Do I REALLY Need An International Driver’s Permit?

People get really heated on message boards trying to answer this question.

“Yes! You absolutely need an International Driver’s Permit!”

“No you don’t! I’ve traveled for years and never been asked for one!”

“It’s the law! You need one!”

“I’ve been pulled over and rented multiple cars and neither the car company nor the police officer ever asked me for one. It’s just a ploy to get you to spend more money!”

So what’s the real answer?

The “real” answer is YES, it is the law that you must have both an International Driver’s Permit (which people sometimes erroneously refer to as an International Driver’s “License”) AND your actual home-country driver’s license when you drive in Italy. However the second part of the answer is that NO, you may never be asked for one, even if you drive in Italy for years. It’s not the rental car company’s responsibility to make sure you have the proper documents; they probably won’t ask for it. If you get pulled over, it depends on the cop. Some people relate stories of being pulled over and not being asked, others say its the first thing the cop asked for when he realized they were foreigners.

AAA actually suggests you carry an International Driver’s Permit when traveling even if you’re not planning on driving, since the IDP translates your essential identification information into ten languages. If something happened and you were around people who didn’t read English well, having that information in the local language could make a difference in accurately identifying you (or your lost wallet).

An IDP is $15 (plus the cost of passport photos) and can be acquired at any AAA office, or you can print a form online and mail it in, giving 4-6 weeks for return processing (or, if you’re paranoid like me, you’ll round up and give it a full two months). You can’t apply for an IDP earlier than 6 months from the desired “effective date” and they are only valid for 12 months.

So its up to you. If you get a thrill out of being a “rebel” and risking a hefty fine is more appealing than spending $15 on an IDP, by all means live dangerously. I, however, will choose to obey this simple law. The last thing I need during my vacation is to be fined for something I knew I should’ve done in the first place, no matter how unlikely it may be that I’d get caught.

Whether or not you choose to get an IDP, if you’re driving in Italy it’s worth a few minutes to watch this funny cartoon by Italian filmmaker Bruno Bozzetto. The video shows examples of various driving situations, first outlining what you should NOT do, then outlining what you SHOULD (legally) do AND what is likely to happen when you do. It’s hilarious. Enjoy