Let The IDP Speak For You!

IDP Application Form Print the form (both pages), fill it out and bring it to the AAA Hawaii office. You can also mail the completed form, with $1.50 for return postage and handling, to the AAA Hawaii office (a total of $11.90). If you are already overseas, mail the completed form and other required materials to AAA/IDP, 1000 AAA Dr., Heathrow, FL 32746 Attn: Mailstop #28.

When traveling overseas, carry an International Driving Permit ... even if you're not planning to drive. Should you need to communicate with foreign authorities, this recognizable form of identification can help you get on your way more quickly.

Valid in more than 150 countries, the permit contains your name, photo and driver information.

Before you travel the world, travel to any AAA office for your International Driving Permit. Bring your valid U.S. driver's license, $10 (plus tax and shipping and handling: $11.90 if from the United States and $14.60 if you are already overseas), and two ORIGINAL passport-size photos (also available at AAA offices).

IDP FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

How will I benefit by carrying an International Driving Permit on my next overseas trip?
The International Driving Permit (IDP) is a document that provides important information from your driver's license in eleven different languages, including English.

Am I required to have an IDP in foreign countries?
There are some countries that do not recognize a driver's license from the United States, but officially recognize an IDP (e.g. Spain). The IDP can satisfy these types of situations. Keep in mind, however, that while a certain country's government may not require an IDP, car rental companies located in that country, such as Hertz, may require an IDP to rent a car. Purchasing an IDP prior to departure can save a lot of potential hassles.

What happens if I am stopped and given a citation against my IDP?
An IDP does not hold any powers of its own apart from your driver's license, and therefore, you do not have a separate driving record with an IDP. The IDP is valid only when carried in conjunction with, and acts as a translation of, a driver's license. If you are traveling in a foreign country and were to be stopped by a law enforcement officer, your U.S. driver's license and IDP should be presented to the officer. If a citation is issued to you, it will be reflected on the driving record that is with your driver's license.

Since Hong Kong was transferred from Great Britain to China, do I still need an IDP to drive there?
The United Nations recently provided official notification to the U.S. State Department indicating that the treaty which applies to Hong Kong at present will continue to apply to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the name given to the territory by China. Such notification should not be misconstrued to mean that China now recognizes IDPs, as the People's Republic of China has never become a party to the treaty.

If someone visits the United States from a foreign country and discovers that they need an IDP, can they purchase one from AAA?
An IDP must be issued in the same country as the driver's license of the traveler. Therefore, if someone from the United Kingdom has a U.K. driver's license, their IDP must also be issued in the United Kingdom.

I have a U.S. driver's license, but I am a citizen of another country. Where should I obtain an IDP?
The IDP must be issued in the same country as the driver's license. In the case of a driver's license being issued in the United States, the IDP must also be issued in the United States. Contact your nearest AAA office to obtain an IDP.

If someone has a drivers license from a U.S. territory such as Guam, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands, how would an IDP work for them?
Since their driver's license was issued by a U.S. possession, their IDP would also be issued in the United States. Contact a AAA office in the United States for more information.

What do I need to obtain an IDP?
You need to complete a brief application form (available through your nearest AAA office), provide two passport-sized photographs with your signature on the back of them, a photocopy of your valid U.S. issued driver's license, and cash or a money order for $10 (plus tax and shipping and handling: $11.90 if from the United States and $14.60 if you are already overseas) in U.S. funds. If transacting by mail, these items would need to be mailed to a AAA office in the United States. Otherwise, everything can be handled in a single office visit.

Geographical Areas Which Honor International Driving Permits (Convention on Road Traffic, United Nations, Geneva 1949) as of June, 1996

*Not party of 1949 Convention: International Driving Permit honored.
**U.S. driver's license and International Driving Permit recognized on presentation to local police and payment of Special Registration Fee upon arrival.
***Geographical areas which honor Inter-American driving permits (Convention on Regulation of Inter-American Motor Vehicle Traffic, Organization of American States, Washington, D.C. 1943) as of June, 1996. If you intend to drive in the following countries, be sure to check INTER-AMERICAN DRIVING PERMIT box page 1: Brazil and Uruguay.

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