Tools
Driving in United States
The rules of the road as our desk recorded them, native unit first.
Right
30 / 55 / 70 mph · 48 / 89 / 113 km/h
urban / rural / motorway
Recommended · Geneva 1949
Most states accept EU licences for visits, but rental desks and police interactions go smoother with an IDP - and a few states technically require one alongside non-English licences.
0.08% in every state except Utah (0.05%); DUI enforcement is aggressive and consequences severe
Regionally electronic: the Northeast, Florida and big-city expressways bill by transponder or plate. Accept the rental company’s toll device in toll-heavy states or expect per-toll admin fees on your card weeks later.
Required at night and, in many states, whenever wipers are on; daytime running lights are common but not universal.
State-by-state but universally strict: rear-facing seats for infants (to age 2 in many states), boosters typically to age 8 or ~145 cm. Rental agencies stock seats - reserve ahead.
Limits vary by state - interstates post 65–80 mph (85 on one Texas toll road), towns drop to 25. Right turn on red is legal after a full stop unless signed (never in NYC). Stop in BOTH directions for a school bus with flashing red lights. At four-way stops, first to arrive goes first.