U.S. Citizen Services
Driving licenses
American citizens planning to drive in Latvia should possess a valid US State Driver's License and an International Driving Permit that must be obtained prior to your trip. Please consult the links below for information on obtaining and renewing the licenses:
• US State Driver's License: http://www.dmv.org
• International Driving Permit: http://www.aaa.com/vacation/idpf.html or http://www.nationalautoclub.com/nonmember_services.htm
American citizens resident in Latvia for longer than six months need to apply for a Latvian driver's license. Please consult the homepage of the Road Traffic Safety Department (CSDD) in Latvia at
http://www.csdd.lv/default.php?lngID=EN&pageID=1178780924 for information about Latvian driver's licenses.
The Consular Section has researched what happens with the US driver's license upon receipt of a Latvian driver's license. Latvian law requires that you surrender your US driver's license. It is then forwarded to the issuing authority in the US. For example, the holder of a Texas diver's license would have his license sent back directly to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles.
The only instance where a driver's license would be returned to the Consular Section of the U.S.Embassy in Riga is if it was confiscated by the police as the result of a traffic violation.