carolyn

The doesn't seem to be a definitive answer on whether you truly need an IDL when driving in Italy.<BR><BR>Whether you do or don't, my question is:<BR><BR>Has anyone been pulled over in Italy without one? If so, what happened? I am interested in actual experiences.<BR><BR>Thanks!

Cristina

There is a definitive answer; you need one. What opinions people have do not count. Just because some people have never needed to show theirs does not mean they are not needed. I didn't show my California license in the last 10 years that I lived in California and drove there but I still needed to have it. <BR><BR>BTW, I have been pulled over here for normal police checks (they do it all the time) and the first thing they asked when they saw my American DL was for my IDP. I had it of course. I do know of someone who was here illegally. Had been here for 2 years teaching and living and having fun. When the cops stopped him he showed his Arizona license. Cops asked for the IDP, he didn't have it so the cops asked for a passport (since that is international ID) and noted that the entry stamp was from 2 years prior. Asked for a permesso di soggiono (a permit to stay) and he didn't have it. He was taken to the police station and they checked to verify that he really did enter 2 years earlier and didn't just not get stamped. When all was confirmed, he was deported. He is not allowed back in the EU (not just Italy) for 5 years and to come back he needs permission from the minister of the interior. Now if he only had his IDP, none of that would have happened.

Cristina

Just to show that it is a law and not an opinion:<BR><BR>From the State Police Site http://www.poliziadistato.it/pds/faq/stradale/10.html<BR>From their FAQ:<BR>Sono un cittadino statunitense. Per condurre un'auto in Italia posso utilizzare la patente dello Stato di New York, USA, o e' d'obbligo la patente internazionale? Risposta E' necessario disporre della patente internazionale o, in alternativa, della patente americana accompagnata da una traduzione ufficiale in lingua italiana. Poich&eacute; le stesse disposizioni valgono anche per gli altri Paesi dell'Unione Europea, pare opportuno suggerire di chiedere il rilascio della patente internazionale con la quale &egrave; possibile condurre veicoli anche nel resto dell'Europa ed evitare di avere al seguito la traduzione della patente americana nelle diverse lingue europee. <BR><BR>From the FAQ:<BR>I am an American citizen. To drive an auto in Italy, may I use my NY State license or do I need an International License?<BR>It is necessary to have an international license or your American state license accompanied by an official translation in Italian. Because this same rule is valid for the entire EU, we suggest applying for an international license so that you can drive throughout Europe and avoid having to carry multiple translations of your American license. <BR><BR><BR><BR>From the ACI site (department of motor vehicles in Italy):<BR><BR>I conducenti con patente o permesso internazionale rilasciati da uno Stato estero non appartenente alla CE possono guidare in Italia veicoli per i quali &egrave; valida la loro patente (o il permesso) purch&eacute; non siano residenti in Italia da oltre un anno. Se la patente, o il permesso, non sono conformi a modelli stabiliti in convenzioni internazionali cui abbia aderito anche l'Italia, devono essere accompagnati da una traduzione ufficiale in lingua italiana o da documento equivalente. <BR>Drivers with licenses or international permits from a foreign state not of the EU may drive a vehicle for as long as their home license is valid as long as they have not been residents of Italy for more than a year. If the license or permit does not conform to the international conventions as does Italy, you must have an official translation into Italian or an equivalent document (IDP)<BR><BR><BR>

carolyn

Thanks! That is the first "official" information I have seen. Most things I have read on travel/tourism sites and from travel agents is it is not required, but HIGHLY reccomended. Guess a trip to AAA is in order.

Cristina

Glad to have been of help.

Bob Brown

Not having a date of entry stamp in a passport is quite easy to accomplish. I unwittingly did it last year. I don't think it would have been a big deal had I not flown home on September 21 from Munich. The Germans were checking everything!<BR><BR>Here is the sequence of events as I recall them. <BR>I arrived in Munich via Paris on a flight from Philadelphia. I had to change planes in Paris, and French officials never stamped my passport.<BR>After that passports were not checked again until I came home.<BR><BR>Had I not had my boarding pass from the inbound flight, I might have had a problem with the German official.<BR>As it was, he spoke decent English and accepted my explanation. He mumbled something about the French and let me go on through. <BR><BR>Also an international license is required for Austria as well.<BR>

Mike

Check with AAA. I know an IDL is required in Austria, but not sure about the rest of the European countries. I know it is not required in Germany & France, but AAA can give you all the scoop & poop.

Cristina

Read my reply with the text from the state police site. An IDL is required.

info

Just for your information, some IDL are valid only for one year (the one I get in Canada)....<BR>So an expired IDL may not have helped in your example of the "illegal visitor" ??

Jack

The funny part about an Iternational Drivers Permit is that is is valid for one year while your passport is valid for 10 years.<BR>I really don't understand why I can't use the same IDP year after year as long as I have a valid driver's license to go along with it.<BR>After all, the picture on the IDP is more recent than that on my passport.<BR>Futhermore, there are only 4 lines filled out above your picture on the IDP that a police officer reads:<BR>1. Last Name<BR>2. First Name<BR>3. Place of Birth<BR>4. City,State.Country you live in.<BR>Now why have to spend $10 to $17 dollars for one every year?

Gino

Why are you getting yourself in such a twist Cristina? We know it's the law but 50% of us choose to ignore this and live dangerously. What I want to know is why everyone gets so upset about it. Big deal, in this day and age it's my protest statement.

Gino

Oh, and here is why you have to get one every year . . . because they make money off of it. Who do you think makes up the one year rule expiration rule. It's not the Italian government, it's the ones who issue it and charge $10.

scofflaw

I had an IDL the first time I went to Europe in the 80s and never renewed as seemed worthless.<BR><BR>I've had to show my NYState (used to be Calif) license maybe 5 times over the years (Itally 2x, France 1X, Portugal, 1X and Germany 1X). Not once did police officers ever asked for an IDL (a carabiniari told me they would be so easy to forge it's not even funny). The most serious occasion was in Italy. However, all that being said and as has been said many times of this board, $10 buys a lot of security blanket for those who need it. (And, yes, I'm sure this is a handsome revenue stream to the AAA)

Dont

How can a private company like AAA issue anything "official", like an International Driver's License? Did the U.N. or the E.U. designate AAA as the issuer of International Driver's Licenses? Cristina's quote says an American license accompanied by an "official translation" is sufficient. There must be other things that qualify as official translations, something you could get without having to pay AAA $10. Maybe your local Italian consulate would furnish you with an "official translation" as a goodwill gesture. Wouldn't that satisy the requirements, Cristina?

StCirq

The Italian consulate won't offer official or unofficial translations for free, don't kid yourself. An official translation is one that is notarized, with the translator swearing that it is a faithful and accurate rendition of language of the source document. It would cost you a lot more to obtain an official translation than to pay the measly $10 to AAA.<BR><BR>And to Carolyn: IF you are pulled over by the Italian police and cannot produce an IDL (and assuming everything else like your passport is in order), you will be fined, on the spot.

carolyn

Thank you StCirq for actually answering my original question! <BR><BR>I really didn't want this to become a debate, just wanted to find out what happens to those who choose to live dangerously and get caught!

Sandy

I'm so happy I logged on to Fodors.com and read these threads. We're leaving tomorrow for Paris and have a reservations for a rental car. I called the AAA Club and sure enough, they said we can't rent a car without an international license, nor can we drive a car without one. And, now, my husand has the license, which took no time at all to get, and we have all the bases covered... thanks to this forum!

StCirq

Wait a minute, Sandy: You do NOT need an IDL in France.<BR><BR>Are you taking the car into Italy? THEN you'll need one.

Jack

To StCirq <BR>Do you know what the fine is?<BR>Suppose I produced my last year's IDP that showed all the pertinent infomation?<BR>Would I be lead off in handcuffs?

Insurance

I have just decided to open up an insurance agency to pay fines for those of you that travel to Italy without an IDL.<BR>Please send along $1.00 plus postage.<BR>I am fully committed to pay all fines associated with non compliance to the IDL law in Italy.<BR>Sincerely, Raul- from France.<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR ><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR >