[zhdc1]

Americans are far more distrustful.

The idea of registering with your local municipality is downright alien in the United States. At best, you're required to eventually update your drivers license when you switch states, which (depending on the state) is the equivalent of "maybe" updating your license and vehicle registration whenever you eventually get around to it.

Compare that against moving between, say, Switzerland and Poland (or any other combination of Schengen member countries).

[CaptainZapp]

You actually get heavily fined when you move to Switzerland and use your foreign license for more than a year.

Exchanging it is a small formality in most cases, but you need to do it.

[swiley]

Doesn't that creep you out at least a little bit?

[dvdkon]

Not really. I think some people associate driving a car with freedom of movement. I get it, when it's your primary mode of transport, it feels dystopian to have it taken away. Interestingly, I get a similar feeling in places with no/unreliable public transport or in countries where I can't walk through forests, meadows and fields. Not that walking through fields is my primary way of traveling, but it feels reassuring to know I can leave by just walking away (and then catching a bus to get home).

[snovv_crash]

No. Why? Because there is civilian oversight.

Compare this with the US, where if I want to give a proof of address for a phone contract, or a car lease, or anything else. In the US, I need to go to a private, for profit organisation who will send me some mail, and then by receiving this mail I 'prove' that I live at this address. No civilian oversight, in fact they can sell that data to whoever they want

With the Swiss (or German) system, you get a proof of address when you register at your local center. They're also the ones who handle things like marriage certificates, death certificates, etc. And then if they do something with the data that you're unhappy with, you vote in new laws saying what is and isn't acceptable.

[skeletal88]

Why should it? It is the same in the EU. We had someone from the us live here with his family for years and he was outraged that he got a fine when driving with his us license after a year.

One of the reasons for not accepting us licenses is that the requirements for getting one are laughable over there

[zhdc1]

It also - technically - works that way in the US as well when it comes to drivers licenses (although it depends on the state).

The difference is that it's actually enforced in Switzerland, and depending on which country you emigrate in from, you can also be forced to retake your drivers test if you wait long enough (which is something of a less-discussed issue in the expat community).

[rsynnott]

I think you have to do this basically everywhere? Exception would be within the EU (and possibly within the US, though I thought there were license compatibility problems there).

[swiley]

I'm in the US and don't keep my driver's license up to date.

It's really a minor thing police mention if you get pulled over/into an accident but otherwise doesn't matter.

[throwaway0a5e]

Do you actually get heavily fined or does the cop say "you should really get a new license" and let you go on your way (assuming he has no other reason to really screw you)?

My US state would give the most authoritarian parts of Europe a run for their money when it comes to blind worship of and adherence to rules for the sake of rules and on paper you must obtain a license as soon as you become a resident with no grace period. In practice they just want you to drive with a valid license from any state. No part of government really cares about you getting a state license from this state any more than they care about any other law that mostly gets used for power of arbitrary enforcement.

[zhdc1]

This thread gives more details: https://www.englishforum.ch/transportation-driving/267870-dr...

I'm surprised that the other commenters make it sound less definitive. In my experience, Swiss authorities are extremely strict when it comes to any sort of driving infraction, so the default expectation should be that you will get fined.

[saiya-jin]

I'd say maybe 75% chance of fine. Cops generally don't fuck around here, and sweet talking isn't something that would usually work. The good thing is, under normal circumstances cops never just stop random cars. Another good thing is, I actually like it - same rule for all, male, female, young, old, poor, rich.

If you cross the borders, you either are lucky and pass or when stopped, driver's license is always inspected. In that case expect trouble.

Really not worth the risk.

[CaptainZapp]

Probably depends on the cop. But chances are quite good that you're fined. Having your paperwork in order has quite a high premium in Switzerland.

[xg15]

Meanwhile, Google doesn't just know which county you live in, they know the exact GPS location of your home and your office.

[supertrope]

Google does not have the power to imprison you or seize your assets. (However their databases are a juicy resource for state functionaries).

[refurb]

Americans are distrustful, but every birth is registered, nearly everyone gets a license and everyone gets a Social Security Number. Of course, none of these are centralized databases or required to be updated often, so the government knows you exist but doesn’t necessarily know much more than that.