Driving Overseas

Driving Privately Owned Vehicles (POV)

The following personnel (and their U.S. State licensed dependents age 18 or older) are authorized to obtain a POV License after passing the local written exam:

• Personnel in Command Sponsored status accompanied with family.
• Personnel in a joint domicile status authorized a POV on their orders.
• Member of the U.S. Armed Forces in the rank of Sergeant First Class (E-7) or above.
• Department of the Army civilians in the grade of GS-5 or above and USFK technical representatives.
• Invited contractors* who have SOFA privileges.
• Personnel who have a letter of approval by the USAG Humphreys Commander for exception to policy.

*Invited contractors, their employees (including Koreans) and dependents of contractors who operate a POV in the Republic of Korea, must first obtain a valid ROK Driver's License. To obtain a ROK driver's license, you should have a valid U.S. State driver's license and USFK Form 700-19A-R-E.

Non-Command Sponsored service members, E-6 and below, require approval from the first O-5 in their chain of command IAW USFK REG 190-1 dated 10 May 2012.

• Licensing Requirements

• • All SOFA status USFK military personnel, USFK civilian appropriated and non-appropriated employees, USFK technical representatives, and family members of the aforementioned personnel must possess a USFK Form 134EK (USFK Motor Vehicle Operator’s Permit) to drive POVs on U.S. installations and Korean roadways.

    IAW USFK REG 190-1: All SOFA status military personnel and their family members, civilian appropriated and non-appropriated employees and their family members, and technical representatives and their family members who desire to drive in the ROK and who are qualified under paragraph 2-1d, may use a valid U.S. state driver's license or a valid international driver’s permit as a temporary permit for 30 days after their initial arrival in the ROK to drive POVs on both USFK installations and Korean roadways.

    Motorcycle owners may obtain a 10-day temporary license in order to ride to and attend a MSF course if the owner is already in possession of a valid motorcycle operator’s license or motorcycle endorsement issued by the civil authorities of a country or by a U.S. State or territory of the United States. The 10-day temporary license may be issued five days before the start of the MSF course. If the motorcycle owner is unable to attend the MSF class another temporary license may be issued five days prior to attending a new future MSF course.

    Consult USFK Regulations 190-1 for additional information on Licensing and Operating Requirements for POVs, Implied Consent Provision, Learner’s Permit, Personal chauffeurs, Business chauffeur, Bus License.

• Motor Vehicle Registration

• • As a general policy, regardless of SOFA privilege status, only one POV per sponsor may be registered with a USFK motor vehicle recorder. There is generally only one sponsor in a family. Families claiming dual sponsorship will provide the documents used to bring the persons to Korea (orders, employment contract, etc), which will be used to determine who is the sponsor. Where these movement documents authorize shipment of a POV to Korea at no expense to the POV owner, the person will be entitled to register a POV. Requests to register a vehicle by SOFA personnel not identified in paragraph 3-1b or for multiple vehicles within a family must follow procedures established by the Area Commander.

• Safety Inspection Requirements

• • All POVs will undergo a safety inspection before registration. Vehicle Emission Testing will be incorporated as a component of the Safety Inspection. POVs must undergo safety inspection and emission testing every two years IAW USFK Pamphlet 200-1.

• Insurance Requirements
• 1. Documentation of insurance, in the amount specified below, is required, as of this regulation date, for registration, and the owner must maintain insurance for the period he owns the vehicle. Following are minimum insurance requirements:
  • Korean Won (KRW) 120,000,000 to cover liability resulting from bodily injury or death of any one person.
  • KRW 10,000,000 property damage liability per accident.
  2. Insurance coverage can be obtained from either a ROK company or a U.S.-based company. However, the company must extend coverage to vehicles operated in the ROK and be represented in the ROK by an agent accredited by the ROK Government. Policies must be written to provide coverage against liability incurred by any authorized driver of the insured vehicle.
  3. Documentation of insurance, in the amount specified below, is required as of this regulation date, for registration. The owner is required to maintain valid insurance as long as he/she owns the vehicle.
  4. SOFA POV operators must obtain liability insurance in an amount not less than the minimum coverage in ROK law (currently 100,000,000 KRW). Persons who fail to maintain minimum liability insurance may be punished by licenses suspension or other administrative criminal sanctions.
  5. The level of coverage is subject to change IAW ROK law. Minimum coverage WILL ALWAYS be IAW ROK law.