International Driving Permit needed to drive a car in Florida from 1st Jan 2013

claire16c

photome wrote: »

If you have a 2 part UK license

I have one & always take the annoying bit of paper with me but of course am never asked for it as I doubt they even know it exists.

whiskymincher

Been knocked on the head at least for the time being see below

Here's an official release from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles;

The new law has been temporarily suspended it seems!!!



STATEMENT FROM THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAY SAFETY AND MOTOR VEHICLES
ON THE INTERNATIONAL DRIVING PERMIT

During the 2012 legislative session, the Florida Legislature amended section 322.04, Florida Statutes, to require visitors from outside the United States to have an International Driving Permit in order to drive lawfully in Florida. This change took effect Jan. 1, 2013.

It has come to the Department’s attention that this requirement may violate the Geneva Convention on Road Traffic (1949), an international treaty to which the United States is a signatory. Treaties to which the United States is a party preempt state laws in conflict with them.

Therefore, the Florida Highway Patrol will defer enforcement of violations of the amended statutory section until a final determination of the alignment of the amendment with the treaty can be made. Non-resident visitors to Florida who wish to drive while here will be required to have in their immediate possession a valid driver license issued in his or her name from another state or territory of the U.S. or from their country of residence. However, the FHP will not take enforcement action based solely on the lack of an International Driving Permit.

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claire16c

LOL! So all the people who updated their websites can now update them all over again ...

ferf1223

claire16c wrote: »

I have one & always take the annoying bit of paper with me but of course am never asked for it as I doubt they even know it exists.

agree, but once when we were in Vegas I actually left my photocard licence in the hotel (Bally's) when we went to pick up the car at another hotel (TI)...but had the annoying bit of paper in my filofax thing I only ever have with me on holiday and always have in my bag on holiday (annoying bit of paper lives in the filofax)...so I just passed that over with my passport and hoped really hard and no one said a thing.

so the annoying bit of paper at least in that instance saved me a trip back to the hotel.

photome

claire16c wrote: »

I have one & always take the annoying bit of paper with me but of course am never asked for it as I doubt they even know it exists.

They know it exists as I only have a paper license (in 3 bits) that I use each year in Vegas

the annoying bit to me is the photo part as it only lasts 10 years and costs to renew, my paper license has been good for 33 years so far

jackieblack

whiskymincher wrote: »

Been knocked on the head at least for the time being see below

Here's an official release from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles;

The new law has been temporarily suspended it seems!!!



STATEMENT FROM THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAY SAFETY AND MOTOR VEHICLES
ON THE INTERNATIONAL DRIVING PERMIT

During the 2012 legislative session, the Florida Legislature amended section 322.04, Florida Statutes, to require visitors from outside the United States to have an International Driving Permit in order to drive lawfully in Florida. This change took effect Jan. 1, 2013.

It has come to the Department’s attention that this requirement may violate the Geneva Convention on Road Traffic (1949), an international treaty to which the United States is a signatory. Treaties to which the United States is a party preempt state laws in conflict with them.

Therefore, the Florida Highway Patrol will defer enforcement of violations of the amended statutory section until a final determination of the alignment of the amendment with the treaty can be made. Non-resident visitors to Florida who wish to drive while here will be required to have in their immediate possession a valid driver license issued in his or her name from another state or territory of the U.S. or from their country of residence. However, the FHP will not take enforcement action based solely on the lack of an International Driving Permit.

###

Excellent news!:dance:

I wonder how well publicized the "final determination of the alignment of the amendment with the treaty " will be? :think:

ferf1223

photome wrote: »

They know it exists as I only have a paper license (in 3 bits) that I use each year in Vegas

the annoying bit to me is the photo part as it only lasts 10 years and costs to renew, my paper license has been good for 33 years so far

I think it's the paper counterpart to a photocard they may not know exists...when handing over a photocard licence, I have never been asked for the paper counterpart, but by golly the one time I do not have it with me I will be asked, I am sure.

peachyprice

Well, that didn't last long. What a farce. :rotfl:

claire16c

ferf1223 wrote: »

agree, but once when we were in Vegas I actually left my photocard licence in the hotel (Bally's) when we went to pick up the car at another hotel (TI)...but had the annoying bit of paper in my filofax thing I only ever have with me on holiday and always have in my bag on holiday (annoying bit of paper lives in the filofax)...so I just passed that over with my passport and hoped really hard and no one said a thing.

so the annoying bit of paper at least in that instance saved me a trip back to the hotel.

Glad to know I'm not the only person who keeps it in a holiday type folder . That's exactly the only time I carry it about too!

photome wrote: »

They know it exists as I only have a paper license (in 3 bits) that I use each year in Vegas

the annoying bit to me is the photo part as it only lasts 10 years and costs to renew, my paper license has been good for 33 years so far

ferf1223 wrote: »

I think it's the paper counterpart to a photocard they may not know exists...when handing over a photocard licence, I have never been asked for the paper counterpart, but by golly the one time I do not have it with me I will be asked, I am sure.

Exactly. I don't mean the old style paper licenses, I mean the silly paper bit that they still produced when thru changed the licenses to photo cards. I've seen my Dad use the old style paper one in the US lots when we were kids - and he did get funny looks or questions sometimes but never a refusal or anything.

photome

^^^^^

I see, i didnt know the paper part that goes with the photocard was different to what I have...you live and learn