International Driving Permit

Rick is correct. However note that an int'l DL is issued in several languages and at least the local gendarmes will know that you have a valid DL as they may not know any English and not understand your DL. Int'l Dl are issued by the AAA (CAA in Canada) for a small fee around $15.00(less is you are an AAA member) and are issued for one year. In short they are a translated version of your DL into several European languages.

I had a question about the IDP and was wondering if any of us know the answer??

If the IDP is valid for one year, and your driver's lisense was revoked or suspended back home...would other countries be able to check validity upon presentation of the IDP?

I'd say for the $15 bucks an IDP costs...get one just incase you end up going somewhere unexpectedly where it is required.

France doesn't require an IDP. However, I know from personal experience that an IDP makes a Gendarme's job easier and, in such situations, you want a happy Gendarme.

All they do is translate your state's drivers license so that a cop knows which numbers are your birthdate and which are your license expiration date.

In answer to Flight Attendant, IDPs aren't linked to any databases, so they won't tell if a drivers license has been revoked. Probably, that's one reason they're only good for a year.

Thanks Doug and Norm for explaining that to me. I can't say I've ever driven while abroad. Not YET, anyway! I'd like to take my turn but the problem is that I have what you might call...a lead foot and so no one "allows" me to drive!

I guess they figured that speed plus driving on the opposite side of the road (UK) might be a receipe for disaster!

But come on, I'm not going to floor a pokey mini-van the way I bomb the 400 series highways back home in my Mitsubishi Eclipse turbo!!

Thanks for the info & advice!

I e mailed this issue to Avis and they tell me that in France you must have an Int. license if you live in a non EU country so I bought one just to be safe

Flight attendant...since the IDP is just a multiple translation of your drivers' license, it can't stand on its own....it must be presented with your regular driver's license. If your license is suspended back home, but you still have the physical copy of it (and it hasn't expired) you could probably get by, since there's no data link between European police forces and North American licensing agencies....at least, until they pick you up for some sort of driving infraction...at that point, they might contact your local police force, and then the cat would be out of the bag! ;)

Got a ticket(s) in France and they asked for my Drivers License and car rental contract. I gave them the IDP as well which is what they (there were two of them) used to write the ticketa since it was a translation of my DL. Did not ease the fine any but it made it easier on the police to write the ticket. Sometimes I am just too accomodating when giving my money away.

From the French Embassy: "You may drive with a valid U.S. driver's license. In addition to that, it is recommended (not required) to carry an International Driving Permit or attach a French translation to your US driver's license." So no, you do not NEED to get one.

You should, however, contact your own rental car agency to see whether they will require one. Frankly, I'm surprised that lee says that Avis wants one in order to rent a car as we have not, in the past, had this requirement. Even in countries that require the IDP we have never had the rental agency ask us to produce the IDP in order to rent the car. They require our regular valid driver's licence but have never asked to see the IDP. Just got back from Strasbourg to visit our daughter - rented from Budget - picked up in Switzerland, drove to France, dropped in Germany. Didn't get an IDP ahead of time and didn't worry about it.

Flight Attendant,

as Norm mentioned the IDP is just a multi-language translation of the terms and conditions of your "home" Driver's License. It is not a license and can not be used on it's own.

Here in BC if a D.L. is revoked, suspended or whatever, the License must be surrendered to the MVB. The driver must then re-apply to have a new License issued at the end of the suspension period.

Therefore, anyone in that position wouldn't have the License in their possession to present to French (or other) Police agencies when travelling, and so wouldn't be able to drive at all in other jurisdictions. Getting an additional fine for "failure to produce" wouldn't be too pleasant.