Does one really need an international driver's license to drive in Italy?

The three times that I've rented a car in Italy (at FCO, in Florence, and in Orvieto) the auto rental agency wanted to see our international driving permits (or whatever it's called) before finishing the paperwork and handing us the car keys. It seemed to be standard operating procedure for three different agencies (at least one was Hertz) that we have used.

Yes, and even if the rental agency does not ask for it, if you have the misfortune to have an accident or traffic stop and are found without it, the fine is much more than the 20 bucks it takes to get one.

Well, it's dirt cheap compared to the total cost of the trip. If you never have to show it, no big loss. But if you do need it and don't have it you're up the creek without a paddle. Just get it and have the peace of mind knowing you've got a "paddle".

no - it is absolutely positively not really necessary.

In the same way that house insurance, health insurance and your home driving license is not really necessary.

Unless your house burns down or a hail storm takes a roof or windows, or your kid drives through the back of the garage.

Unless you get sick. Or break a bone. Or have a heart attack.

Unless you get pulled over or in an accident.

You can keep an IDP in your wallet and never need to take it out. Until you do.

You know what Clint Eastwood said...

(oh, and it is the law)

The last time we rented in Italy at FCO the agency asked to see it. This question gets kicked around a lot with a common response of, "Never had to show it", implying that it was not necessary. A couple of years ago there was a posting here of a very minor fender scrape but the police were called and nearly impounded the vehicle because the driver did not have a permit and, therefore, it was illegal for him to drive a vehicle in Italy. If you feel lucky, skip it.

I believe even AutoEurope lists it as required now and as mentioned above the rental agencies are now asking to see it

20 bucks is cheap peace of mind

I think your insurance would be void if the rental vehicle was damaged while driven by an unlicensed driver, and not having an IDP when the local regulations say it is required would be equivalent to driving without a license.

You don't want this to happen to you:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/rental-car-without-international-license-we-are-already-in-italy

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/rome-car-rental-international-driver-permit

Buy the permit. It is a requirement. We have been stopped in random locations in Italy and Spain. No English was spoken by the police and the permit was all that they could read. They looked at my drivers license and we off.

As others have said, it is cheap compared to the alternative.

Welcome! I see this is your first post, so perhaps you didn't know it is a much discussed topic. As you said, it is cheap and easy so there's absolutely no reason not to get one.

I assume you've not driven in Italy before. Do some research before you go and it will really help. Where will you be going? We can answer other questions regarding driving in Italy if you like. Many of us have done it and I found it to be a wonderful experience and the best way to explore the countryside.

Thank you everyone for your responses. First time on this forum so didn't know how to search the topic! The last time i drove in Italy was 17 years ago and I don't believe an international permit was required. I will definitely go ahead and purchase one!

The Europcar desk in Sicily didn’t ask to see ours in 2012, and when it was offered to the checkout person, he waived it off. We didn’t get stopped by the police, so it was never looked at by any Italian officials on that trip. But then we didn’t need the spare tire in the rental car, either, although we had one in the trunk.

The upcoming Italy trip will include having an International Driving Permit, since that’s the law. You don’t absolutely have to drive on the right side of the road in Italy, either, but it could have serious consequences, if it doesn’t quite work out.

Anna, may I suggest that you also look up some discussions of insurance rules, speed cameras, and ZTL regulation. It's not as simple as it may seem, when you hear about other people's experiences.

I use to be an anti-IDP advocate. But this was based on old experiences. Every rental agency, in the last 10 years, has asked for the IDP to go with your passport and State Issued Driver's License. This was for renting motorcycles. I even asked the rental agencies, "Would you have rented, if I didn't have this IDP?" And all of them said no, they would not, as it is now required of them to keep records that show an IDP photo copy or Permit Number. . . The language of the requirement changed, so that ONLY recognized agencies, such as AAA can issue these. I don't have a problem with the requirement...... I DO have a problem with the duration of the issued permit by AAA, cause I have to get a new one every two years, yet nothing changed on my State Issued DL which is good for 6 years in Oregon. My problem is with AAA's two year window, not the requirement of the country I want to drive in. :)

Francis, you are right about the 1 year silliness. Some years ago, the clerk at AAA forgot to write the expiration date on the front of my new IDP. I used it w/o a problem for about 5 years until I changed states and the info no longer matched. I love that the IDP expiration date is only in English on a document that pretends to provide translation.

anna,

Yes, you really do need an IDP to drive in Italy as it's the law! One of the other members of the forum, Roberto, has provided the applicable sections of the Italian driving code which confirm that, but I doubt I'd be able to find that post.

You may never need to produce an IDP during your trip, even if you're stopped by the police, but if they do ask for it and you can't produce it, you could be fined on the spot. As others have noted, many rental firms are now asking for these so it really makes sense to have one.

I DO have a problem with the duration of the issued permit by AAA, cause I have to get a new one every two years, yet nothing changed on my State Issued DL which is good for 6 years in Oregon. My problem is with AAA's two year window, not the requirement of the country I want to drive in. :)

I would gladly put up with the annoyance of having to renew the IDP every two years if that meant that at least every two years I would be driving somewhere in Europe!

While we do prefer public transportation, there are just some experiences that are hard to come by without a car. For instance, we stood in a hillfort on the northern tip of the Isle of Skye at 9:30 one night. Time and place precluded public transportation.

Anna, may I suggest that you also look up some discussions of insurance rules, speed cameras, and ZTL regulation. It's not as simple as it may seem, when you hear about other people's experiences.

Hence my suggestion they do some research. Sounds like they do have experience already, which is good. I try to be encouraging. Before we drove in Italy, I'd read a number of posts here by nervous Nellies that had me so concerned that I was wondering if we should even try.

What I found out is that anyone intelligent enough to pass a US driver's exam should be able to learn the signage and the rules of the road and have a good experience. I found at least in Tuscany ZTLs are well marked. In addition, you can pretty much assume any streets within the walls of a hill town are ZTL. I had enough sense not to even attempt to drive in Florence or Rome.

Insurance is a matter of checking with your agent and then buying appropriate insurance when renting a car. Going with a well known rental agency helps. We had no problems with speed cameras because we drove at or below the posted limit. All you have to know is there is zero tolerance. If the locals want to speed, turn off and let them pass. Don't assume they know where it is safe to speed. Besides, who wants to speed in the lovely countryside anyway?

I recall, that one of my permits, expiring 2017, some how, magically, turned in to a 2019 permit

always one who has to find the way around the law

Hi Anna, before I begin planning a trip, I check travel.state.gov and enroll in STEP to stay informed on the current situation. This link doesn’t say if you need to buy a an international driver’s license, but it does provide AAAs phone number: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Italy.html.

You might benefit from going to Gemut.com (https://www.gemut.com/) and learning more there about renting and driving a car in Europe. They are actually in Oregon, so just an easy phone call away and very helpful.

There's a great free download called What You Need to Know About Renting & Driving a Car in Europe (https://www.gemut.com/latest-travel-news/what-you-should-know-about-renting-a-car-in-europe). It will answer most of your questions and the guys at Gemut can help with others.

Googling driving in Italy will produce many useful and fun references, including ones like these.

From Wikipedia, Road Signs in Italy: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_signs_in_Italy

From Trip Savvy, Driving in Italy:
https://www.tripsavvy.com/tips-for-driving-in-italy-1547237

And 2 of my favorite Italy videos.

About driving there:
https://youtu.be/9q6aLxxsoqU

About that and more:
https://youtu.be/tzQuuoKXVq0

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/drive-without-idp-at-your-own-risk

May I also add that everyone who is traveling with you and MIGHT be driving, must have a permit, too. You never know if someone was to get sick, or hurt, (or drink too much!), and someone else is needed to drive.

No. I've never even been asked. Enjoy!