International Driving Permit

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.

Driver information

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.

The main regulation about driving licence is in Annexe 6 (domestic driving permit) and 7 (international driving permit).

Following article 41:
*Contracting Parties shall recognize:
**(a) Any domestic driver's license in their national language or in one of their national languages, or, if not drawn up in such a language, accompanied by a certified translation;
**(b) Any domestic driver's license conforming to the provisions of Annex 6 to the Convention; and
**(c) Any international driver's license conforming to the provisions of Annex 7 to the Convention, as valid for driving in their territories a vehicle coming within the categories covered by domestic driver's license, provided that the license is still valid and that it was issued by another Contracting Party or subdivision thereof or by an association duly answered by such other Contracting Party. The provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to learner-driver permits.

* 3. Contracting Parties undertake to adopt such measures as may be necessary to ensure that the domestic and international driver's licenses referred to the in subparagraphs 1(a). (b) and (c) of this Article are not issues in their territories without a reasonable guarantee of the drivers aptitude and physical fitness.

*5. An international driver's license shall be issued only to the holder of a domestic driver's license for the issue of which the minimum condition lad down in the Convention has been fulfilled. It shall not be valid after the expiry of the corresponding domestic driver's license.

There is an European Agreement supplementing the Convention on Road Traffic (1968), which was concluded in Geneva, on 1971-05-01.

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. The main regulation about international driving licence is in Annexe 9.Switzerland signed but did not ratify the Convention.

There is an European Agreement supplementing the 1949 Convention on road traffic andthe 1949 Protocol on road signs and signals, concluded in Geneva, on 1950-09-16.

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.

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.

Fraudulent IDP

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).cite web
url= http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/safety/safety_1179.html#permits
title= Road Safety Overseas
accessdate= 2008-05-11
publisher= United States Department of State
language= English]

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.cite web
url= http://www.un.org/geninfo/faq/factsheets/FS16.HTM
title= Does the UN issue international driver's licenses and international passports?
accessdate= 2008-05-11
year= 2003
month= March
publisher= United Nations
language= English]

See also

* European driving licence

References

* [http://www.6towns.com/driving/UNconv.html Text of the 1949 Treaty]

Notes

External links

* [http://www.aaa.com/vacation/idpf.html AAA International and Inter-American Driving Permits Instructions]
* [http://www.nationalautoclub.com/idp_faqs.htm National Automobile Club IDP Information Page]
* [http://www.drivers.com/article/207 Resources for International Driving Permits]
* [https://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/overseas/idp-requirements-by-country.html List of IDP 1926 and IDP 1949 countries]