance quote easier:
- Have the home license handy, plus any record of how long you have been licensed. Most of the insurance companies we work with credit home-country driving history, and proof might be asked for, so have it on hand.
- Expect the premium to reflect a young driver. Auto insurance rates here, under Proposition 103, are driven mainly by driving record, annual miles, and years of experience behind the wheel. A 16 year old has very few years of experience, so the rate reflects that no matter where the license came from. Credit scores are not used in California car insurance rates.
- A higher deductible and paying in full can bring the price down.
If the family moves here for good
Visiting and moving are different situations, and the 10-day rule changes meaning. A new California resident must apply for a California driver license within 10 days of establishing residency. Voting, paying resident tuition, claiming a homeowner’s exemption, or taking any benefit reserved for residents counts as establishing residency. At that point the nonresident minor’s certificate no longer fits, because the teen is no longer a nonresident. The teen goes through the state’s licensing process for drivers under 18, and the car insurance gets updated with the new license number once it is issued. A California license in most cases will reduce the rate. Our post on how long you can drive in California with a foreign license covers the residency rules in more detail.
What slows this down, and how to avoid it
Sometimes we see a family, or a student on their own, lose the 10-day window because they waited to ask for an insurance quote until after the teen was already driving. The 10 days start when the minor enters California, not when everyone gets settled. If the trip or the move is planned, call before you land, or on day one.
A second delay is paperwork. The DMV wants the proof of financial responsibility before it issues the certificate, so the car insurance has to be bound and the proof has to be delivered in whatever form the DMV asks for. We can usually bind coverage the same day, and we can tell you what document the insurance company will give you. The DMV decides what it accepts, so confirm with them.
A third delay is a lapse. If the car insurance cancels for non-payment, the DMV cancels the certificate. For a teen, that means no legal driving until new proof is on file and the certificate is reissued. Automatic payments help here.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get car insurance in California with an international driver’s license?
Yes. We insure drivers with a valid foreign license, an AB 60 license, or an ITIN, and the insurance companies we work with do not require a Social Security number. That applies to a 16 or 17 year old on a foreign license too, either on their own policy or as a named driver on a parent’s or host family’s policy.
Do I need a California driver’s license to insure a car?
No. A valid foreign license works for car insurance. For a nonresident teen, that coverage is what makes the nonresident minor’s certificate possible.
Can I drive a car in California with a foreign license?
If you are 18 or older and your home license is valid, yes, for as long as it stays valid and you remain a nonresident. If you are 16 or 17, you get 10 days, and after that you need a nonresident minor’s certificate from the DMV along with your home license.
Is the nonresident minor’s certificate the same as an SR-22?
No. An SR-22 is filed by the insurance carrier after a suspension or similar problem. The nonresident minor’s certificate is issued by the DMV to a nonresident teen with a clean situation who simply needs to drive in California beyond 10 days.
Do you need proof of residency to get car insurance?
Not with the insurance companies we work with. International visitors and new arrivals can get car insurance on a foreign license. Residency matters for the DMV, because a new resident has 10 days to apply for a California license.
Talk to us before the 10 days run out
IIS Insurance Services has insured drivers on foreign licenses since 2009, and we help clients in seven languages: English, Spanish, Korean, Russian, Ukrainian, Armenian, and Georgian. We shop several insurance companies, same-day coverage is usual, and we can tell you exactly what proof document the insurance company will provide for the DMV. Whether the teen is here with family or on their own as a student, call (877) 210-9514 and ask about insuring a teen driver with a foreign license.
Reviewed by George Karapetyan, IIS Insurance Services. CA license #0E94849, agency license #0G56765. Last reviewed October 2026.