Dear Host Family and Au Pair,
Cultural Care Au Pair recognizes that driving is an important part of many au pairs’ responsibilities and, as such, we
wanted to take this opportunity to make you aware of the requirements for foreigners obtaining a drivers license in the
State of Connecticut. We hope that this information will be helpful in clarifying what we can understand are some
confusing rules regarding driving in the State of Connecticut. Per your Host Family Agreement, if you intend for your au
pair to drive, you are required to take the necessary steps to provide automobile insurance that lists the au pair as a
current driver on your policy. We strongly recommend consulting with your insurance company regarding their licensing
requirements to be an insured driver, and the CT Department of Motor Vehicles for the latest information. As always,
host families and au pairs are responsible for ensuring compliance with all federal, state and local laws.
OVERVIEW
According to Connecticut law, visitors from certain countries (see attached list) may legally drive in Connecticut with their
country license for up to one year with an International Driving Permit (IDP) obtained from their home country. The IDP
is an official translation of a foreign driver’s license that is typically valid for one year and must always be presented in
conjunction with his or her home country license. If the license and IDP expires during their au pair year, then they are
not permitted to drive legally after this date. It is important to note that an IDP confers no driving privileges whatsoever
and is not a substitute for a person’s valid driver’s license. Also important to note is that the IDP can not be renewed in
the US and if the au pair intends to participate in the Extension Program she will be required to obtain a state license.
LICENSING
Au Pairs from countries not listed on the attached list are required to obtain a Connecticut Driver’s License and should
immediately begin the process of obtaining a CT license in order to legally drive in the state and are not granted a grace
period.
We also strongly recommend that au pairs who can legally drive with an International Driving Permit, consider applying
for a CT license within their first 6 months in CT in order to legally drive during their extension year, and to also ensure
with 100% certainty that an au pair will not be subject to scrutiny of their driving status. We also suggest printing a copy
of the licensing regulations and keeping it in the glove compartment of your car. A valid license from Germany or France
can be transferred to Connecticut using the same procedures for an out of state license
http://www.ct.gov/dmv/cwp/view.asp?a=805&q=244776.
THE PROCESS
Obtaining the Connecticut state drivers license involves two important steps.
1) Establishing Residency
In establishing residency, your au pair will be required to file for a non-working social
security number (ITIN) after she has been in the USA for two weeks. To obtain this
number, you will need to bring two letters provided by Cultural Care Au Pair through your
online account (under the “My Au Pair” tab) to the local Social Security Administration
office: Social Security Letter and Letter of Program Participation. Once she receives her
ITIN number she will then be ready to take the next steps to obtaining the local state
license.
2) Obtaining the Connecticut Drivers License
Once an au pair has obtained the ITIN number, she can obtain the Connecticut state
license. All foreign drivers (other than German or French citizens) are required to take
an 8-hour course on safe driving practices and present a CS-1 certificate as proof of their
attendance before applying for a license. The course is offered at Connecticut
Commercial or Secondary Driving Schools for $125 and requires advance registration.
We suggest that the cost of this course be the responsibility of the host family if you
require a driver as part of her duties, and as a host to the au pair in the State of CT.
Host families are encouraged to enroll the au pair in the class prior to their arrival in
order to secure a course date at the start of their program year. Upon completion they
would then be required to follow additional steps needed to obtain the license including
but not limited to providing the correct documentation and scheduling an appointment
for the exam.
It is important to remember to check the DMV Web site as State regulations can (and often do) change at any time.
Below are some helpful links to the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles:
http://www.ct.gov/dmv/cwp/view.asp?a=805&q=244774
http://www.ct.gov/dmv/cwp/view.asp?a=805&Q=244732&dmvPNavCtr=|28069|#28074
We recommend that host families and au pairs take these steps as soon as possible as there have been some reports
that after 6 months, au pairs have been unable to obtain the Connecticut drivers license, and this is particularly important
if the au pair will be required to drive during her extension year.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact me at 1-800-333-6056 ext.
3711.
Best regards,
Karen Hurley
Senior Program Director
Cultural Care Au Pair
One Education Street | Cambridge, MA 02141
Phone: 800.333.6056, ext.3711
Fax: 617.619.1101
20 years of flexible, affordable childcare: www.culturalcare.com
Winner of IAPA’s 2008 and 2009 Au Pair of the Year Award: www.culturalcare.com/award
Geographical Areas Which Honor International Driving Permits (Convention on Road Traffic, United Nations,
Geneva 1949) as of January, 2009.
AFGHANISTAN* DENMARK LATVIA* SAO TOME & PRINCIPE*
ALBANIA DJIBOUTI* LEBANONLESOTHO SAUDI ARABIA*
ALGERIA DOMINICA*/** LIBERIA* SENEGAL
ANDORRA* DOMINICAN REP.***ECUADOR*** LIBYA* SERBIA
ANGOLA* EGYPT LIECHTENSTEIN* SEYCHELLES
ANGUILLA*/** EL SALVADOR*/*** LITHUANIA* SIERRA LEONE
ANTIGUA*/** EQUATORIAL GUINEA* LUXEMBOURG SINGAPORE
ARGENTINA*** ESTONIA* MACAO* SLOVAKIA
ARMENIA* FIJI MADAGASCAR SLOVENIA*
ARUBA FINLAND MALAWI SOUTH AFRICA
AUSTRALIA FRANCE (INCLUDING FRENCH MALAYSIA SPAIN
AUSTRIA OVERSEAS TERRITORIES) MALI SRI LANKA
AZERBAIJAN* FRENCH POLYNESIA MALTA SUDAN*
BAHAMAS GABON* MAURITANIA* SURINAME
BAHRAIN* GAMBIA MAURITIUS SWAZILAND
BANGLADESH GEORGIA MEXICO*/*** SWEDEN
BARBADOS** GERMANY* MOLDOVA* SWITZERLAND*
BELARUS* GHANA MONACO SYRIA
BELGIUM GIBRALTAR MONTENEGRO TAIWAN
BELIZE GREECE MONTSERRAT*/** TAJIKSTAN*
BENIN GRENADA** MOROCCO TANZANIA
BHUTAN* GUATEMALA*** MOZAMBIQUE* THAILAND
BOLIVIA*/*** GUERNSEY MYANMAR* TOGO
BOTSWANA GUINEA* NAMIBIA TRINIDAD & TOBAGO***
BRAZIL (Inter-American Driving Permit Only) GUINEA-BISSAU* NEPAL* TUNISIA
BRUNEI* GUYANA NETHERLANDS TURKEY
BULGARIA HAITI *** NETHERLANDS ANTILLES TURKMENISTAN*
BURKINA FASO* HONDURAS*/*** NEW CALEDONIA UGANDA
(WAS UPPER VOLTA) HONG KONG NEW ZEALAND UKRAINE*
CAMBODIA (WAS KAMPUCHEA) HUNGARY NICARAGUA*/*** UNITED ARAB EMIRATES*
CAMEROON* ICELAND NIGER UNITED KINGDOM
CANADA INDIA NORWAY URUGUAY (Inter-American Driving Permit
CAPE VERDE ISLANDS* INDONESIA* OMAN* UZBEKISTAN*
CAYMAN ISLANDS* IRAN* PAKISTAN* VATICAN CITY (HOLY SEE)
CENTRAL AFRICAN REP. IRELAND PANAMA* VENEZUELA***
CHAD* ISRAEL PAPUA NEW GUINEA VIETNAM*
CHILE*** ITALY PARAGUAY*** WESTERN SAMOA
COLOMBIA*/*** IVORY COAST PERU*** YEMEN*
COMOROS* JAMAICA PHILIPPINES ZAMBIA
CONGO, REP OF (BRAZZAVILLE) JAPAN POLAND ZIMBABWE
CONGO, DEM REP OF (KINSHASA) JERSEY* PORTUGAL
COSTA RICA*/*** JORDAN* QATAR*
COTE D'IVOIRE (IVORY COAST) KAZAKHSTAN* ROMANIA
CROATIA* KENYA* RUSSIA
CUBA KOREA (REP.) RWANDA
CURACAO KUWAIT* ST. KITTS & NEVIS*/**ST. LUCIA
CYPRUS KYRGYSTAN ST. VINCENT & THE GRENADINES
CZECH REP. LAOS SAN MARINO
*Not party of 1949 Convention: International Driving Permit Honored.
**U.S. driver's license and International Driving Permit recognized on presentation to local police and payment of Special Registration Fee upon arrival.
***Geographical Areas Which Honor Inter-American Driving Permits (Convention on Regulation of Inter-American Motor Vehicle Traffic, Organization of American States,
Washington, D.C. 1943) as of January, 2009. If you intend to drive in the following countries, be sure to check INTER-AMERICAN DRIVING PERMIT box page 1: Brazil and
Uruguay.
(FOR OFFICE USE ONLY)
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RECEIPT NO.
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