Renting a car in France

An IDP is a legal requirement. A car rental agency may ask for one or may not (it's an odd thing for them to care about, they have no skin in the game - but you do). I've rented many cars across Europe and around the world, and have never been asked for my IDP but apparently some folks have been.

When you actually need an IDP is if you are stopped by police, or (worse) are in an accident.

Some folks here scoff at the requirements for an IDP, viewing the whole thing as a scam; others see it as a cheap and easy (some might say trivial) bit of "insurance" that's foolish to skip.

It seems to be a religious question for some.

Someone correct me if wrong. If you rent a car anywhere (even in the US) the rental company places a hold on your credit card for an amount of money that would pay for rental plus potential additional charges. So you must have enough room in your ongoing "credit limit" to allow for that hold. That's my guess as to what that means. Hotels do this too. The actual charge is not made until return. If they dont run a hold first thing, they wont know if your card will cover the potential rental cost/

An IDL is not a legal requirement. There is technically a legal requirement for a certified translation of your license, and an IDL will serve that purpose. But no one will ask for it, it is never an issue, and no one on this forum has ever reported that they had an negative experience in France because they didn't have one. No one! Also, most states have now adopted the internationally recognized nomenclature for the data fields on their licenses. Look at your own license. Is there a "1" in front of your last name? A "2" in front of you last name? A "3" in front of your DOB? Etc., etc. These are the same fields on French and most other country's licenses. Some people will pipe up and try to be holier than thou, or say they feel it just gives them a warm fuzzy feeling to waste $20 (a year) to have this useless piece of paper that no one will ever ask for—so be it. I'll put that $20 toward a slightly better meal in France somewhere and save the trip to AAA at home.

According to the actual law it is a legal requirement

https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F1459

The above article only references an IDL as an option.

Bottom line is that it's a legal requirement to have a license translated into French. As for insurance, technically you'd be breaking the law by not having the IDP. By knowingly breaking the law, is your insurance still valid. That's a question to ask.

Not France, but even in the US, sh#t happens. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-woman-arrested-jailed-in-u-s-for-driving-with-a-canadian-licence-1.4648561

From the website I previously linked to:

"Si vous venez en France pour un court séjour: Séjour inférieur à 185 jours (6 mois) car, au delà, vous êtes considéré comme ayant votre résidence normale en France (pour des vacances par exemple), vous pouvez conduire avec votre permis non européen: Allemagne, Autriche, Belgique, Bulgarie, Chypre, Croatie, Danemark, Espagne, Estonie, Finlande, France, Grèce, Hongrie, Irlande, Islande, Italie, Lettonie, Liechtenstein, Lituanie, Luxembourg, Malte, Norvège, Pays-Bas, Pologne, Portugal, République tchèque, Roumanie, Slovaquie, Slovénie, Suède .

Le permis de conduire étranger doit remplir les 2 conditions suivantes :

Être valide
Être rédigé en français ou être accompagné d'une traduction officielle ou d'un permis de conduire international (sauf pour le permis britannique)
Si vous souhaitez obtenir la traduction en France, vous devez vous adresser à un traducteur agréé"

"If you come to France for a short stay: Stay less than 185 days (6 months) because, beyond that, you are considered as having your normal residence in France (for vacations for example), you can drive with your non-European license: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.

The foreign driver's license must meet the following 2 conditions:
Be valid
Be written in French or be accompanied by an official translation or an international driving license (except for the British license)
If you wish to obtain a translation in France, you must contact an approved translator."

I don't see optional anywhere in there. I have put the requirements (must) sections in bold. The only option given is to obtain a verified translation rather than an IDP. A verified translation will cost about 80€ and take a week.

That word "or" would make it an "option." I would advise that not wasting your time or money would be a smarter option. I used to do my own translation to accompany my license. Not certified, but it didn't matter as no one wanted to see it—even when offered.

I've made edits for tone. We're all here to help, and when we don't agree, it is up to the OP and other readers to determine the best way forward for themselves with the info given.

We always have an IDP, but nobody has ever asked to see it. It’s probably easier to spend the $20 and get the IDP than it is to find a certified translator. Better to have one and not need it than not have one and get into an accident and need it. Many people spend more on coffee at Starbucks in a few days than an IDP costs.

The hold put on our credit card when renting a vehicle has normally been $200.

We always get the IDP before we travel internationally and get our rental car……but I have heard that you only need it if you are traveling in a country where they would not be able to read your American license……

Since the cost of a IDL is nominal I would get one. Now if you live in a rural area it might be hard or expensive to get one.

I just got back from a trip to Barcelona and they wanted to see my normal driver’s license not the IDL. Rental agency : Sixt

I would recommend calling the rental agency directly from the US, that is the best way to be sure.

If your driver’s license has your address that will suffice. If not bring a utility bill or credit card bill that shows your address - just something that looks official.

Don’t be afraid to ask as the rental agencies truly want your business. Europe is a collection of multiple countries with different laws. No one is expected to know them, so just ask.

If your driver’s license has your address that will suffice. If not
bring a utility bill or credit card bill that shows your address -
just something that looks official.

I'd love to see some video of that French policeman's reaction after he pulls you over for speeding (or after you have an accident), and you pull out your electric bill and show him that.