International Driver's License

It is necessary if you are asked for it. Whether you will be asked is a matter of luck. Once I was asked by the local rental office in Jerez. If you are stopped by a cop . . . It's easy to obtain and not expensive, considering the other costs of a car or a trip, for that matter. BTW, it's a "permit", not a license.

Many countries require foreign drivers to have an International Driver Permit, in addition to their own drivers license. Rental companies may or may not require proof at the time you pick up the car. It's incumbent on the renter to do their research and get one before their trip if it's necessary. It is the law in those countries. Failure to produce one when asked by police could result (at the very least) in a stiff fine. You might be able to rent a car without one, but if you have an accident or are stopped by police while driving, you'd be in a heap of trouble.

They're easy to get. Just go to your nearest AAA office with 2 passport photos and ( I think) $20.

I doubt RS would advise that as this is against the law in many countries in Europe. The US driver's licence -regardless of the issuing state- is NOT a valid document for driving here, unless it's accompanied with the IDP.

Well he's not advising to do it but indicates he doesnt necessarily do it himself. Page 946 2017 RS guide to Spain indicates that he "generally rents cars without having this permit". He recommends getting advice from the rental company. I'd prefer to get advice from other foreigners driving in Europe. As I asked for others' experience so it sounds like it would be a good idea to get it, so I will do so. Better to be safe than sorry. Thanks all!

We have never been asked for it when renting but the one time we were stopped by police it was the first thing he asked for and he was actually obviously disappointed that we had it; he just looked at it and our DL and sent us on our way with after admonishing for having our fog lights on during clear weather (a mistake in an unfamiliar rental car -- we didn't realize they were on) It is legally required and cheap to acquire so why not?

To begin with, one point to clarify. It's not an "International Driver's License" but rather an International Driver's Permit, which must be used in conjunction with your home license. You can obtain and I.D.P. at any AAA/CAA office for a small fee, and the permit is valid for one year.

Regardless of what's listed in RS books, IMO an IDP IS necessary for driving in Spain. You may find it "revealing" to read this post from a few years ago.....

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/transportation/you-do-need-an-idp-when-driving-in-spain-or-pay-250-euros

Given the small cost of an IDP, it would be a very good idea to have one!

Note one sentence in the post Ken linked to:
"and they were not going to let me drive at all. Fortunately my wife had her IDP and she could drive.
In other words, without an IDP you are not allowed to drive a car. It is not just the fine. If that person's wife hadn't had an IDP to go with her licence, the car would have been towed and they would have had to call a taxi.

This is not a risk you should be taking, get an IDP and be legal.

I always drive in Spain and have never been asked for it. It is required, YES. You don't want to pay the fine if you're stopped and asked for, and don't have it. Go to AAA and spend the $20.

State Department: https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country/spain.html
Tourism Office of Spain official website: http://www.spain.info/en_US/
Driving in Spain: http://www.spain.info/en_US/informacion-practica/consejos-viaje/consejos-practicos/conducir_en_espana/

Allow me to make a general reflection...

Do you need an IDP -alongside your driver's license- to drive in Spain? YES, the "current" law in Spain says so. Period. Europeans don't, as explained by Chris above. The different European Driving Licenses, issued in their respective countries, suffice.

Do you need to carry a valid ID with you at all times while in Spain? YES, the "current" law in Spain says so. Period. BTW, valid ID is either the passport -not photocopies-, the National ID (for those countries issuing one) or the European Driving License (no the US counterpart, nor the SocSec card, nor anything else).

So, the typical replies in the likes of "I've been there 20 times and have never been asked" or "I did live there for a while and never had to produce an ID" often seen in this and other travel forums are not only irrelevant but also counterproductive because WHEN one of our Police Officers has a reason -whatever that might be- to require these documents the Law is in his side, and not having them with you "can" result in fines, impounded cars, or worst, being taking to the Police station for ID -with all the commotion and waste of time involved. And that's that.

It's also true that flexibility -I'd even say, common sense- is often applied: if you are trying to use your ccard in a shop and a piece of ID is required, some (only some!) might accept anything with your photo on it -alas, even your library card!- or if you're stopped for a routine spot check, anything that's minimally credible to ID you might be accepted by the Police Officer, BUT that won't be always the case and if say, for example, you're involved in an accident, caught the middle of a brawl, on a DUI check, in the area where a major crime has been committed, or just trying to buy something with your ccard in major supermarket chains -which have stricter rules-, then you're screwed if you don't have the proper ID with you.

And ladies and gentlemen, this is not debatable, opinionable or negotiable... it's the Law over here (for now anyway).

It's amazing the reaction of some non-residents/visitors when confronted with these facts, trying to justify, argue or defend untenable positions just because "...I've been there several times and I've never...", or "...my travel agent back home said...", or "... I read in this travel guide that...". With all due respect, those are/can be unreliable sources, so since ID is a serious matter, either you trust local residents -that are likely to know better- or search the appropriate authority for this, in this case, the Ministry of the Interior of the Kingdom of Spain.... not the RS guide -not pun intended RS staff! :)

Apologies for this uncalled rant, but the issue is constantly and uselessly resurfacing and, rightly or wrongly, the Law continues to be the same, and after all, nobody wants to land in hot water when on holiday for ignoring local laws, right?

PS: No, dear PR from NY, I'm not answering your innocent question above :)) I'm just making a general reflection to everybody that still "questions" the need to comply with this.

As others have said, go to AAA and get the permit. It's not too expensive, and it's better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it. Your car rental desk won't ask to see one, and we've never (yet -- thankfully) gotten puller over by a cop in Europe, nor (thankfully) had a car accident in Europe, so we've never needed to present one, but having it fulfills the obligation if it was ever needed.

Too bad the IDP isn't the same size as a passport - it fits in my moneybelt, but it's just a little bit taller and wider than it needs to be. Your AAA will take your photo (and charge you for it) for the IDP, if you don't have a spare passport-sized photo already.