International Driving Permit - USA

srisport · 6 March 2017 at 12:36PM

Just reading Martins car hire tips and noticed this towards the bottom of the article.....

A quick search on this forum and not much has been said about them since 2015-ish...

Is it worth bothering with?

I will be driving in San-Francisco, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

I will be contacting Alamo who I'm hiring with to check on their procedures for this kind of thing but thought it might be worth here as well.

Regards.

jackieblack · 6 March 2017 at 12:48PM

No, this all died a death a few weeks after being introduced several years ago, unless your driving licence is in a non-English language.
I've hired cars in more than a dozen different states and never needed one.

https://www.usa.gov/visitors-driving

srisport · 6 March 2017 at 1:07PM

jackieblack wrote: »

No, this all died a death a few weeks after being introduced several years ago, unless your driving licence is in a non-English language.
I've hired cars in more than a dozen different states and never needed one.

https://www.usa.gov/visitors-driving

Thank you for your quick response, I also read something along the lines of what you said with florida abolishing a law they tried introducing.

Ive also just phoned Alamo who confirmed that so long as a driving license is produced in English then an IDP is not required.

Regards.

Heliflyguy · 7 March 2017 at 4:53PM

Bit off topic but I always wondered how travel insurance might approach this should one be unfortunate enough to need to make a claim due to a traffic accident and not having an IDP when it is required.

We always get one but thats for driving in Thailand.

jackieblack · 7 March 2017 at 5:56PM

Heliflyguy wrote: »

Bit off topic but I always wondered how travel insurance might approach this should one be unfortunate enough to need to make a claim due to a traffic accident and not having an IDP when it is required.

We always get one but thats for driving in Thailand.

Key phrase highlighted above.
Not required for USA if your licence is in English, so not an issue.

Chaufeurse1956 · 14 July 2017 at 5:02PM

Never fails to amaze me that MSE, and others, continues to pedal this rubbish about an IDP being necessary for the US, it isn't, it never actually was if ones driving licence is English written. The whole idea of an IDP is it translates a limited amount of languages into English. It was a faux pas Bill by Fl Gov Rick Scott early 2013 and was rescinded within weeks. We have friends from the Cz Republic, their dl's are written in Cz and English, they too don't waste money on an IDP.

Today an acquaintance was incorrectly advised by the Post Office they need an IDP at a cost of £9. Shame on the PO and other companies pedaling this BS charge to unsuspecting customers.

DVLA code, US law enforcement do not recognise our driving penalties a code is not required for US car hire! It may be for UK hire, but not for US.

Finally, the passport validity rule. No, you DO NOT require 6 month validity remaining on a UK citizen issued pp. UK citizens are members of the US CBP 'Six Month Club', you're pp can expire anytime post a US visit, be it a day or a week. Six Month Club, https://www.cbp.gov/document/bulletins/six-month-club-update

The requirement that a passport is valid for travel for six months beyond the holder’s stay in the United States is waived for certain nationalities, including British Citizens.

NOTE: The UK pp office will add up to 9 months validity when renewing a UK pp. If one doesn't hold a valid ESTA that option is open should they wish to pp renew early, then one will need to apply for ESTA. New pp = new ESTA application.

The above info can be confirmed by performing internet searches.

WAYT · 14 July 2017 at 8:08PM

Chaufeurse1956 wrote: »

Never fails to amaze me that MSE, and others, continues to pedal this rubbish about an IDP being necessary for the US, it isn't, it never actually was if ones driving licence is English written. The whole idea of an IDP is it translates a limited amount of languages into English. It was a faux pas Bill by Fl Gov Rick Scott early 2013 and was rescinded within weeks. We have friends from the Cz Republic, their dl's are written in Cz and English, they too don't waste money on an IDP.

Today an acquaintance was incorrectly advised by the Post Office they need an IDP at a cost of £9. Shame on the PO and other companies pedaling this BS charge to unsuspecting customers.

DVLA code, US law enforcement do not recognise our driving penalties a code is not required for US car hire! It may be for UK hire, but not for US.

Finally, the passport validity rule. No, you DO NOT require 6 month validity remaining on a UK citizen issued pp. UK citizens are members of the US CBP 'Six Month Club', you're pp can expire anytime post a US visit, be it a day or a week. Six Month Club, https://www.cbp.gov/document/bulletins/six-month-club-update

The requirement that a passport is valid for travel for six months beyond the holder’s stay in the United States is waived for certain nationalities, including British Citizens.

NOTE: The UK pp office will add up to 9 months validity when renewing a UK pp. If one doesn't hold a valid ESTA that option is open should they wish to pp renew early, then one will need to apply for ESTA. New pp = new ESTA application.

The above info can be confirmed by performing internet searches.

IDP is £5.50
http://www.postoffice.co.uk/international-driving-permit

Country list; http://www.theaa.com/driving-advice/driving-abroad/idp-country-list

USA

J – IDP recommended as, in the event of an accident, some insurance companies will insist on seeing one. Additionally those licences which do not incorporate a photograph need to be accompanied by photographic proof of identity.

R – USA (Florida) compulsory IDP – 1 January 2013
A law was introduced in Florida, USA, on 1 January 2013 requiring all persons who hold a licence issued outside of the US to carry an International Driving Permit along with their national driving licence.

The Governor of Florida repealed this law on 2 April 2013, however, car hire companies and insurance companies can impose their own terms and conditions so you should check with your intended hire/insurance company prior to travel or obtain an IDP as a precautionary measure.

Chaufeurse1956 · 17 July 2017 at 4:58PM

IDP is not necessary for the USA, the PO and AA information is incorrect. When Gov Rick Scott set this Bill away Jan 2013 it was discovered it contravened the Geneva Convention, he very quickly rescinded within weeks, it was a huge faux pas on Scott's part. I was in the US during the process, Scott was left rather red faced.

An IDP is purely a document that translate a non-English driving licence into English. Again somebody is pedalling rubbish about car hire suppliers, if one looks into their T&Cs you will discover that most, if not all, state an IDP is not necessary, and as most car suppliers self insure they have no interest in IDP or that other chestnut, a DVLA code. We own a vehicle in SW Fl, our car insurance have no interest whatsoever in an IDP, their response was, 'what the heck is that?'. A UK international driving licence and passport is sufficient for any information a car insurance company requires.

There's copious amounts of information regarding this faux pas on the internet. We're Fl long stay visitors year on year and thoroughly researched, don't take my word for it, search for yourself, likely you'll discover the majority of sites claiming a Brit, holding an English driving licence, require IDP are the ones selling it.

stevie11 · 17 July 2017 at 5:45PM

Chaufeurse1956 wrote: »

snip...............
A UK international driving licence and passport is sufficient for any information a car insurance company requires. Snip......

Do you mean a standard UK licence or is there a UK international licence?

I totally agree with everything you say but the topic of IDP is quite interesting to me at present due to the fact I was denied a car in the UAE recently after pre-booking with a UK based car rental agency. On arrival the rental company would not accept my 30 year old paper licence, maybe if I had an IDP it would have saved me a lot of inconvenience and stress;)

photome · 17 July 2017 at 6:15PM

I rent cars every year in the USA and have never had a IDP and I only have a UK Paper license ( in bits)

peachyprice · 17 July 2017 at 6:20PM

stevie11 wrote: »

Do you mean a standard UK licence or is there a UK international licence?

I totally agree with everything you say but the topic of IDP is quite interesting to me at present due to the fact I was denied a car in the UAE recently after pre-booking with a UK based car rental agency. On arrival the rental company would not accept my 30 year old paper licence, maybe if I had an IDP it would have saved me a lot of inconvenience and stress;)

There is no such thing as a UK International licence

I've always taken an IDP when hiring in UAE. It's the only place I've ever used one.

International Driving Permit - USA

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