Help! Do I need an international drivers permit?
 

Just trying to rent a car in Scotland for 5 days. There is a bunch of jumbled info stating "TWO PART LICENCE HOLDERS MUST PRODUCE BOTH PARTS. INTERNATIONAL DRIVER'S PERMIT REQUIRED WITH ALL NON- EUROPEAN LICENCES"
Does that mean I have to get an international drivers permit??
HOW?!

You can get an international driver's permit from AAA.

get em at AAA offices.

what does it entail? A test?

If the rental company say you've got to have one it would be silly to ignore their advice & find you can't hire your car.

I have NEVER been asked for it when renting a car (Italy, France, Spain, Ireland) but if you are stopped by the police, they will probabaly expect you to have it. I strongly suggest you get one from AAA; it takes just a few minutes. Bring two passport photos with you.

No test. Just $20(?), your DL and two photos.

< what does it entail? A test? >

If handing over money is a test, then it's a test

And also to get one i believe your regular license has to be valid for a set time afterward.

An international driving permit is just a standard transposition of the information on a national drivers license. Almost nobody requires such a thing these days. Back when I used to work at Avis in France, we even had a decoding handbook to decipher the necessary information from Japanese and Korean licences, which had absolutely nothing in the Roman alphabet on them.

this forum is invaluable!
Thanks for your quick replies.
So they just want my money....hmmmm.

our drivers license does need to be current and covers the entire time you'll be in europe.

My IDL was $12 at AAA. I looked up the local AAA office, called, went in and had my picture taken and the license made. It took about 20 minutes.

If your rental company calls for it - you will need it. No IDL - no car

I think that there is a test for this license. It's a two part test: it checks your hearing and also for your eyes.

This is how this works:
They ask you for twenty Dollars. If you pull two tens out of your billfold, you'll pass. You've heard the amount and you saw how many bills were needed from your billford.

Sorry, this is a lame joke. Yet, this is all that was needed when I received their license.

I only used my International License once. It was in Sweden and I offered this to the Swedish policeman. He gave it back to me and asked for my Canadian license. So much for this use!

I've used just a normal license all over the world. In Korea I had coworkers who insisted to have this license. When I rented the car I offered my normal license and it was accepted.

But, it only a few Dollars so why take a chance.

Blackduff

weird thing...
I found the rental through expedia which was a rental from Enterprise.
I was going to just rent through enterprise to avoid the middleman...and theres where I saw the thing about the international drivers lisence.
So went back to expedia and no such requirement is on their rental agreement! It says "ALL DRIVERS MUST HAVE A VALID UK EUROPEAN OR FOREIGN
DRIVERS LICENSE HELD FOR A MINIMUM OF 12 MONTHS TO BE
PRODUCED AT TIME OF RENTAL. ALL UK RENTERS MUST
PRODUCE 2 ADDITIONAL FORMS OF PROOF OF ADDRESS AND
PHOTO ID. ALL OVERSEAS RENTERS REQUIRE PASSPORT AND
VALID DRIVERS LICENSE. "

But if you are renting from Enterprise, I would trust them rather than what Expedia says on their website. Expedia doesn't regular Enterprise rentals, so what the company says when you get there is what matters. Given how many various services Expedia sells, it wouldn't surprise me that they can't have accurate detailed information on the policies of every company.

When my husband went to AAA to get his, they took 2 pictures of him, because we didn't have 2 passport sized photos (just the one on his passport), and it cost a total of $20.00 (for the pics and license). No test.... easy easy..........

UK law most certainly doesn't require short-term visitors from most developed countries (including the US) to have anything other than a vaild national driving licence. UK police won't require an IDP should you be stopped.

BUT, of course, Enterprise may have some insurance requirement of their own (and actually, requiring an IDP would be a clever way of stopping long-term foreign residents from illegally driving here under their domestic licences). If getting an IDP is tricky, why not email Enterprise UK?

Just to settle it, this is what the UK government says

http://www.direct.gov.uk/Motoring/Dr...nLicence/fs/en

< You may drive vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes and with up to eight passenger seats, provided your full licence or driving permit remains valid for up to 12 months from the date of coming to GB. However, you may only drive large vehicles which have been registered outside GB and which you have driven into the country.>

Hi S,

All the info you need about an IDP is at www.aaasouth.com/travel_drivers.asp#idp

((I))

Wow there is a lot of strange information (much of it clearly wrong) on this thread.

First of all I'm sorry I'm not sure what they mean by a "Two part license holder", but if you have a regular US driver's license there is NO reason to get an International Driver's Permit which has NO function other than translating your own license information into other languages. The last time I checked Scotland speaks English, and there is no reason to get a translation of an English written driver's license to go there.

As to other countries, several REQUIRE that you have such a translation. The comment that "nobody asked me for one" just because the writer never got stopped by the police and asked for it, is about as meaningless as saying, "I don't need any auto insurance because I've never needed it as I've never had an accident."

I'm confused as well. An IDP is just a translation of your drivers license. If you are driving in an English-speaking country, which obviously Scotland is, I don't understand why an IDP would be necessary.

Tracy

< "Two part license holder" >

UK has a licence with one part being a CC sized card with photo & basic details on. It isn't legal to use as a driving licence unless you have the paper part as well which has fuller details

Why we have it - I don't know, probably something someone thought up as an April 1st joke which got out of hand

My NJ license was all I needed for the car rental in Scotland.

dssxxx who did you rent with?

Which company?? This exact question came up a couple of months ago about a rental car in Scotland. I had never heard of such a thing and have rented probably 75 cars in the UK. I could not believe what the poster was saying -- since an IDP is simply a translation of your Stateside license. That wouldn't be necessary in the UK. The poster kept insisting that is waht Enterprise's rental agreement said.

So I e-mailed Enterprise in the UK to find out for myself. Unfortunately I cleaned out my old e-mails a couple of weeks ago so I can't give you the exact quote (but I did quote it on a thread here) - NO - and IDP is not required.

I'll try to find the original thread . . . . .

Here is the thread: http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34822427

But it is a looooong thread so here is the relevant post:

Author: janisj
Date: 06/29/2006, 02:47 pm
dbaker: I e-mailed EnterpriseUK and finally got their response . . . .

An IDP is not required.

""Response (Christy) - 06/29/2006 09:42 AM
Thank you for your e-mail.

It is not required, you just need your valid drivers licence and passport."

There is a fair amount of misinformation being circulated, particularly that message of LN posted earlier today. It is incorrect that if you do not possess an Int'l Driver's License, the rental car company will not allow you to rent; a valid driver's license from any State in this country is sufficient and you will be driving in Europe legally. It is, however, a good idea to have the IDL; you can be fined if you are stopped by the police and do not have one. It is an internationally recognized means of driver identification and the cost, particularly if you get the license from AAA is very reasonable.

No, you will <u>not</u> be fined for not having an IDP (not IDL) in the UK. That is true most places BTW - except for Italy and a couple of other countries where and IDP is required. And IDP is not required in the UK and you will not be fined. The question was re whether the rental agency requires one or not.

If you still have a question - I suggest e-mailing the UK headquarters (NOT the Stateside office - they won't have a clue) of which ever rental agency you are using. OR - just go to AAA and pay $10 and get one and be done w/ it.

(I'd never get one for the UK myself.)

thanks!
dont know what Id do without you all!

cis1892, after your talking about all the misinformation here, I sure hope you didn't mean that the person with a US license would be fined if stopped in Scotland and didn't have an IDP! Now that IS misinformation. We aren't talking Italy here, we're talking about the UK.

steviegene,

I do not remember who I rented from..:-(

It was a 9 day golf vacation driving between St. Andrews, Glen Eagles and Turnberry. But, the NJ license was all that was required.

Everybody step aside: EXPERIENCE needs to step in!! :-D I have posted this info 289 times already in this forum, glad to do it again:

In the course of 20 years driving in Europe while on vacation, we have been stopped about 4 times by the police; 3 were routine checks, 1 was a traffic violation. In ALL 4 ocassions we handed over the IDP (free if you are a AA Plus Member; $60/year) and we were let go with no questioning, no pain whatsoever. Let me further explain:

IN ITALY: routine road check: the (gorgeous!) policeman said to us that to have an IDP is important because if we had committed a violation and they see the need to take a driver permit away, they are allowed to take the IDP instead (worth it if it could save me a trip to hideous DMV!).

IN FRANCE: drove the wrong way for about 15 feet), stopped by police, we handed over the IDP. The policeman took it, read it and, apparently, learned all he need it from it because he let us go with a scolding (in French, so who cares?).

IN SPAIN: rural country road, NOT a chance of communication in English, we handed over the IDP, same drill; all he needed to know about us was apparently in the IDP, because he let us go with not one question asked.

IN AMSTERDAM: Road Sobriety checks. Once again, handed over the IDP, no questions asked. The cop took a look into the car, on our way in no time.

IDP mandatory? probably not. Does it makes sense to have one? I have to say, I don't leave home for Europe without one if am driving....!

But the IDP is to translate the American's US (issued by the state of residence) into something like 15 non English languages. Since they speak English in Scotland (well the last I heard they did although I admit I don't always understand all the expressions) a law enforcement person in Scotland doesn't need a translation of the Americans drivers license.

If driving on the Continent I sure agree, whether the country in question requires it by law (as Italy does) I personally think it is a very good idea to have the IDP.

Viajero, that was all very interesting and important, but what does any of it have to do with needing an IDP for a US citizen (presumably) driving in SCOTLAND?

In your last statement you say you wouldn't leave home for Europe without one -- even when sticking to English speaking countries? What is the point?

Viajero2: That all may very well be true -- however the question is about the United Kingdom. An IDP can not possibly be of any use in the UK since it is just a translation of of the English on your DL into other languages. Last I heard - they can read English in the UK . . . . .

Oops - didn't meant to pile on - LoveItaly and Neopolitan were posting at the same time . . . . .

The point is, you can have several extentions or limitations to your license that don't translate automatically. My national license says I'm allowed to drive Class 3,4 and 5 vehicles. On the international license it's translated as Motorcyles up tp 50ccm, Trucks up to 7.5 tons, cars and several other vehicles. How is any foreign policeman supposed to knows what class 3 means?

Read the message, is all there.

Hint: I much rather hand over a worthless piece of paper that does the job (provides the info) than a document that I need to hang on to.

Really, what am I missing? is it really that painful to just get one???

I don't think you're listening to us Viajero. I'm all for getting an IDP for any country that requires one. I'm even not opposed to getting one for a country where it might come in useful. But what in the world is the point of paying money to get a translation of your US driver's license into a series of foreign languages when you aren't leaving the English speaking world?
What possible good would it do in ANY event? Would you be expecting to be stopped by a Scottish police officer who ONLY speaks Japanese, for example?

It wouldn't be all that much trouble to go get a yellow fever shot before going to Scotland either, but why would I do that? It actually might be more useful than an IDP.

And now that I think about, I'm curious if you also make sure you have an IDP if you travel to another state in the US (assuming that's where you live)? It will have exactly the same amount of importance or use in that case as it will in Scotland.