You can apply for your International Driving Permit online instead of having to travel to a local office of the American Automobile Association if you are a legal resident of the United States who plans on renting a vehicle to drive in another country…
You Can Apply For Your International Driving Permit Online — But…
…but be aware that you will be paying extra for the convenience; and you will not receive your International Driving Permit as quickly as if you simply showed up at a physical location of the American Automobile Association.
Only two automobile associations in the United States are officially authorized to issue an International Driving Permit or Inter-American Driving Permit, and only in the country of residence, as you need to obtain a permit before you travel:
- American Automobile Association — which is also known as AAA
- American Automobile Touring Alliance — which is also known as AATA
The cost is a total of $20.00 — plus the cost of two identical photographs of yourself which is the same size as one used for a passport; and you can potentially create your own passport photographs for less than one dollar. No test is required to obtain either permit, which are valid for one year. You must be at least 18 years of age to qualify for either permit. Your driver’s license must not expire within six months when applying for either permit — otherwise, you must renew your driver’s license before obtaining either permit.
You cannot purchase either an International Driving Permit or Inter-American Driving Permit from anyone else anywhere else; so do not be fooled by scammers.
You can apply for the same International Driving Permit online — but you will pay extra for the convenience, which involves photographs and shipping costs.
The American Automobile Association recently implemented that convenience to be available at any time of the day and any day of the week — but that initial $20.00 that you would have paid in person can balloon to as high as $97.85 if you choose to receive your International Driving Permit via standard overnight shipping, which is generally still not as expeditious as simply going to the local office of the American Automobile Association to receive one in person.
The American Automobile Touring Alliance always had it available online but only on certain days and at certain hours. Be prepared to pay a final total of between $43.00 and $66.00 for domestic shipping — overnight shipping is not available, as Priority Mail Express is the fastest service that is offered — and up to $99.00 as your final total if you require international shipping of your International Driving Permit as follows:
- Permit Fee: $20.00 — This base fee is fixed by federal regulation for all official issuers in the United States.
- Photo Processing Fee: $9.00 — Charged for processing the digital passport photo you upload.
- Domestic Shipping: $14.00 to $37.00 — Ranges from standard United States Postal Service Priority to Priority Mail Express.
- International Shipping: $60.00 to $90.00 — Applicable if you are already abroad and need it shipped to a foreign address.
Your realistic minimum total for a domestic delivery will be $43.00: $20.00 permit + $9.00 photo fee + $14.00 standard shipping.
More Information About The International Driving Permit
The International Driving Permit is often incorrectly called an International Driver’s License. An International Driving Permit is not a license to drive in other countries. Rather, it is merely a small paper booklet which is a recognized valid form of identification in 183 countries and territories around the world. In addition to the International Driving Permit, you still need your driver’s license to operate a private motor vehicle legally in another country…
…but the main purpose of an International Driving Permit is to translate the information of your valid driver’s license into ten different languages — so in the event that you are stopped by law enforcement in another country and are asked to present your information, the officer will be able to quickly understand that information at the scene, which will help speed up the process of resolving whatever was the issue. In addition to the aforementioned information, an International Driving Permit also includes your name and photograph.
The International Driving Permit was created as part of the Convention on Road Traffic, United Nations, Geneva 1949, which set up a framework to issue driver’s licenses in different languages — but some of the countries and territories which were not a party of the Geneva Convention in 1949 still officially recognize an International Driving Permit.
Additionally, 19 countries and territories in North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean officially recognize what is known as an Inter-American Driving Permit, which might not be issued by all of the 19 countries and territories due to most of them being parties of the 1949 Geneva Convention or the 1968 Vienna Convention. Only Brazil and Uruguay do not officially recognize an International Driving Permit; so in those two countries, only an Inter-American Driving Permit is officially recognized.
Interestingly, legal residents and citizens of the United States cannot rent a motor vehicle in China without first getting an official Chinese driver’s license.
Final Boarding Call
Keep in mind that just because a country or territory recognizes an International Driving Permit does not mean that you are required to have one in your possession while driving in that country or territory. Also, the general rule to follow is that countries in which:
- English is the official primary language do not usually require an International Driving Permit
- Roman letters from the Latin alphabet are used — such as those used in French, Spanish, and Italian, for example — may or may not require an International Driving Permit
- Characters other than those found in the Latin alphabet — such as Hebrew, Japanese, Thai, Arabic, or Vietnamese, for example — typically require an International Driving Permit
When renting a car to drive in another country, carefully check the terms, rules, and conditions of the rental car company which outline the license requirements prior to booking a reservation for renting a vehicle to find the section on whether an International Driving Permit is required, as you having the proper documentation while driving in a different country or territory is in the best interest of the rental car company. In other words: always check all of the fine print of those terms, rules, and conditions of the rental car company prior to booking a reservation for a rental car in another country.
I have driven a motor vehicle in a total of 45 countries — 15 of them where driving on the left side of the road is compulsory — around the world; and that does not include territories. By my personal experience, the only time I have ever needed an International Driving Permit was in…this country?!?
Fines for driving without an International Driving Permit can be quite costly — especially in a country or territory which requires it. At a total cost of $20.00, having an International Driving Permit anyway with your driver’s license is an inexpensive form of greater peace of mind, as you are responsible for adhering to the laws of any countries or territories around the world which you visit. You do not want to be stopped in a foreign country where your official driver’s license may not be valid on its own.
Finally: although this article was written for people who are based in the United States, it applies to many other countries and territories around the world. For example, if someone from Canada has a driver’s license issued by that country, his or her International Driving Permit must also be issued in Canada.
All photographs ©2024 by Brian Cohen.
