International Driver's Licenses

It happens because people are so gullible. A police officer stops a car for a traffic violation, and the driver proudly presents a very official-looking document purported to be an "International Driver's License." The driver has NO other form of ID on him or her, and has no "DMV-Issued" type of license. The driver claims that the United Nations has given him the right to drive anywhere in the world on this special type of license, in accordance with the World Court Decision of 1949 & 1958 at the Hague, regarding International Road & Traffic Rules.

When the officer stops laughing, he walks back to his police cruiser, and proceeds to write the driver multiple traffic citations, with at least one of them being for "Driving Without A Driver's License."

So now you're thinking, Hey, I think I've heard of those International Driver's Licenses, so why is this driver
in trouble for using one to drive, especially if it's valid anywhere in the world??

Well we are about to show you why, as we "de-bunk" the mystery surrounding the "International Driver's License!"

First of all, let's clear a few things up. There is NO SUCH THING as an "International Driver's License." The correct term for the document
referred to by the driver listed in the example above is an International Driver's Permit, and the verbiage is important, because an "IDP" is not
a license at all, it is merely a document which "translates" a person's official DMV-Issued Driver's License into Eleven (11) foreign languages, to assist law enforcement officers when dealing with drivers from other countries. The legal section quoted by the example driver is actually
true, but only to a certain extent. Here's what actually happened. In 1949 at the Hague, (where the World Court meets) the committee on International Traffic & Roads decided that participating countries should accept the privileges granted in driver's licenses issued from foreign countries, however the problem arose with law enforcement members attempting to "read" the foreign licenses. (Think about it - a police officer from Mexico, trying to issue a traffic citation to somebody who displays a driver's license issued by a government agency in Russia. Unless the Mexican officer is fluent in the Russian language, he wouldn't have any idea what he is looking at, or have any idea what type of vehicles the Russian license authorizes the driver to drive.)

So the committee decided to create an "International Driver's Permit," which would translate the foreign license into several of the more common languages, in hopes that it would make life easier for traffic enforcement personnel. The committee then decided what the "IDP" should look like. Since law enforcement personnel from most countries are familiar with International Passports, the decision was made to
have the IDP look like a passport. As such, the committee adopted the decision that the new "International Driver's Permit" would look like a standard passport type document, and inside would be a place for the holder to place their "officially-issued" driver's license. In addition the IDP would "break down" the original driver's license into Eleven (11) different languages, and would NOT be valid unless the "officially-issued" license is valid. In other words, if the driver's official license is Expired, Suspended or Revoked, then the IDP is too. Additionally, the IDP is NOT valid in the driver's country of residence. (Which makes sense because why would a driver need an IDP in the same country, which issued his or her "Real DMV License.") The decision also mandated that the driver have the "officially-issued" driver's license in his or her possession (if it was not placed inside of the IDP), when driving on foreign soil under the authority of the International Driver's Permit. The decision was made on September 19, 1949, and amended again on January 21, 1958.

Once again, the International Driver's Permit is NOT a driver's license per se, is NOT valid in the driver's country of residence, and is NOT valid unless the driver is in possession of a valid "DMV-Issued" type of driver's license.

So why all the crazy ads on the internet? Read on .......................................

People are always looking for ways to "beat the system."

Whether it's hiding from a bad credit history, an ex-wife, or the law, there is always some "snake oil salesman" out there who claims they can solve all of your problems, and the advent of the internet has only intensified things.

The ad to your right has appeared in one form or another in "spam" e-mails thousands and thousands of times, and unfortunately many people have been "duped" into believing that the information given is true.

The people who place these ads are selling a "bill of goods." They make official looking documents, which look like the real International Driver's Permits, however
they require no proof from the person ordering that they have an actual valid driver's license, issued by a governmental authority.

In addition the ad is extremely misleading. You already know that an IDP is NOT a driver's license per se. You also know that having too many points will get your official driver's license suspended or revoked, and when it is, the IDP is no longer valid.

You also know that an IDP is NOT valid in the holder's country of residence, so if a person who lives in the United States tries to use an IDP as a driver's license in the United States ------ well you already know the answer to that.

Want an ID for nightclubs or hotel check ins? Give me a break. Anybody working a "door" at a nightclub or bar is going to take one look at the "IDP," and say, "Ok, now let me see some real ID!"

In short, this ad is asking $165.00 for a piece of worthless paper. Plus the price of
$165.00 is ridiculous to begin with. See below for the real price of an IDP.

INTERNATIONAL DRIVER'S LICENSE

Need a new driver's license?

Too many points or other trouble?

Want a license that can never be suspended or revoked?

Want ID for nightclubs or hotel check-in?

Avoid tickets, fines, and mandatory driver's education.

Protect your privacy, and hide your identity.

The United Nations gave you the privilege to drive freely throughout the world! (Convention on International Road Traffic of September 19, 1949 & World Court Decision, The Hague, Netherlands, January 21, 1958)

Take advantage of your rights. Order a valid International Driver's License that can never be suspended or revoked. Confidentiality assured.

CALL NOW!!! 1-800-XXX-XXXX

48 HOUR RUSH SERVICE AVAILABLE!

GET BACK ON THE ROAD FOR ONLY $165.00!!!

One other decision of the World Court was to let each country decide who would be responsible for issuance of International Driving Permits.
While we don't have much information on other countries, we can tell you that in the United States, the issuance of IDP's is regulated by the U.S. Department of State. The Department of State has authorized only TWO private companies to issue International Driver's Permits in the
United States. The first is the American Automobile Association, or "AAA" for short. The second is the American Automobile Touring Alliance (through the National Automobile Club). Both organizations sell the IDP for a whopping $10.00, and they are only valid for One (1) Year. Any ad purporting to provide an IDP for a price higher than $10.00, or one that is valid for a period of time longer than one year is most certainly NOT coming from one of these two companies, and is not authorized to provide IDP's in the United States.

To sum things up, DON'T FALL FOR THE "INTERNATIONAL DRIVER'S LICENSE" SCAM." Even if you apply and receive a real IDP, it will not help you keep points off of your actual driver's license, cannot be used "in place of a real license," and cannot be used at all in the United States, if that's where you live. To quote an old expression, "If it sounds too good to be true - it probably isn't!"

Additional Frequently Asked Questions about IDP's, courtesy of the AAA. Click Here