Good, you undestood some details, but it's not accepted as an official translation in Germany, it simply can't be. It's nothing a german police officer can ask you to provide, (even though it helps to have one.)

logos
How about we just agree to disagree?

Logos999, stop playing the Besserwisser - the ADAC indeed issues the IDP - go to www.ADAC.de and type into the field

Stichwortsuche

Internationaler Führerschein

and you will find that, indeed, the ADAC issues it - instructions on how and where to get one are given in great detail.

It also says that this document is not required in the EWR and EU - which doesn't mean that US drivers don't need it in Italy just because EU drivers like Germans don't need it.

Erst gucken, dann behaupten, ja?

>Nur für Bürger mit Wohnsitz in Berlin
This is the ONLY exception for citizens o BERLIN! No guess why this has been so ;-)
I can only tell you that I know this stuff, and you don't "Internationale Führerscheine" in Germany are based on the agreement of 1968. There's nothing to agree or disagree about, it's international law... Seems you don't hold one ;-)

> which doesn't mean that US drivers don't need it in Italy just because EU drivers like Germans don't need it.
Never made a statement about this.

Comment: European traffic police may often be unable to read English or any other language but their own. The IDP is an impressive document and will by itself suffice as a permit to drive in that country. Often a passport will work as well. USA state licenses are not impressive unless the police person knows someone in the state! I made a illegal turn in Slovakia, I was pulled over, the officer read my Wisconsin license...ha! Milwaukee! Uncle lives there. He then motioned me to get out of there!

Wow. After all this discussion, "we" finally seem to understand that the original poster and most others were talking about US drivers in European countries. So all that political mumble-jumble about German drivers, etc. had NOTHING to do with the topic at hand. Can we all just ignore it then? I too fell into the trap of almost believing that some of it had something to do with the question at hand.

I love those kind of discussions ;-), really! The point related to the question: As an American, you won't be asked for an IDP in Germany. You will get your car without the need to present one. No insurance problems related to not having one either. Of course this only applies to this one country.

I often wonder how/why some become so involved and make such a big deal out of simple things like this.

I go to AAA annually and get one. $10.00. For $10.00 I would prefer to have one and would not give another thought to it!!