mxracer95

Sorry for the old thread, I guess I can be the first to say I was fined for not having an IDP in Spain. Granted, I was riding a motorcycle and the police were targeting motos and fining for whatever they could come up with. I was fined 100 Euro for my US license plate not being perfectly verticle ( it was maybe a 15 degree angle, pretty much the same as factory) and a 150 Euro fine for not having the IDP, which I actually do have in my luggage in a car. He would not let me call for the car to bring the IDP.

Since they were targeting motos and the bogus license plate fine, I can say if the IDP is actually required by law or just an excuse for an additional fine. I have always been told the IDP is nothing more than a language translation and not a legal or official document, that it can be an aid in dealing with police but not a requirement.

And for the record, this cop spoke excellent English (until I asked about contesting the fine), new exactly where my license plate and DL were from.

PalenQ

Seems overly harsh especially about the tilting license plate. Yes official translation is required and IDP is about the only way to get this as something foreign cops would recongize as such.

StCirq

Yes, an IDP is a legal requirement in Spain. Yes, it is "just a translation," but it is an official one. If you choose to do so, you can hire an officially approved translator to the tune of about 60€ an hour for an appostillé'ed translation, but that would be dumb compared to paying for an IDP. You are, obviously, supposed to have it with you when you are driving. I don't know why it would matter if the cop spoke excellent English or none. The angle of the license plate seems a bit over the top, though. I suppose you know about the safety equipment you are required to have when driving in Europe, too?

mxracer95

I do. I have been riding and driving in Europe a few times a year for a decade. I was only ever asked for my IDP once before and I simply explained that the "M" and "C" on my license meant I could drive a motorcycle and a car and that's all he wanted to know.

Seems ridiculous to require an IDP as law. It is not a government document and would be super simple to create a fake one.

My point with the cop speaking perfect English, he knew what my license meant. He didn't need the translation.

StCirq

A lot of things seem ridiculous, and that's one of them. Doesn't absolve you from complying with them.

PalenQ

But how many Spanish cops would speak English like that. You had an IDP why not carry it with you?

Christina

I think it is sort of a government document. Because in the US, it is like having something notarized, getting an IDP. Also, there are only certain agencies that are authorized to create them. In the US, I think that is AATA and AAA, you can't get one anywhere else. It is true you could sort of create a fake one if you had a model, I guess, as it doesn't have the rigor of a driver's license in terms of materials and standards.

But what I am curious about, as I got one last year and need one again, is WHY they would only be good a year? I found interesting the above post about the Vienna Convention or something. It seems to me they should be valid as long as the license they refer to is valid, otherwise it is a big ripoff to have to get a new one for the exact same license. In fact, in France, you can get one free, for example (for French residents going to other countries) from the national public service agency.

I will, of course, better safe than sorry, but it supposedly being only valid for a year seems worthy of more protest than just needing one. That sounds like a gimmick from AA to make more money, because the form has info on it that has to match the driver's license it refers to. And I've seen a French one and that is good for 3 years.

However, for those who don't know, you even get the photos free at AAA if you have a certain type of account, which I do (the Premier).

ekscrunchy

That is exactly what annoys me, having to waste half a day
every year to get a new IDP. If my NYS license is valid, why must I keep getting the new IDPs? And yes, it does take an entire morning for me to get over to the AAA office, wait on line and get home again.

In the past I've taken my most recent one with me and hoped for the best. It is NOT the money for me, it is the time spent and having to do this year after year. And the fee does add up..I've been traveling for decades..can you imagine how many of these things I hve cluttering up my drawers?

PalenQ

And why do AAA and AATA have a monopoly on these - local post offices could do it much like they do passports.

kerouac

Anybody with an "international format" license does not need anything else. Some of the American states have it, others do not. Here is what it looks like.



The numbered boxes on these licenses replace any need for translations (name, date of birth, validity, etc...) because the numbers are exactly the same for every country in the world.

PalenQ

and these are accepted in lieu of IDP in Spain and all over EU? Should be of course.

kja

@ mxracer95: thanks for your post!

@ ekscrrunchy: At the risk of proposing the preposterous, have you considered throwing them out?

janisj

A 2 yo thread resurrected to continue the same stooooopid IDP arguments by the same players over and over (and OVER) again - people may think it is unnecessary -- but it is a legal requirement. People should get one - or not -- play the odds. Do you feel lucky? if so, OK. But do not tell people that are not required.

PalenQ

Even if as kerouac says your state license meets EU or 'international' approval why get an IDP? If those licenses are accepted as translations of info and thus legally negating any need for IDP? I don't know but it is a good point to clarify - those new licenses kerouac mentions.

<Anybody with an "international format" license does not need anything else.> So kerouac is wrong? You are saying he is and that IDP is a legal requirement anyway? And he is talking about Spain in this case.

Really again an important point to clear up for these type of discussions. And for states not meeting international requirements with licenses yes IDP for sure.

kja

@ PalenQ: Asked and answered EVERY time the issue comes up. I must admit that I don't see the value to repeating the same questions over and over and over.

ribeirasacra

There is no such thing as international approved DL. when you search for that you get results for an I.D.P.

That photo above is nothing like an EU one. It is as useless as this one.

PalenQ

OK -kerouac is very mistaken - he is usually right on.

ekscrunchy

Kja: There are creative uses for some of the old IDPs. I will leave it to your imagination.

lincasanova

Just a heads up as several Americans in Valencia Spain have recently encountered at the low cost agencies the necessity of showing IDP with their US license when in the past they were never asked for it.

So now they can't rent with those agencies. One of the agent SAID it was a new law here but I am not sure about that, just repeating what was stated to them.

scdreamer

Easy enough to take your own photos - it requires a "passport-type" photo for AAA to furnish the IDP. We are getting one for an upcoming trip and I took the photo of my husband with my phone camera - had two developed online at Walgreen's for 19 cents each. Cut them to 2x2 inches, and we're good to go.