International driver’s license

An International Drivers License is quite easy to get. Simply go to your nearest AAA travel office.

Not new, though being enforced now more by rental car companies. The people who will expect to see your International drivers permit are the police, if you don't have it, you can be fined. The permit is simply a validation, like a notarized document, that your drivers license you are carrying is valid (you need your drivers license with the permit to be legal to drive).

As Carol mentioned, easy to get, go to any AAA office, bring two passport type photos, fork over about $20, and in a few minutes you are on your way.

Pedantic alert: It's actually an "International Driving Permit" (aka an IDP...got one right here).

I'm a little surprised to hear that a car agency, never mind one in the UK, is telling you you better have one. Technically, it's just a legally-certified translation of the fields on your US driver's license, into internationally-recognized, standard format. It's generally more useful for places where English isn't the national language. So it seems a bit odd for a UK requirement. More odd, to me at least, is that the rental agency is telling you that you need one. IME, they don't care (and why should they - they're not going to jail if you wipe out someone's cow, or god forbid, have a serious accident -- but you might). I've never been asked for an IDP by a rental agency (because I figure they have no reason to care).

All that said, if the car guys want you to have one, get one. It's cheap, easy, and just like insurance, if something goes sideways and you don't have one, you might really wish you did. For twenty bucks and 10 minutes of your time, seems like an easy call.

FWIW I have had to hand over my US state drivers license and passport to cops in multiple non-English-speaking countries, and I got off with just a warning to be more careful each time, which I partially credit to having an IDP in my stack of papers that I handed over. I was glad I had one then, and won't drive internationally without one.

Countries where English is not the official language want you to have an International Driver Permit, Italy in particular. I guess in York, they also differentiate between the Queen's English and American English.

This has been the case for years. Its not strictly enforced IME (we've always had one and never been asked). But, if there were an accident, or other need to show one, and you dont have it, then you might have problems like a fine. But again, we've never been asked by the car rental agency, despite being told we will be

Do you think every police officer in the UK is trained to recognize a valid license from every US state and territory?

They're not $20.00 here. More like $37.00 with a photo. If you read the fine print in the paperwork for the insurance company some have the IDP required. Way better off if you have the thing. We have been renting cars for over 20 years in Europe and never been asked.

An IDP is required in Italy and Germany, so I guess you lucked out previously. If you had been stopped, you could have been fined or cited for not having it. It is the internationally recognized document that says you have a drivers license in your home country. Without it, in countries that require it, you cannot legally drive. Even if you have a US drivers license.

We rented a car for a month in the UK in 2017 and didn't need the IDP.

The IDP (International Driving Permit) has existed since about 1949. The permit (which is only valid for one year) can be required from a driver at any point in certain countries. Individuals licensed outside of the U.S.A. may have to produce an IDP while driving in some but not all states. As others have stated it is simple to obtain. I’ve carried one while traveling when I felt that driving would be necessary.

They must be a bit thick. The point of an IDP is that it acts as a translation.

Refer them to their own t&cs https://faq.europcar.com/during-rental/what-documents-do-i-need-to-present-at-the-europcar-counter.html

There's no law that says you have to have one for the UK if your license is in English.

Sometimes car rental polices have language like that in their rentals that is not tailored to either the country of rental or the country of driver. For the UK, ignore this language in the policy. If they specifically told you that you need one, cancel and rent from someone else since they don't know what they are doing.

If visiting a AAA office in person is not convenient, you can submit everything by mail. The permit is $20 but you'll have to pay something for postage to have it mailed to you. It's a bargain for the peace of mind it brings. It will be in a little passport size booklet.

https://www.aaa.com/vacation/application2a.pdf

Just get it. Better safe than sorry. It is less than $50.00. AAA does it very well. Think of it as a souvenir.

They are not required in the UK. The Europcar website says recommended, not mandatory. According to its Terms and Conditions for the UK,

“Non UK driving licence holders must provide:

· a full and valid driving licence which has been held for a minimum of 12 months. It must be clearly identifiable as a driving licence; entitle the licence holder to drive the category of vehicle they wish to rent from us and valid for use in the UK. If these conditions cannot be met then an International Driving Permit1 will be required (as well as your home driving licence);

and

· the following additional documentation: (i) Passport; and (ii) proof of entry into /exit out of the UK (e-tickets acceptable) 2.

2 Please note that section 2.3.3 of the T&Cs states that non-UK driving licence holders will be required to provide a second and additional ID document that shows their home address (eg., a utility bill). This is no longer required.”

Anyway, they cost $20 and you need two passport photos. Believe AAA charges about $12 for photos if you don’t bring your own.