International Driving Permit

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An International Driving Permit (IDP) allows an individual to drive a private motor vehicle in another nation when accompanied by a valid license from their home country. The document is slightly larger than a standard passport and is essentially a multiple language translation of one's own existing driver's license, complete with photograph and vital statistics. It is not a license to operate a motor vehicle on its own. Within the European Union, an EU-format license of one member state is recognised in all other member states without the need for an IDP.

1 Driver information
2 Fraudulent IDP
3 References
4 Notes
5 External links

[edit] Driver information

[edit] Convention 1968

The Vienna Convention on Road Traffic was not ratified by all signatory parties. Notable cases of countries that refused or delayed ratification include Chile, Republic of China (Taiwan), Costa Rica, Ecuador, Ghana, Holy See, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Spain, Thailand, United Kingdom, and Venezuela.

[edit] Convention 1949

The Geneva Convention on Road Traffic is accepted in a majority of the nations; major non-signatory countries include Germany, which did not have a government yet at that time. Switzerland signed but did not ratify the Convention.

[edit] Convention 1926

The Paris Convention on Motor Traffic is the more obscure IDP Convention; it is only required in the following nations: Iraq, Somalia and Brazil.

Both 1949 and 1926 Conventions are authorised for issue to people over the age of 18 holding valid UK driver's licenses.

[edit] Validation

According to the 1949 Convention on Road Traffic, an IDP remains valid for one year from the date of issue. However, according to the Vienna Convention, an IDP remains valid for three years from the date of issue, or until the expiration date of national driving permit, whichever is earlier. An IDP is not valid for driving in the country where it was issued.

[edit] Fraudulent IDP

See also: International Drivers License

The United States Department of State authorizes the American Automobile Association (AAA) and the American Automobile Touring Alliance (AATA) as the only entities in the United States to issue IDPs. The AATA offers IDPs through the National Automobile Club (NAC). Other so-called IDPs are fraudulent and should be reported to proper authorities such as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).^[1]

The United Nations does not issue International Driving Permits. The depiction of the UN emblem or the name "United Nations" is not required nor authorized by either the 1949 or 1968 United Nations Conventions on Road Traffic.^[2]