jamikins

In the grand scheme of things it costs $15? Why not just get it??

StCirq

alohatoall, I got the information from the French Embassy website, which on May 26 of this year published the information about the IDP. It has never been a requirement before. It is now. Whether of not a car rental agent or particular policeman asks you for it is completely irrelevant; it's now the law. Chances are you won't need it, true, but what if you do?

I've posted to Embassy link at least twice recently. Maybe someone can find it and re-post, but I have to go out now and can't do it again right now.

MaineGG

http://www.franceintheus.org/spip.php?article376

kenav

Well, we got it. Now we don't have to worry about which Fodorite is correct!
It cost $15 + $7 for the pics. For $23 it's worth peace of mind.

alohatoall

I think the link you're referring to, StCirq, is the one I posted above, and also just posted by MaineGG. I agree completely -- if it's the law, it's meant to be obeyed! And as Janisj points out, it's like cheap insurance, good to have if you need it!

kenav

Wait that's $22 not $23 for peace of mind (even if I screwed up the basic math). Even better!!

lemarais

"A legal requirement"??? So the French government is out to boost up the profits of AAA? Nah.

A notarised translation is actually perhaps in the law, but that's probably only for hard-to-translate languages like ones using Cyrillic, Arabic, Hebrew, or Asian languages. Roman letter English is translatable for dummies.

Name=nom
address=addresse
number=numéro

If others want to boost up the bottom line of AAA, well, that's their issue, but AAA has been touting these IDPs for decades as "necessary" when they were not.

I've never had an IDP, and I don't intend to get one now, either.

macanimals

I still have not figured out what an IDP adds to the police's info. They are all the same with very little transcribed info from your stateside driver's license. I have a stack of them from the last 15 years of travel and never-not once-have I been asked for it.

I know, I know its only $22 from AAA but it is a total scam and while I will dutifully obtain yet another, I feel ripped off. Why the arbitrary one year? Why not have it match the expiration date of your driver's license? The IDP adds only my place of birth (why?) and repeats name, DOB and residence. It does not insure lack of suspension, driving record or anything else--just that I paid to have my photo taken and purchase of the same boilerplate.
Oh well.

StCirq

http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/p...rs/F1459.xhtml

kerouac

People are so hopelessly clueless about what these laws mean. Since "discrimination" is not acceptable, these rules pretend to pertain to everybody, when in reality they only pertain to the rarest languages and the most dubious countries.

However, if some of you want to put your English speaking, "respectable" country on the same level as Tadjikistan or North Korea, that is really very commendable of you in terms of enriching your local auto club or whatever, but it is absolutely and totally useless in terms of dealing with the French authorities. All they want to see is your <b>real</b> licence in a "normal" language that they are used to seeing (French, English, Italian, Spanish, German, Dutch, Swedish...).

Please, anybody who shows a normal North American drivers license to the French police and has it rejected should absolutely write a report here. I have not seen one in more than 10 years on this site and yet people are still worrying about it.

fmpden

alohatoall - It was Italy. Pulled the center out of a lengthy posting. It was an illegal left turn on a busy street by local police. Point is that it happens. Lots of people may not have a IDP, may not get stopped but that proves absolutely nothing. Don't know why Lemarais wants to come across as so angry with strident statements. Just joined the board within the last five days with two posting and he is an expert on IDP.

janisj

>>I still have not figured out what an IDP adds to the police's info.<<

Doesn't matter - it is a law.

kerouac: >> I have not seen one in more than 10 years on this site and yet people are still worrying about it.<<

Of course you haven't - since the law is brand new.

StCirq

Frankly, lemarais deserves whatever happens to her, or doesn't. What a simple-minded approach. May she get pulled over on the road by St-Emillion/Branne and get socked with a 300E fee for going 5 km over the speed limit.

Kerouac is French and lives in France and has no idea what it's like to be pulled over by the French police with a demand for an IDP as a tourist. He can poo-poo the law,but some of us visitors cannot. What harm can a $15 IDP cause?

Good point, fpmpdem ...WTH?

joannyc

<< I was in both countries this past July, and was examined a couple of times by the police >>

How many times were you pulled over during that trip??? Sounds like you maybe shouldn't be driving at all! LOL!!!

Robert2533

"Roman letter English is translatable for dummies" for which there are countless numbers, including some new to this forum.

Robert2533

Just understand that when the law says it's needed, believe it!

You might get by if you happen to be fluent in French, but that will depend on which part of France you happen to be in when pulled over.

Michael

<i>but that will depend on which part of France you happen to be in when pulled over.</i>

Why? Are the cops stricter in some parts of France compared to other parts?

kerouac

The only reason that official translations are being mentioned again is due to the huge inflow of Chinese tourists going around the country more and more independently. While they are also in English, the actual information (name & address) are not readable by most people.

http://www.shanghaiexpat.com/upload/...7s-license.jpg

Sarastro

I have been pulled over a number of times while driving in France, most recently in July. The police were interested in my rental agreement, read through it but didn't give my US license a second glance.

There are a handful of states in the US whose licenses are accepted by the National Police and if you need a French license (residing in France longer than 6 months) show them your US license and they will issue you a French license.

The Italian Police seem to need your name and address translated into Italian but the French Police are much more cunning and really don't care. I have asked this question to a friend of mine who is the Commandant de Police for a region in Provence and he told me if your license is in Chinese, get an IDP. Otherwise they aren't concerned as long as you have not been in France more than 6 months.