International Drivers Permit

Depends on where you're travelling.

They are required some places, like Italy, and not in others. They are basically a translation of your American license, so if you are traveling to a country where the language is English (like the UK or Ireland), they aren't necessary.

Dianna, an I.D.P. is compulsory for driving in Italy, and drivers can be fined ON THE SPOT for failure to produce one if requested. Even if you're never asked for the I.D.P. by car rental agencies or Police, it's better to have one on hand as the cost of the fine will certainly exceed the very low cost of an I.D.P. I believe Greece is another of the countries that requires foreign drivers to have an I.D.P. Check with your local AAA office for details and current costs. Happy travels!

Oddly, most car rental places in Italy will gladly rent you a car without checking to see if you have an IDP. It is required by Italian law and as mentioned above, if you get asked for this license by the police and you don't have one, you won't like the result. It's $15 or so at your local AAA office (assuming there is one in Hawaii.

IDPs are necessary in Spain & Portugal(?)also.

I don't disagree with what anyone has said, and I always carry an IDP myself - but I'm curious about people's actual experiences. Has anyone who posts to this board ever 1) been asked for an IDP by a police officer in any country; or 2) been fined on the spot because they didn't have one.

This subject was beat to death a while back with a wide range of responses from never being asked to being fined. It strictly depends on the officer. It is one of those things that is better to have and not need it rather to need it and not have it.

I lost the argument with Norm two years ago, and have faithfully advocated getting an IDP. It is required in Italy, as others have stated, and you can be fined on the spot for not having one. But no one has come here with personal experience of being fined for the lack of one. What we have said - and here I speak from personal experience - is that if you are stopped by the police, you want them to have an easy time of deciphering your American drivers license (which is the expiration date? Which is the birth date?). To me, the fact that Italy does require an IDP and that Italy uses random traffic stops to inspect ID, makes having the IDP a good idea. One day, someone may come here to report that they were fined for not having one. It just hasn't happened yet.

Driving without an IDP in a country that requires it is like driving without insurance, you don't plan to be in a wreck but you keep your car insured just in case. Speaking of wrecks, if you have one, there's a good chance the Police will ask for your IDP. I've never actually needed my IDP, but I've never had a wreck or ticket either (so far).

Good point, James! Safer to believe (in the ID) and be wrong, than to not believe and be wrong.

Early in Rick's publishing career, I found ETBD and took his recommendations a bit literally. Planning to drive a rental car on one trip, I dutifully went to AAA (the one on SW Broadway, Kent), had my photo taken and got one. I was going to drive in England... In later trips, I decided I didn't need one, even though I was going to drive in countries with less - but only slightly less - use of comprehensible English. What I noticed was that the chances of being pulled to a stop at a police checkpoint in Italy are very good. And when I was stopped for speeding in France, my friendly Gendarme might have had an easier time writing my ticket and seeing me on my way, if he was confident he had the right information from my drivers license. As I've said before, if you're stopped by a Gendarme, you want a happy Gendarme. And you really want happy Carabiniere!

I've stated before that I almost didn't get a rental car in England without one. It's not required, but the rental agent was confused about my license expiration and the way my state renews them. They ultimately figured it out to their satisfaction and I got the car. Not so lucky in Greece where it is required but RS had an error in his book. None of the corporate agencies would rent a car without it. Point: I was once the "why bother" type. Not anymore. Get it!

As I have posted many times before, both my husband and I have been stopped in Italy, by police and the carabinieri, and have never been asked for an IDP. We are going back to Italy next June and we will both have IDPs. I would be very unhappy if we could not pick up our rental car if we did not have one and I don't want to have to come back and post about what happens if you are asked for one and don't have one. I hope we continue to be lucky in our travels but we are not tempting fate next year regarding IDPs.