I’m just wondering if my USA drivers license is valid for scooter driving in Taiwan, specifically Taoyuan. If not, which i expect, would an international drivers license be the solution?
As far as I’m aware, everyone needs to take a test here don’t they?
It is not valid and never will be valid. You cannot change it to a Taiwan licence at all under any circumstance. (Maybe & probably, things can change or you could bribe someone 
I changed my Ohio license (car) for a Taiwan license (car), but had to test for the scooter license for 90cc and up. I was able to ride a 50cc on the car license, though. But that was 13 years ago. Things may have changed.
I changed my Ohio license (car) for a Taiwan license (car), but had to test for the scooter license for 90cc and up. I was able to ride a 50cc on the car license, though. But that was 13 years ago. Things may have changed.[/quote]
I changed my Iowa license for a Taiwan license, but then that was in 1991, well before Chen Shui-bian came along and changed the rules.
Taiwanese license is a joke. If you get pulled over, just don’t speak chinese to them.
that’ll work ok most of the time. it’s the ‘not most’ of the time you should worry about.
I too converted my licenses over but that was pre (d)a-bian (Chen Shui Bian).
Had I not been legal (in 1996), the time the Taiwanese truck driver (driving the wrong way) ran over my then-fiancee, and crushed 5 vertabrae and broke her R hip would have been real bad for me (I was driving my MC, she was passenger on MY scooter). There would have been no talking your way out of that… BTW, the cops did what they would do where my mom lives in Vermont … they looked at the scene of the accident, saw blood, scooter bits, oil & gas with one laowai surrounded by 30 locals, and didn’t even inquire as to who shed the blood. My wife is 15th generation Han Chinese… so as the cop didn’t know, the truck driver was let off with a verbal.
Those are the scenarios which should make you get legal. It’ll be the time you’ve had 3 too many that you need to worry about.
I read in an old Lonely Planet that it’s acceptable to use your US driver’s license in Taiwan if you have an ARC. I’ve been stopped by police twice so far, and of them could speak English fairly well. In both cases, I showed my US (Oregon) license and ARC and they let me go without any further questions.
However, you definitely need a different license to drive any scooter bigger than 50cc.
[quote=“barfomcgee”]I read in an old Lonely Planet that it’s acceptable to use your US driver’s license in Taiwan if you have an ARC. I’ve been stopped by police twice so far, and of them could speak English fairly well. In both cases, I showed my US (Oregon) license and ARC and they let me go without any further questions.
However, you definitely need a different license to drive any scooter bigger than 50cc.[/quote]
The reason is that with that US license and an ARC you can get a Taiwan car license which automatically allows you to ride scooters of 50cc. Because the 50 cc scooter license in ROC only needs a written test,which all car license holders already passed.
Thats what I had. Calif license enabled me to get a Taiwan license, which allowed 50cc scooter riding.
But I hear that the Taiwan bike license is a pretty simple affair. There are topics on just that here. May as well get one?
No, never did a test … have a car license and a heavy bike one … just swapped my Belgian license for a Taiwanese … although with the proper translations and notarization …
[quote=“Belgian Pie”]
No, never did a test … have a car license and a heavy bike one … just swapped my Belgian license for a Taiwanese … although with the proper translations and notarization …[/quote]
I guess then that Belgium has multiple levels of MC licenses … and I’d guess that Belgium allows Taiwanese to convert their license to a Belgium one?
[color=#FF0000]I would love to know from all of you who have converted WHICH TMV (Taiwan MotorVehicle office you went to? I am going to go again … as I went to the one in Fong Yuan.[/color]
[i]Don’t get me wrong, they helped me a lot at the Fong Yuan one - as my Taiwan licenses (car & MC) were originally issued to me in 1994 in A DIFFERENT NAME. (Some idiot public elementary school teacher gave me a psychotic name … which I ended up editing about 6 months after being here). So, the middle aged guy helped me out by ‘editing’ my name & putting in the right one.
With that said, he won’t move off of the - “how do I know you’ve actually got experience driving big MCs?” rant. He smiles when I show him the mileage report of the Customs document showing > 8000 miles, and that I’ve been the sole owner since 2001.[/i]
It used to be until 1992 or so that a drivers license was valid for all the categories below the actual category you were in … I have a D … meaning Bus, Coach license, so I can drive C, B, A (Trucks, car, truck, van, motor cycle unlimited power or volume)
After 1992 they changed in a uniform EU license … well, kind of …
But, yes Taiwanese can just convert their license in Belgium …
And my license has an indefinite validity … unless they really screw up the law next year and limit it to 10 years … starting from 2012 … I got my license in 1979
If you convert your Driver’s License to a Taiwanese one, then does that mean if you ever go back to your home country, then you have to take the tests and stuff to get your license again? Plus I have a 90cc scooter…Oh well…maybe I will just take the tests anyway and keep my license…
I’m from Ohio too and actually used my Ohio Driver’s license on Green Island when I got pulled over for not wearing my helmet. As far as I know, they didn’t do anything but I don’t know if it was because it was valid or because they couldn’t speak English to me…I think it’s the latter though.
I’m curious too as to how this works…
TTYL
Bre
[quote=“rawsushi”][color=#FF0000]I would love to know from all of you who have converted WHICH TMV (Taiwan MotorVehicle office you went to? I am going to go again … as I went to the one in Fong Yuan.[/color]
[/quote]
Taibei’s on Bade Rd.
[quote=“Breezy”]If you convert your Driver’s License to a Taiwanese one, then does that mean if you ever go back to your home country, then you have to take the tests and stuff to get your license again?
[/quote]
breezy … no… it’s not like MOVING in the USA … when you arrive in your new state, go to DMV, wait in the MASSIVE line for the non-existent service of the pissed off person … and they may or may not require a written test before they exchange your previous state’s driver’s license for one of theirs (California, for example, requires a written test for most coming from other US states).
As I doubt Taiwan will beat Puerto Rico or Guam in the race to become a US State … I don’t think you’ll need to worry about the above anytime soon.
[color=#0000FF]What they DO is … they look in this book to see what the reciprocity is … and if it’s good - like it is if you were from Belgium - then they essential give you a Taiwan government version of whatever license(s) you have from the country which provided you the license.
If the reciprocity sucks, and therefore so does the treatment you’ll receive from the guy/gal behind the desk, then it’s a toss up.
YMMV, but by and large I understand that they pass out 0-49cc scooter licenses with every car license that they issue. With that said - I got my Taiwan license in 1994… so I’ve no idea what they’ll give you.[/color]
Confused, but cool.
Yeah, I’d chalk that up to the worldwide value relationship between payoff:effort. Sure they could get you jammed up (a couple fines for sure) … but at what level of effort. No donut eating cop in the USA would do the same amount of work if all it equated to was a few fines.
Now, if you’d’a hit someone, you’d’a been screwed.
I didn’t wear my helmet because it came with the rented scooter. It was two times the size of my head and when I rode my scooter, it kept flying back pulling my head back and almost strangling me…plus it probably had NEVER been cleaned let alone sanitized and the plastic chin strap gave my chin a nasty rash after the police incident…The rental place wouldn’t even give me another helmet…oh well
What I meant about me having a 90cc was…(Haha! I’m kinda confused too) If this can work and I can get a Taiwanese equivalent to my Driver’s license or whatever…is it only good for 50cc or can it be good for 90cc?
Looks like I need to do some research and ask my boyfriend…We need to go and pay those fees for the environmental check and stuff anyway so maybe…MAYBe they can help us a little…
Thanks!
Bre