Need for IDP

It's cheap and pretty easy to get, so I see no reason not to. May not be mandatory, but run into a non-English speaking cop and it could save a lot of hassle. I have seen some places say it's mandatory - I don't know for sure, but if there's any doubt, I'd rather spend $20 on it now than get a ticket and loose time for the hassle!

Here are the most recent posts on this subject:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/transportation/international-drivers-permit-f8aaad05-1f7f-46e6-b898-e5d82454770c
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/france/international-drivers-license-4c4ad77f-740b-4723-a27e-7fb43b22f495
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/austria/covering-a-lot-of-territory

No problems until you are stopped by a cop or are in an accident. Sh** happens. Just go to your local AAA and get the IDP. Its painless.

It is mandatory in Italy, actually, and it costs about $20, and you " had no trouble" driving in Italy last time without an IDP because " driving" is not what gets you in trouble. It is being stopped by the police for whatever reason or having the misfortune of being in an accident. That' s when you need the IDP.

I believe it is mandatory in Italy, as Norma says. There is no downside to getting one, anyway. And I would want to be sure that the police could tell I had a valid license, is something happened.

We got stopped by the police on August 8, 2015, north of Volterra, Italy, in our rental car in a random pull-over (the two policemen were sitting on the side of the road, randomly waving cars over for checks). We pulled over, and he asked us something in Italian. We don't speak Italian. He luckily said, "Driver's license?" in English. We pulled out our US driver's license and IDP. He scrutinized both and turned every page in the IDP. He then said "perfecto" and let us go. As we pulled away, I said, "That was the best $15 we ever spent." I was super-scared during the encounter, but we had done nothing wrong, and it all turned out OK. Moral of this story: get an IDP. If you are a AAA Plus member, you even get free photos for your IDP each year from AAA (which I didn't know until I got there)!

Michael,

"I believe Rick Steves said it was not mandatory. "

I'm not sure I agree with that statement, as I believe an IDP is compulsory in Italy.

Under the heading of "Compulsory Documents" listed on the Automobile Club of Italy website, they state.....

"When driving in Italy, you need to have the following documents with you:
Valid national driving licence enabling to drive the category of vehicle driven. Unless your national driving licence was issued by an EU/EFTA-member state, it must be accompanied either by an international driving permit, to be obtained prior to departure, or by a sworn translation into Italian.

This is the information provided by the Government of Canada for Canadian citizens driving abroad. Italy is covered right at the beginning, and the pertinent section states "provided they also have an International Driving Permit (IDP) or an official translation."

http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/italy-italie/consular_services_consulaires/driver_licence-permis_conduire.aspx?lang=eng

You'll have to check to see what the U.S. State Dept. has to say on the subject.

Michael, it is usually clarified on this forum when this subject comes up, that EACH DRIVER needs to carry their valid home driver's license, plus an IDP. It's not just one IDP for a family or group, if more than one person might be driving at different times.

EACH driver will of course also have to be specified on the rental contract.

All it takes to get one is $15 and 2 passport photos (which the AAA can take for you if you don't have them). The whole process has never taken me longer than 20 minutes, including walking to the local AAA (which I'm lucky to have 3 blocks from my office).

It is required by law and most rental companies won't let you take the rental without seeing them first. Just because you weren't stopped the last time you drove in Italy doesn't mean you won't be this time. I've never needed my regular drivers license for anything here at home but I still have it because it's required by law to have it when driving. An IDP is the same sort of thing, it's required by law to have, even if you actually never get stopped and need to produce it.

Donna

It is required by Italian law.

I have a question for those that wonder why they should bother getting one. How many times has a police officer asked to see your drivers license? For me, it may be a handful at most in almost 30 years of driving. Extremely rare to say the least. But I would never think of driving my car without it. Do most people actually drive around without their license?

It is also now mandatory in France. We have only been stopped once in years of driving in Italy as tourists; my husband had accidentally turned on the fog lights on a rental car which is illegal except when it is foggy. We got off with a warning but they did want to see his license and his IDP. I felt that if we had not had that, we might well have been ticketed.

In several driving trips while abroad, I have never had to produce an IDP, so I guess I could say they are not needed. And I have never had to use insurance for a rental car, either. But I always buy both. You never know when you might need them.

First time I rented a car in Europe was in Spain, Europcar, and they wanted to see my IDP.

A faq (#2040) in the Italian police homepage says the IDP is mandatory. It is up to you ignoring a local law and in case face the consequences.

http://www.poliziadistato.it/faq/view/20751/

Sounds like I need to get the IDP before going to Italy this fall. Thanks to all for the input.

To add to what Kyle said above . . the random pull over by law enforcement in Italy seems fairly common. It's often not clear what they're looking for. We've been stopped in the Dolomites and, more recently on the road just outside Sansepolcro. We've also seen it happening several other times, but weren't nabbed. Neither of the officers spoke English the two times we were selected, so I was glad to have my IDP.