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International drivers license required

I was picking up a reserved car from Europcar in Florence when they refused me as I did not have an international license. I had never been asked about this license on previous travels in Europe and Rick currently implies you don’t need one in Italy, saying “How this is enforced varies: I’ve never needed one.” Europcar said “it is the law in Italy” to have this license.

Other car rental companies were out of cars until I got to the Avis counter. They charged me 900 euros for three days, saying they were low on cars. This was 3X what my reserved car would have cost (for a better car). Lesson learned, always get the international license before heading to Europe.

Posted by
1800 posts

'Rick now says you likely don’t need one in Italy'. Provide the chapter and verse please.

Posted by
37 posts

We erred on the side of caution for July’s trip to Italy and both obtained international driver’s licenses. We offered them to the car rental agent upon pick up and they had no interest or need for them. Seems to me that it’s yet another Italian bureaucratic inconsistency. No judgment, just an observation.

Posted by
1800 posts

Drivers need an IDP or certified translation in Italy, but there's no requirement in the law for car rental agencies to be enforcers. It seems the agencies may use the lack of an IDP to mask their own problems with lack of car inventory.

Posted by
354 posts

Lesson learned, always get the international license before heading to Europe

That does not apply in the UK if your license is in English.

Posted by
16563 posts

Sorry for your troubles but kudos for giving the heads up to others! :O)

Not the first time we've heard about absence of an IDP being an issue with some rental offices:

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

Rick's advice...which I personally think is too laid-back:
https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/rental-car-requirements

"It's a good idea to get one if you'll be driving in Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, or Spain — countries where you're technically required to carry a permit. If all goes well, you'll likely never be asked to show it — but the permit is a must if you end up dealing with the police."

Posted by
16320 posts

It's an International Drivers PERMIT and not a license. You still need your home drivers license.

Posted by
549 posts

This is the law: DECRETO LEGISLATIVO 18 aprile 2011, n. 59 - Art.15
Official link: https://www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legislativo:1992-04-30;285~art135

Summarized translation: "Owners of a driving license issued by a Country not member of the European Union can drive in Italy with their own driving license accompanied by the International Driving Permit".
So, even if nowadays a lot of car rentals are not asking it and during street controls Policemen don't take care of it, the IDL is still a mandatory document for everybody has a DL issued outside European Union.

Posted by
16086 posts

There is absolutely no doubt about the interpretation of the law.

Article 135 of the Italian Vehicle Code CLEARLY states at paragraph 8 (see below) that a driver with a driver’s license issued by a country outside the EU or the European Area, MUST have their driver’s license accompanied by the International Driver Permit or an Official certified translation of the same. The penalty, also stated in the same paragraph, is a fine ranging from a minimum of 408€ to a maximum of 1,634€.

Whether a rental agency cares or not, is up to them (I have never been asked by the rental agency, ever). They are not the ones paying the fine, the driver is. But, for the record, I was pulled over by the Carabinieri last July (for a routine check, not because I had committed any violation) and they WANTED TO SEE MY IDP. If I didn’t have it, they would have fined me 408€.

Not all European States require it, but Italy does. In the US it is the same. Some US states require it, others don’t. So get with the program!

https://www.aci.it/i-servizi/normative/codice-della-strada/titolo-iv-guida-dei-veicoli-e-conduzione-degli-animali/art-135-circolazione-con-patenti-di-guida-rilasciate-da-stati-esteri.html

Posted by
23627 posts

We have this discussion all the time. Why is it such a big deal to spend $20 and get the permit. It is 15 minute stop at a AAA office and, I think, it is available via the web? The last time we rented at the airport in Rome, we were asked to show the permit and our license.

Posted by
7189 posts

I'm with Frank- what's the big deal?
It's peanuts compared to the usual cost of a trip to Italy or wherever.
Both my husband and myself get one for every trip- or every year- even though I will never be the planned driver, stuff happens.

Last rental in Italy the rental desk did ask for it.

When something is required by law there should not be all these questions "do I have to?, I never did it before!"

You are not getting the IDP for the car rental agency- you are getting it because it is the law.

Il agree that Rick's advice should be updated. There was a time when he said you didn't need to carry your passport- thankfully he has changed that)

Posted by
1086 posts

Will you please elaborate on where you found the quote from Rick Steves that you don't need an IDP in Italy and "How this is enforced varies: I’ve never needed one"?

Here is what Rick Steves says on this website:
https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/rental-car-requirements

"You may hear contradictory information on exactly where you need an IDP. People who sell them say you should have them almost everywhere. People who rent cars say you need them almost nowhere. People who drive rental cars say the IDP is overrated, but can come in handy as a complement to your passport and driver's license. It's a good idea to get one if you'll be driving in Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, or Spain — countries where you're technically required to carry a permit. If all goes well, you'll likely never be asked to show it — but the permit is a must if you end up dealing with the police."

Posted by
1065 posts

I am with Frank and Christine. $20. 15 minutes. Good for a year. What time and money it would have saved. Doesn’t matter if someone says it is needed or not. Why argue law interpretation with car rent agency or traffic police. Avoid it.

Posted by
1169 posts

I agree that an IDP is obligatory for driving in Italy and other European countries. I disagree completely with the remark that they're necessarily easy to obtain in the US from one's local AAA. Some of us have local AAA offices that aren't easy to deal with for such services, including ours - and we've been AAA members for over 50 years.

Posted by
16320 posts

Some AAA offices are closing their travel bureaus and focusing on auto repair.

The office where I normally get mine no longer offers the service. I had to drive 15 miles to the nearest one.

Posted by
4104 posts

You think our process with AAA in the US isn’t easy? We did an exchange with a French couple this summer. Our process of getting the IDP at our local AAA took 15 minutes and $20 each. The French couple told us that the process to get their IDP (I didn’t even know they needed one to drive in the US) took 5 months and cost hundreds of €.

Posted by
16086 posts

The following US States require the IDP for foreign visitors with foreign DL (or in some cases at least an official translation):

Connecticut
Hawaii
Kentucky
Massachusetts
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
Texas
Vermont
Virginia
Wisconsin
Michigan

Posted by
446 posts

You can do the IDL online with AAA. They closed their office in my city, and the nearest office is more than an hour's drive away. It came in the mail very quickly.

Just returned from our Road Trip from Florence, through Siena (Montelcino, Montepulciano and dropped off car in Rome.

Rented (reserved) a car on-line through Bookings.com. Enterprise via Locauto. https://www.locautorent.com/en/
Arrived in Florence and took the only bus for all rentals (took 45 minutes) and waited in line at the small car rental facility for most Rental companies.

Used my Massachusetts drivers license and credit card.

They personally escorted to my car and inspected the dents and dings. Signed the acceptance and I was off!

Posted by
16086 posts

PXM in Massachusetts:
Nobody doubts that the rental agency in Italy will give you a car with just your US driver’s license. It is rare the agent will ask for the IDP, and personally I’ve never been asked for one at any rental agency and I’ve rented dozens of cars in Italy. However the law requires it, and if you get pulled over by police they want to see the IDP, and if you don’t have it, unless the police officer gives you a break, you will be fined with a 408€ ticket. I’ve been pulled over twice by Carabinieri in Italy since I moved to the US, and in both cases they asked for the IDP.

I’ve never had one, and never needed it. However, for my upcoming trip in November, I decided to err on the side of caution and get one. It was insanely easy and I was at the AAA office for just under 10 minutes from the time I walked in the door until I was back in my car. This is also the first time I’ve bought trip insurance, so must be getting more cautious overall. Enjoy your trip!

Posted by
2996 posts

Since having an IDP in Italy is a legal requirement it does beg the question of what happens if you're involved in a traffic mishap and don't have one, ie Is your auto insurance invalid since you were (technically) not properly licensed to drive in the country?
Asking for a friend ...

Posted by
1086 posts

Since having an IDP in Italy is a legal requirement it does beg the question of what happens if you're involved in a traffic mishap and don't have one, ie Is your auto insurance invalid since you were (technically) not properly licensed to drive in the country?

This TripAdvisor post is not a perfect comparison, but involves a acar accident, uninsured driver, and no IDP.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187768-i20-k14521649-Accident_with_rental_car_other_driver_uninsured-Italy.html

Just wondering if anyone's been in this situation. We travelled to Sicily in April 2023, rented a car in Catania through Locauto. I added on all the insurance I could. My friend got in on a later flight so I did not add him as a driver. A couple of days later we were in Sciacca, I was stuck on a work call so I asked my friend to drive to the LIDL to get dinner. On the way he was hit by an out of control driver who crossed the median, hit a car in front of my friend, hit my friend, and then hit two cars behind them. As best I can tell our rental car was totaled. It was towed away that night by the police (Locauto was NO help). We went to the Locauto office in Palermo two days later and closed out the rental. Other than some generic emails we have not heard from Locauto. We tried for months to get a copy of the police report, frustrated I hired an attorney in Sicily and they were finally able to get the police report. It clearly states the other driver was at fault, but as best I can tell they were driving an uninsured car. They also charged my friend with driving without an International Driver's Permit (I could never get a straight answer if they are required, I've gotten them before when driving in Italy but neither I nor my friend got them for this trip). I have a call with the attorney this week.

Posted by
16086 posts

Since having an IDP in Italy is a legal requirement it does beg the
question of what happens if you're involved in a traffic mishap and
don't have one, ie Is your auto insurance invalid since you were
(technically) not properly licensed to drive in the country? Asking
for a friend ...

Could not find a definitive answer, and it probably depends on the individual insurance company. However you can tell your friend, that since getting an IDP costs only $20 (or $29 if you need the photos from AAA), it is better to be safe than sorry, therefore tell him/her that it is a good idea to get one. $20 here in San Francisco doesn't even buy you a plate of 'Spaghetti and Meatballs' (an Italian delicacy), so it is a good investment to avoid a 408€ fine and possibly denial of insurance coverage.

Posted by
10 posts

You’re not alone. Same thing happened to me in Milan last week. My car rental price went from $200 for a week to $600. UGH.