How about Germans driving in the US, any special requirments?
May 18th, 2006, 06:52 AM
#21
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What this means is that an IDP in Germany has the same value as a written translation from your german grandma, none... The german police can't ask for such a document, it has no lagal value at all. That's quite interesting!
May 18th, 2006, 07:03 AM
#23
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Federal Department of Transportation regulations permit a foreign visitor to drive on a foreign drivers license for 12 months. As a prosecutor, I have had tickets written to people driving on foreign licenses for less than 12 months thrown out of court based upon this regulation.
May 18th, 2006, 08:26 AM
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Ira, the interesting thing is that Germany didn't sign the treaty on IDPs as the US did, an IDP in Germany is just like any privatly made translation. So the police can't ask for one or fine you if you don't hold one. It's totally up to you, nice isn't it...
However IDP's are not issued in Germany, if a US state would make them a nesessity, this would be the same as to ban German drivers on their streets, funny, isn't it!
However IDP's are not issued in Germany, if a US state would make them a nesessity, this would be the same as to ban German drivers on their streets, funny, isn't it!
May 18th, 2006, 05:06 PM
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I think most people here are responding that an IDP may be required by local law NOT by a rental company. The rental companies only require a valid drivers license (and often don't even ask to see that in my experience). They don't ask about the IDP, even in Europe. It is the the policeman who stops you for speeding and sees your license in German who might appreciate having the IDP which has an English translation an indicates that you have a valid license. While you would think that the rental company would want to be able to read the renters license as well, apparently they don't really care, as one poster said above, all they want is your credit card....
Now swalter's post is interesting to me. Swalter, have police written tickets to people for NOT having a drivers license issued by a US state? That was the actual charge? You then, as a federal/state prosecuter, had those charges dropped because of the FDT regulation which allows "foreign visitors" to drive for up to 12 months on their foreign license? If that is the case, then the OP has nothing to worry about in the case of his friend.
Can you please give me the cite for the FDT reg in the Federal Register?
Does this regulation apply to US citizens who do are resident outside the US but are in the US and are driving on foreign licenses? I drive in the US several times a year on my Swiss and Hong Kong licenses and have always assumed I can do this; but if you say this applies only to "foreign visitors" I need to understand the definition of that term.
Now swalter's post is interesting to me. Swalter, have police written tickets to people for NOT having a drivers license issued by a US state? That was the actual charge? You then, as a federal/state prosecuter, had those charges dropped because of the FDT regulation which allows "foreign visitors" to drive for up to 12 months on their foreign license? If that is the case, then the OP has nothing to worry about in the case of his friend.
Can you please give me the cite for the FDT reg in the Federal Register?
Does this regulation apply to US citizens who do are resident outside the US but are in the US and are driving on foreign licenses? I drive in the US several times a year on my Swiss and Hong Kong licenses and have always assumed I can do this; but if you say this applies only to "foreign visitors" I need to understand the definition of that term.
