Driving - International drivers permit - is renewal necessary?

International Driver's Permit is legally valid for one year. If you are lucky police sometimes don't notice that it's expired. Some countries require IDP. If Spain I don't know.

Jennie, As Ed mentioned, an International Driver's Permit is valid for one year. While it may not be compulsory in Spain, if you're involved in any kind of "incident", it would probably be a good idea to have one. Are you travelling in any other countries? I always renew my I.D.P. every year, whether I'm planning on driving in Europe or not. Again as mentioned, it's your choice...... Cheers!

It is properly an International Driving Permit. Ed has been damned lucky however many check points he has been through. You did not say where you are going but understand that in Spain, Italy and Austria, among others, an IDP IS REQUIRED. In countries where it is required if you are stopped for a traffic violation and you don't have one, it starts out with a 250 Euro fine on the spot followed by a discussion of whether or not they are going to impound your car because you can't legally drive it. It gets really cute if you have an accident because according to the fine print in most rental car insurance policies, the policy is void because you are an unlicensed driver. When I checked this out with the Austrian Tourist Office the nice lady who replied also reminded me that in Austria traffic fines are also can be proportional to wealth, so if they are of a mind to, they can really jack them up. Just for chuckles you can go to the Graffiti Wall on driving and check Bob Holton's post dated 01/06/2012, it is the voice of experience.

It's valid for one year. I replace mine when it's completely tattered or water-logged. I've been through a zillion road blocks and have never been asked for anything except a passport or American license. Your decision.

@George, When I last rented a car in Greece, the car rental agency DID ask about the I.D.P. I'd rather spend the $25 and be as prepared as possible, rather than having problems when on a supposedly enjoyable holiday. Greece is one country where it's quite likely that foreign drivers without an I.D.P. will land in a "bucket of s@#!" if they're involved in an "incident". Every traveller is certainly free to make their own decision, but they'll also have to deal with the consequences of that decision should something happen. Cheers!

Well , there are always different experiences . Last fall , when picking up a car in Orvieto , I was asked to produce the IDP at the Hertz counter there . @ George , the rental people don't care , if something goes wrong , it's the renter's rear that's in a sling !!

Hi Jennie, I always have a valid IDP (Inernational Driving Permit) when driving in Europe. It's valid for 1 year. It says right on it when it's valid for. No guessing or wondering needed. Just look at it. I've never been asked to show mine, but I feel it's a small price to pay ($20 at AAA) for peace of mind. Why take a chance on having your trip ruined for not wanting to spend an extra $20?

I was stopped few times, when asked for documents I handed police my passport and IDP. I was never asked to show my Washington state drivers license.

Some countries require an IDP, some do not. Some rental agencies ask for it, some do not. Some traffic cops will want to see it, some will not. Some people get in accidents, some do not. Anecdotal experience on this issue is NOT good advice. Where required, you must have it. As a few have noted, you can be denied the rental car, given a fine if stopped or denied insurance coverage if in an accident. I'd also add that the IDP both translates and verifies the authenticity of your state DL. So it can be very useful with the rental agency even when not required. For example, I was asked for an IDP in England because the rental agent could not verify that my DL was still valid (we get renewal stickers instead of new licenses and the inscribed date was "expired). The translation wasn't an issue, but it would have been a big help if I had the IDP. I can also say that Greece is one place that most rental agencies require the IDP to rent.

Dear Jennie, Just because someone doesn't ask to see it, doesn't mean that it's not required. I have be stopped several times and have been asked for it about half the time. I agree that it is $20 worth of peace of mind. I suspect if you were in an accident without one, the fine would be far more than $20.

Couple of points to add regarding the IDP. Stories about not being asked to produce the IDP are common, at one time it was widely informal rather than required. However, as of late, enforcement has stepped up as a result of EU enforcement, especially in Greece. So while experience may be that it was not important, on an upcoming trip, it likely will be different. While, yes, the IDP is a translation of your drivers license, it's true purpose is to serve as a notarized standard document that the other card(license) you produce is indeed a valid drivers license in your country. If you can imagine being a police officer and being handed all forms of papers, cards, etc, as proof of license, an International, standard document makes sense. In that regard, for the $15, it makes sense just to renew it when needed.

I agree. For the price (around $20 at a AAA), it's easy to carry a current one - and not worth the potential downside of needing it and not having it. I'm not sure if I've ever actually needed mine. I've never had an accident or ticket and I don't recall being asked for it at a rental counter (though I may have had to show it without thinking too much about it). If I needed it and didn't have it, however, it would have been quite memorable, inconvenient and likely expensive. If yours is expired, go get a new one.

I have heard/read/or whatever that in Spain and perhaps Arabic speaking countries the IDL is needed. I have driven all over western and northern Europe without even having one.

Here we go again... 99% of foreign drivers not from EU never have any encounter with the police (checkpoints are much more rare than in US and pull-overs exceedingly uncommon since camera-based enforcement is preferred these days and fines are administrative, not judicial matters - that need an officer citing you in person so you can question him in court later). So, yeah, it is well possible someone drivers 20 years in Europe and nobody ever asks to see an IDP. However, if you are that 1% who are unlucky enough to be stopped be a cop throwing the book, or, God forbids, getting involved in an accident, why would you want to risk the legal trouble coming from not having an IDP? Why risk delays, hassles and maybe coverage dragging by the insurer that sold you that CDW in Italy? Why risk making a fender-bender a "driving without proper documents" case?

Well I've only driven in Europe a handful of times and was asked for one - in an English speaking country! And again in Greece where it is required. The IDP, even when not required, can be usedful for all sorts of reasons, including to verify that your state license is valid. It's inexpensive and easy to get - so why wouldn't someone just do it???

The question had to DO with renewal, not the fact of having one. Either the basic agreement of 1949 or the 2011 amendment (forget which and the dates are probably wrong) state that the IDP is good for three years or until the expiration of the regular license, whichever happens first. AAA imposes the annual renewal requirement. Many people, I among them, choose to go by the international agreement rather than the semi-rule imposed by a third-rate travel agency. If you ask AAA they will tell you that it's also required in China and that's why Chinese is one of the languages on the permit. Baloney, the only way you can drive in china is with a Chinese license. The list of garbage from AAA is endless. The only good list of what countries require the darn thing is somewhere on the British AA site.

..."checkpoints are much more rare than in US"... Never experienced one in the 13 states where I most frequently drive.

Another pointless declaration that if it doesn't happen to me it will never happen to you. While checkpoints in the US are not frequent, they are not uncommon either. Best example is the sobriety check points around New Years, St Pat's Day, Memorial Day, etc. Years ago in Nebraska remember being stopped for an equipment check - brake lights, highlights, etc. So they do happen. So it always comes down to the question of the risk do you want to assume - needing it and not having it or having it and not needing it. The simple solution is to have it.

Agree with others that recommend to just renew it. In the big scheme of things, the cost is negligible. I go to Italy every year, and do renew every year.
With that said, I think the IDP is a total ripoff. I understand why a foreign country would like to have it, but having a private company like AAA handing them out seems silly to me. They basically copy your DL info into a booklet. There is no check to see if your license has been revoked, so why the annual renewal? I think it would make more sense to get a IDP from your local DMV, or have it be an on-line service where you simply request one from them for a more nominal fee, and have it be valid for the duration of your DL. My DL is good for ten-years. Why is it that I have to get a new IDP every year?