Northern Mariana Islands/Saipan Driving Advice and Car Hire Info
Driving in Northern Mariana Islands
The Northern Mariana islands drives on the left and as far as I can establish, you can use the photo licence of any country to drive here, providing it’s written in Roman alphabet. Drivers from other countries should bring their own licence plus an international driving permit. Speed limits range from 25mph in built up areas to 45mph in rural areas.
The North Mariana islands consists of 14 islands, but the majority of the 54,000 population live on the islands of Saipan, Tinian, and Rota. 95% of the inhabitants live on Saipan which is only 23 km long by 9km wide, with 8 communities – Garapan and Chalan Kanoa are the principal urbanized areas. Roads are generally in good condition. Most roads in urban areas are paved and some are dual-lane. However, some roads are made from crushed coral and driving when the roads are even slightly wet can be as slippery as driving on ice. Highway 30 is the main road on Saipan, running for 20km along the island’s West coast. It’s paved and in good condition with some dual carriageway stretches.
Speed laws are strictly enforced and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs can result in severe penalties. However Saipan does have a problem with young drivers who may drive quickly and erratically. Saipan is prone to Typhoons -The season of most serious storms is from August to mid-December and they can be serious when they hit but they Island has a good monitoring system so you would be well warned if a storm was imminent.
Although I try and keep the information in the site updated as much as possible, in a rapidly moving world, situations can change daily. Therefore please use the site as an approximate guide, and in conjunction with other resources in order to form your view on driving conditions, roads, safety etc.
Northern Mariana Islands Car Rental
Hertz have 5 branches on Saipan. Alamo, National ,Budget and Thrifty also have branches on Saipan.
We currently have no local car rental partners in Northern Mariana Islands. If you are a local car rental company who would like to feature on DriverAbroad.com please check details on our Partnering page or contact us on ADriverAbroad@Outlook.com
