NewPatrick - that's what i was looking for. now i take it seriously in Italy.

I still wonder if Germans say have to have IDP to drive in Italy or is there some EU exemption or are German licenses printed in all languages of the EU?

Ira - i agree not a plot but seems overhyped for most countries. And i've driven a lot in Italy and never had it and didn't know i had to so i think they should have signs up at the border that every license not printed in Italian needs the IDP to enter.

lpsmith's desription is so accurate.

It's an extremely silly document. I have no idea why any police would need that beyond the real license. What does it prove?

There should be some kind of official source of info regarding how serious this document is and what the consequences are if you don't carry one.

<No they don't because all driving licences issued by EU countries are recognised by all the other EU countries, so the need for an IDP if you HOLD a German licence doesn't come up.>

so the fact that the IDP is simply a translation of your license is bunk. It appears in your thinking that Italy does not recongize American drivers licenses and it's not the translation issue.

I don't know but i too thought it was the translation into local tongue that was the requirement and not the license itself.

Again i don't know still.

For American licenses it's probably because each state has it's own license, therefore it's hard to determine if a particular license is legit thus the need for the IDP.

<b>lackduff, you have a total misunderstanding of what an IDP is</b>

Maybe I'm wrong but there isn't a translation into the provided ten languages. Does this document really translate this in drivers license or is there just some weasel words saying &quot;it's good, just trust me&quot;.

In the case of my first (and last IDP) wasn't translated to Swedish. What good is this IDP. Will the Swedish police figure out this IDP, since it's translated to Italian?

Everybody keeps that the italians have this law. Does anyone seen this law. I think this will be fairly large, since it will require each country will have an IDP. Certainly the Italians are not just required for the Americans.

There are only two places to issue these IDPs. Why do they get to issue this document. It sure fishy to me. I think that the AAA is getting rich on stupidity.

Then again, I might be wrong.

Blackduff

Just to add the photo part of my UK issued licence has the EU &quot;circle of stars&quot; symbol

Blackduff, I think it's a bit much to expect an Italian highway cop to recognize the licences issued by 50 US states and DC.

The AAA probably has the monopoly because it's a *national* US organization.

Do Brits say who drive in the U.S. bring an IDP here or when they go to Switzerland or Norway, non-EU countries?

Do Italians need IDP to drive in U.S. or Germans, etc.

My state recognizes German and French licenses and vice versa - they have an agreement and it's printed in the What Drivers Should Know booklet.

Perhaps other states have such agreements with say Italy?

The difference between Sweden and Italy is that Italy requires an IDP. Last time I checked Sweden does not.

I don't know what the big deal is. Its $15 and takes about 5 minutes at a local AAA.

Tracy

Here are the requirements for driving in Italy as found on the Italy Tourism website:

Driving License Regulations
Italy recognises driving licenses and other traffic documents that are valid in other countries. U.S. and Canadian driving licenses are valid in Italy but the license must be accompanied by a translation or an international license (check your local AAA in USA or CAA in Canada). For motorists not in possession of an International Driving license, the ACI (Automobile Club d'Italia) will issue a declaration upon presentation of a U.S. or a Canadian license. The declaration is obtainable at any ACI offices. Seat belts are compulsory in Italy.

http://www.italiantourism.com/transp.html

Tracy

http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/...fety_1179.html

link to the official info on the state dept. site. The IDP appears to be an UN sanctioned thing.

Doubtless there are people on this board who think the earth must be flat.

But for the flat earthers:
- People with driving licences not issueed by EU member states must have either an IDP or an official translation issued by the ACI(www.italiantourism.com/transp.html), the Italian government website aimed at American tourists
- An IDP contains information in a standard format. That's why it is sometimes accepted in counrries using languages that don't feature in an IDP
- Most driving licences issued in the EU in the past decade conform to a standard EU Format that shows visually not only who you are and when the licence was issued but what you're allowed to drive
- Sources differ about the legality of driving in Italy with old-format EU licences. But that confusion is irrelevant to the basic fact that matters here:

<b> Italian law requires Americans to have an IDP or an ACI-issued translation oftheir licence </b>

I have a DUtch issued license. It is recognised throughout the EU - because it follows a standard format and the police in any EU land (and indeed Norway etc) know the format and can see what I am licensed to drive, and for how long it is valid, they can read the name address etc, and see the photo.
I take an IDP to the States with me, not because it is compulsory there (I have no idea if it is or not) but because it makes life easier for any cop who may stop me, and I want to make their lives easy. I assume that a US police officer does not know what a &quot;rijbewijs BE&quot; means, where as an Italian officer would.
It costs a few euros/dollars for an IDP but it can save a lot of hassle, and money.

Just to prove that UK folk do have to have an IDP and that it isn't a UN / Opus Dei / Lizard People plot to rob Good Honest Americans

http://www.theaa.com/getaway/idp/motidp005.html

Perhaps the problem is that American licences are issued by the authorities in each state, and not by the Federal government. State authorities are not governed by any international agreement on what licences should look like, so an IDP is needed to confirm that a particular licence is a valid document.

It is not just Americans to have to have IDPs. I expect Koreans and Ukrainians have to have them as well. Why Italy in particular wants U.S. drivers to have them, I cannot say.

The blank IDPs are delivered to AAA offices by a fleet of black helicopters. See Fodorite Lounge for details.

USA IDP recommended - so Brits or presumably even Dutch do not have to have IDP in U.S. Though it's recommended and i think this could well be the same in many European countries save italy - recommended and not required (and IMO if not required not needed)

It seems like this might be an opportunity for enterprising individual to setup a website with the IDP translations that you could fill out for yourself and print at home. It appears to me that Italian law says you must have either a translation or an IDP.

Wouldn't work go4fun - who would know if you had filled it in correctly? The IDP at least gets a stamp on it from the motoring organisation that issues it.

i think the actual text could say 'internationally recongized translation' i.e. only the IDP or ACI things. Not sure but i could translate the back license info in Italian with an Italian dictionary.

But i think as several has said it's easy to get $15 at AAA - so the discussion is interesting but the only thing is - get it whether you need it or not.