Legal requirements

Hello there, im thinking of going on a road trip around american in summer 08 but need some advice on driving requirements.
Im from the UK, will be 19 by the time i would want to go to the US would have held a drivers licence for 5 months. I just wanted to know whether this would be ok to drive through pretty much any state i wanted or the complete opposite?
I was thinking of actually buying a car when i get there instead of renting and would also like to know if anyone can see complications arising due to my age and lack of experience? Any info greatly appreciated, Jon.

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

Your drivers license really shouldn't be much of an issue. Basically, whatever you are allowed to drive over there, you should be able to drive over here.

Buying a car isn't quite as easy, although the issues really don't have anything to do with age or experience, its more costs and red tape. We have a lot of threads, like this one, which discuss some of the hurdles a foreign visitor has to overcome to purchase a car in the US. Of course, renting a car at age 19 is also a very big challenge. Very few places will rent to anyone under 21, and you can expect to pay a extremely large premium if you find a place that will rent to someone between 18-20.

The unfortunate reality is that until you are 21, its just not very easy to come to the US and make a true roadtrip. Often times the best options in this situation is to look at options for bus and train service.