Do car tourists really need an IDP?

Official regulation on validity of foreign driving licences in Germany (click on first down-arrow).

Biggest issue is in case of an accident that the police come up with the statement that you had no valid driving permission (even only IDP is missing) which is a crime act (§21 StVO). In this case the insurance likely comes to the conclusion that coverage is not valid - so you would pay the whole damage and following costs out of your own pocket.

I would never ever take that risk.

It is a question of "which country are you driving in?", and "which country issued your licence?".

Some countries require one for non-EU licences, some don't.

They are required in Italy if you get stopped.

Other countries get to make their own laws. You don't get to make something true by saying it is. In several European countries, an IDP is required for foreign visitors. Just because an American cop advises you to "be more careful" and lets you go without a ticket does not mean that you didn't break the law (or endanger others.)

An IDP is not enough of an expense or hassle to be worth avoiding. If nothing else, it's better to have it and not need it than the other way around.

I've had at least a handful of IDPs and probably never actually needed one. Maybe I'll never need one. As long as they're required, however, I'll get one whether I end up needing it or not.

I'll never understand the resistance to getting an International Driving Permit (IDP), especially when the cost is such a small percentage of the overall cost of the trip.

And to my mind it's a form of very cheap asset protection insurance. Just because you've not been required to produce an IDP in the past doesn't mean you won't need to do so in the future. It could be a very costly experience if you do and don't have one.

I also see IDPs as a form of identification should a person be in a situation where they cannot identify themselves.

Find out more about this from AAA here.

I lived in then West Germany from 1982-1985. Working for the US Army, we were required to take written and driving tests consistent with West Germany's requirements. Our US driving licenses were useless. In fact mine expired while I was there and I had to go through a few hoops to replace it when I got back home.

That was 37 years ago. I'm sure things are very different now in any number of ways. Current requirements are what we need to go by, not the way things were in the past.

The fact that it is legally required to have one in several European countries would make me want to get one. That and the €500 fine if you get stopped and you can't produce it if asked for it. $20 - $30 seems like a bargain instead.

On a recent trip to Austria, the person I was with was asked for the IDP at the car rental. First time ever according to her.

The border crossing is to check you Passport. No reason for them to check your license or ask for the IDP. It is not in their point of focus.

it is legally required to have one in several European countries

And that is the real bottom line. You many not NEED it, but it is required to have it. Just like car insurance or your own home drivers license - you many never NEED them, but they are required to have. Period.

You should never mistake "I got away with it" with "nobody cares". Cops (like teachers) are humans too, and they are always weighing the question of whether its worth the time and paperwork for the little transgressions. They're also judging you by your appearance and behavior. That doesn't mean they'll be as tolerant when something bad happens.

Pay special attention to MarkK's post above pertaining to the possibility of your insurance being invalidated on the grounds of incomplete licensure . Insurance companies maintain a profit margin , in part , by not paying claims . Better safe than sorry , as the above responses indicate. I'm off to Europe in two weeks , and about to go to AAA in a moment to pick up IDP's for my wife and myself . We have no plans to use a car on this trip , but if the need arises while there , it is a small price for the peace of mind .

You know, Steven, that's something I've thought about too. Getting one "just in case." As it happens, on my upcoming trip, I do plan to rent a car for one day so I got my IDP yesterday. But even before I had planned to rent one, I was thinking I would get an IDP just in case I decided to rent one - so that I would be able to.

Thankfully, AAA does make it easy. And they're located right near a brand new TJ Maxx, so I can go luggage shopping in the same outing!

I have tried to track down the data base for IDP. Where is it? AAA employee did not know what was done with the information. IDP interpretation of USA driver license is in English. How is an English interpretation beneficial in a foreign country? Maybe they use Google translation. IDP has not been requested for rental cars in France, Italy, Portugal, or Spain. Italian police pointed us over on a small country road in the Piedmonte region. They really did not know what to do with any of our ID or rental car information. We went off with a smile. Yes, we get the darn IDP.

Doug, what has all that to do with an Int’l Drivers’ Permit?

I have tried to track down the data base for IDP. Where is it? AAA employee did not know what was done with the information.

sl.wolf, I don't think there would be such a database. Who would produce it and what would it say (what information would be in it)?
Each country decides what documents to accept to allow people to drive in their country.

IDP interpretation of USA driver license is in English. How is an English interpretation beneficial in a foreign country?

The IDP is multi-lingual, not just English.
There are 192-odd countries in the world. No way you could train the police on every type of licence, and what each item on each one means. How are they supposed to distinguish a valid Ruritanian licence from a library card?

The IDP certifies the licence as valid, and provides the information in a standard format. The police just have to learn how to read a local licence and in IDP.

EU licences are all identical, same info in the same place. Same codes for vehicle types. Doesn't matter what language it is in
Item 1= Family name
Item 2 = Given name
Item 4b = Expiry date
Item 9 = licence categories (vehicle groups)
etc. etc. Any policeman in any European country can understand any licence. If you have an EU-standard licence you don't need an IDP. Click here for example. And here for a Slovenian one, different language but same format.
Now, could you get the USA to sign up to have standard-format licences, then you wouldn't need an IDP?

sl wolf - If you look carefully at the IDP , it is in booklet form which contains translations in ten different languages , that's how it works , not terribly complex .

I haven’t had to file an insurance claim or show a cop my license in 25 years here in the US.

I still maintain a valid license and insurance just in case, though :)

And it's not a literal translation of what's printed on your home license. It's basically a statement in several different languages that someone authorized to do so has verified that your home license is valid and still active (not expired or revoked).

It is often said that in Italy, the car rental agencies do not ask to see an IDP. However, in April 2014 in Palermo, Hertz did indeed want to see my IDP as well as my license.

I agree with the other points above. When was the last time you had to show your driver's license in the course of just driving? Probably it's been many years, if ever. Does that mean you don't have to have one?

Do car tourists really need an IDP?

Depends on the country one is driving in and where one is licensed.

I was fascinated by the answers to this question because they are so different from the answers to the same question on the RS European Travel site on Facebook. It's a common question on that site and the most common answers are simply "I've never needed one and so you won't either" and they get angry if you question their answer. The answers on this forum are so much more informed, reliable and responsible.

To answer the OP question on my experience is it varies but why risk it? On the Enterprise-Rent-a-Car website in Bath it stated I'd need to show my IDP, but I never had to. It never did state that if I had an English language DL I wouldn't need to. My go-to answer is to check official government websites for official answers, however even those I sometimes find vague. For $20, why not just get it, it's such a small part of the travel budget.

"I was fascinated by the answers to this question because they are so different from the answers to the same question on the RS European Travel site on Facebook. It's a common question on that site and the most common answers are simply "I've never needed one and so you won't either" and they get angry if you question their answer. The answers on this forum are so much more informed, reliable and responsible."

I found this to be the case for other subjects on the RS European Travel site on Facebook as well. I quit following the site for that reason. I find that most of the posters answering questions here are better informed.

It's a $30 investment. When you spend several hours dealing with the authorities who can't read your DL you will have wasted more time than the investment would have cost.

My question is. has anybody ever had to use one? Has anybody ever got in trouble for not having one?

Well, how often are you asked to show your drivers license in your own country? Is it worth the trouble to have one?

I've been driving for 50 years, and I've been asked by police to show my drivers license no more than 7 or 8 times during that span of time. That's on average once every 7 years. So should I have taken the risk of not having a valid drivers license? Of course not!

In both cases, the consequences are severe enough to warrant the minimal expense and trouble of having your documents in order.

You won't cash a check without one

Cash a check? What's that? Just kidding ;)

Seriously, in the US drivers licenses are used a LOT for identification. But how often do you have to show them regarding your car usage unless you are stopped by police for some reason? The same in Europe, you wouldn't need to show the IDP unless you are stopped for some reason, in which case it would behoove you to have one. And even then, maybe they ask for it and maybe they don't but why risk it to save a couple of $$?

Just read the above replies.
I live in Australia and visit Europe almost each year for the last 50 years and rented a car each time, in the Netherlands, GB, Croatia , Slovenia, Spain, Portugal and Italy.
I was stopped once in Italy and all I had to do was my show my Aussie license, I had a prang in Croatia and showed my Aussie license and no problems.
I feel AAA or these other coy's are just trying to get a quick buck out of you for an IDP.

abbink.john,
You may have a feeling, but I've read the law in France. A lot of people on this website read the law when someone posted the official decree. It is a moneymaker for AAA but not an invention. The law requires either the IDP or certified copy of the license by a French-government accredited translator. Ditto for Italy. It just depends on how lucky you feel.

We don't bother with an IDP; we carry our valid French drivers licenses with us along with our US licenses. We've never had to show our French licenses because we just explain the US license to the officers when stopped, but we carry them anyway.

Chris F -

Now, could you get the USA to sign up to have standard-format licences, then you wouldn't need an IDP?

The US is the place that issues credit cards with chips and no pin. We gave up on trying to use the simpler metric system. Since 2005 the states have been attempting to issue driver licenses that conform with the Real ID Act. Many states objected to it and the Federal Government kept extending the due date because of their complaints. The latest date for implementation is now October 1, 2020. California finally started to issue them in 2018. So to try and get all 50 states to agree on a format and issue a standard format license would be like herding cats.

We'll get one when we're driving in a non-English speaking county but I have to admit we skipped it for our 2017 UK trip because the nearest AAA office is a 100 mile round trip and only open during M-F normal business hours.

kb,

As the others have articulated so well, you may never have been questioned about an IDP in the past, but that doesn't mean it's not required. The world is becoming more bureaucratic with more rules & regulations, and governments also like collecting fines, and the ZTL fines in Italy are a good example. Whether police officers want to do the paperwork is another question.

I haven't always been asked for an IDP when renting a car, but was asked in Greece. If I hadn't been able to produce an IDP, I wouldn't have been allowed to rent. If drivers are involved in a "motor vehicle incident", not having an IDP could be construed as driving without a license which will have implications for insurance coverage, and the penalties in Greece are especially harsh.

You didn't say which countries you were planning to drive in, but an IDP is compulsory in Italy. One of our regular posters here, Roberto, provided the applicable sections of the Italian law which confirms that. For other countries....

• France - the Embassy of France in the U.S. states......

"You may drive with a valid U.S. driver’s license if it is accompanied by a notarized translation in French. It is strongly recommended that you carry an International Driving Permit. You must be 18 years of age or older to drive in France."

• Austria - the Embassy of Austria in the U.S. states.....

"An international drivers permit (IDP) is required for Austria. It can be purchased through the AAA club and is valid for one year. When driving abroad, carry both your IDP and your state driver's license with you at all times. An IDP serves as an officially and internationally recognized translation of your license."

While the Embassy information above is intended for U.S. travellers, the requirement to have an IDP applies to anyone that doesn't have an E.U. license in the acceptable format. This is not a scam or a way for AAA / CAA to get rich. They were selected as the official agency in various countries to provide this service.

The Canadian government provides this information - https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/documents/international-driving-permit

While you may never have been asked for an IDP in the past, it is legally required in some countries. You may find this interesting - https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/rental-car-requirements .

I continue to be puzzled by the resistance to getting an IDP when it's so easy and cheap to do so. My AAA office even suggested getting the pictures taken at Costco to save on that cost. That's where I get my passport pictures done, too.

As for the Travel ID thing, here in AZ we have the privilege of "upgrading" to the new Travel ID license early. According to the AZDOT: The cost is $25.00. Applicants must apply in person, but fill out the application before visiting an office. ... The Arizona Travel ID is the credential that complies with the federal REAL ID Act of 2005. ... There is a gold star embedded in the card to show that the cardholder has provided added proof of identification to ensure the license ... meets strict federal requirements.

Since my license expires in January, 2021, and it's highly unlikely that I'll be flying between October 1, 2020 and then, I'm going to wait to get the Travel ID style until then. I didn't dig any deeper to find out if it will cost $25 extra when I renew.

According to the picture online, the AZ Travel ID license looks exactly the same as the regular one except that it has a gold star. So much for format changes that would make it similar to European driver licenses.

Don't need one in the UK.
I lived in Germany from 87-91 working for the US Army. Didn't have one then, but did have a USAREUR Driver's License, which worked, since I was serving with the US military.

And yet I was stationed in Spain from 1990-1992 and we had to take the test to get our IDP before we left indoc class.

Florida went to Real ID somewhere around 2009. Which was the reason I ended up getting a new passport in summer 2010 for the first time since my teenage years- I had this stupid packet of documentation all neatly in place in one envelope and the passport application actually asked for less of that than the driver's license did. And the Spousal Unit might as well get one too, which leads to the desire to actually use the passport for more than a land crossing into Canada and such and well... here I am with a note in my online calendar that it's time to renew the passport because I'm currently being tempted with the idea of spending my birthday this summer in Berlin because Delta Vacations has some cheap flight + hotel packages right now.

I was asked for my IDP in both Italy and Croatia from the car rental companies. My friend could not find hers when we were renting the car in Croatia and they would not add her as a driver. So I guess it is the luck of the draw. For the $10 or $15 fee, it's just not worth it not to get it.

This seems to be a bit of a necropost by a one post sceptic. Surely it has been flogged enough?

........ Has anybody ever got in trouble for not having one?.... If you dig back through the few hundred postings on this subject you will find two or three individual postings who had problems because they did not have a IDP. All in involved traffic stops and the most serious involved a minor fender scrape but the police refused to let the driver continue driving the car because he did not have a legal license. For us it is a nickel/dime decision to prevent any potential problem. But if you are willing to assume a little risk to save twenty bucks, then go ahead a skip it.

I agree that acquiring an IDP is prudent if planning to rent a car in a country that requires the license.

However, acquiring an IDP is a royal paid for us, since the nearest AAA office is 80 miles from where we live. The only time that we go to Jacksonville, FLA (where the office is), it to get on an airplane for a trip.

We loved driving in the UK and are pleased that an IDP is not required for Americans.

I'm sure I have seen where the AAA will do it on line or through the mail?

"I'm sure I have seen where the AAA will do it on line or through the mail?"
Yes, the procedure for doing this by mail is spelled out pretty clearly on theb AAA website. Still cannot do it online however.

Do car tourists really need an IDP?

Only the driver, in the countries where the driver's home license is non compliant with local regulations

We got IDPs for a trip to Greece but forgot to pack them, and the car rental agency refused to rent a car to us. So yes, there can be consequences.

...in the countries where the driver's home license is non compliant with local regulations..... That doesn't make any sense. How do you know in advance what the local regulations are? Basically the IDP is a translation into various languages what you driver's license says. That way the officer can quickly understand if the license is valid or not. It doesn't validate your existing license, it is just a translation.

It doesn't validate your existing license, it is just a translation.

Frank, that is precisely what it DOES do. An IDP is a validation and certification that your licence is valid, in accordance with the relevant international treaty (the Vienna Convention). Exactly like any other "foreign" document or qualification which you must get certified to use in your country. Without it, your licence is a worthless piece of plastic.
The translations are an added bonus.

The exception is when two or more countries agree to have the same rules for licences, and have them in the same format so each others policemen can understand them. Then no IDP is needed. This is what happens in the EU, all EU licences are compliant with the regulations in all other EU countries.

An IDP (for countries signatories of the convention that established) makes life much easier in case the insurer needs some documentation to pursue recurrent claims in some countries. It precludes the need for sworn translations and the like. Suppose you get involved in an accident where you weren't at fault. The insurer might pay the rental company the damages (minus deductibles etc etc), and then try to recoup costs from the party at fault. An IDP instantly shuts down any discussion of whether the driver (you) was allowed to drive, for instance.

It's funny because as people on a DoD "visa" (SOFA) with a DoD license we were never required to have one in Germany and we did drive a bit in other countries (mostly in France, Czechia, Greece, Croatia, and Austria) without one, but we decided to do the process when we bought a car here in Germany planning a road trip in France and have had it ever since.

I've never been required to show one upon renting a car (which we have only done in Greece and Croatia, and in the former they were willing to rent a car without a valid US license at all, which tells you something) but I do enjoy the peace of mind and plan on getting mine renewed when it expires this summer. If nothing else, it's one less way for people for someone to hassle you in a bad situation.