While working on auto insurance coverage for my husband, I ended up talking to the North Carolina Department of Insurance Consumer Services. I was told that North Carolina law was changed as of October 2006 so that except for Canada no international driving experience is considered in North Carolina. As a result, all individuals that do not have US or Canadian driving expereince will be considered inexperienced drivers in North Carolina for 3 years. This results in higher premiums. Also found this on Duke University's website:

"As of October 1, 2006, the North Carolina Auto Insurance Rate Bureau (www.ncrb.org) NO LONGER
ACKNOWLEDGES prior driving experience in your home country (unless you are from Canada or Puerto
Rico). This applies to ALL INTERNATIONAL DRIVERS who arrived in the United States, purchased a car &
bought insurance after 10/1/2006. You will be classified as an Inexperienced Driver and therefore have to
pay very high fees – roughly $1,200 for six months of required liability insurance. Obviously, if you are a
brand new driver, you will have to pay the insurance fee for inexperienced driver and pay the same
premiums."

So North Carolina insurance agents are not making this up ... the rate differential has been imposed on them by North Carolina.

My Allstate agent said it is not true and that they are not forced to stick with that. www.ncrb.org doesn't seem to be a legislative for the state of NC, rather a private association. We are paying $580 for 6 months, both of us have 7 years of driving experience, me 6 of those years in Europe. The rate is only high cause hubs once got a ticket in Nevada.
If it was a law, then Allstate would have to stick with it!!!! I wanna see the website of the state of North Carolina where it says that the governor actually signed such a law.

When did your insurance coverage take effect? As the OP stated if it was before 10/1/06 your international driving experience would be counted, if after that date, it would not and hence the higher premiums.

If it was after 10/1/06.. and you are paying the lower premiums, can you tell me which insurance company you are with in NC? I've checked into this as my wife will be here in about 2 months.. and my agent told me to expect a higher premium (state farm) I also called Allstate and they said the same thing.

If you have a different insurance agent/company, please let me know who you are with, so I can get my policy changed over to them!

Thanks

North Carolina Rate Bureau (NCRB) is created by the NC general assembly. The rule concerning international drivers being classified as inexperienced was approved by the North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance (does not require the state legislature to approve). I phoned NCRB and the rule is binding on all agents in NC but some may be ignoring this (for the moment). The agents will be audited by NC and if their incorrect rating is found on audit they will retroactively bill you that correct premium (per NCRB). The next time your agent is audited by NC, the auditors will specifically look for compliance with this law since it is new.

I arrived prior to that date and was insured prior to that date, but we asked our agent and he said there is no such law. I did some research and it turns out that it is a recommendation, and the organization's website ends with org not with gov. It is definitely perfectly legal and correct what we are billed.

@ dvblt: let me look. I will send you a pm with the contact data. They are really nice and helpful there!

Man, I'm happy to move so soon away from this state - too many stupid laws and such a high sales tax, feels like I never left Europe.

The attached document is the official notification from NCRB to insurance agencies. Unless all rules issued by NCRB are recommendations and not binding, I don't see how an insurance agent in NC does not have to follow it.

Let me note, I don't agree with this rule but I am law abiding so want to be certain that I end up getting our auto insurance from an agent that is following the rules.

Anne C.

If you are still using this website and an active member, I would be interested to know if you have any current information on this issue of insurance, because I have to be honest I am not pleased about insurance quotes being so ridiculously expensive for 18 years of driving experience compared to some 21 muppet who's only been driving three years.

Thanks