Norway is completely different :) I'm american living in Norway. I'm not legal to drive, but my Norwegian spouse is and I've gone through buying a car and figured out some of these differences. He thinks the American system is insane (and is right, comparatively).
You do have to renew your drivers licence every x years, but in some states you can do that online at times. Instead of the population register, where you update your address, most places in the US do that through your drivers license. Most people's main form of ID is their license as well and most states want pictures to be updated. Some states have different backgrounds for those under 21 (the drinking age) as well.
Buying a car requires a trip to the DMV as well. There is no option of simply waiting for your papers in the mail. To complicate things further, in some states the physical license plate isn't associated with the car, but with the person owning the car.
In many states, you have to also register your car every year and update your plates. Some states you can do this online, however, in many cases.
That is on top of things like getting your drivers licence, learning permits, and all of those little things.
You do have to renew your drivers licence every x years, but in some states you can do that online at times. Instead of the population register, where you update your address, most places in the US do that through your drivers license. Most people's main form of ID is their license as well and most states want pictures to be updated. Some states have different backgrounds for those under 21 (the drinking age) as well.
Buying a car requires a trip to the DMV as well. There is no option of simply waiting for your papers in the mail. To complicate things further, in some states the physical license plate isn't associated with the car, but with the person owning the car.
In many states, you have to also register your car every year and update your plates. Some states you can do this online, however, in many cases.
That is on top of things like getting your drivers licence, learning permits, and all of those little things.