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Travelling with expired driving license?

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  • 14-09-2013 11:55am
    #1
    0mega
    Registered Users Posts: 850 ✭✭✭


    Booked a holiday to the US & Canada which will involve hiring a car and driving for two weeks.

    I've only just realised that my license is going to have expired by the time we depart for America (which is next week). :eek:

    I've looked it up and apparently it now takes 6 weeks for a new license to be processed, which obviously will be too late.

    Is there anything I can do? Not driving is not a possiblity for this trip. Is there anyway to get an emergency license similar to an emergency passport?


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    #2
    ProudDUB
    Registered Users Posts: 11,569 ✭✭✭✭ProudDUB


    Nope. 'Fraid not. You have to join the queue for the same license, and suffer the same delays as every one else. Several motor tax offices even have signs up saying not to bother bringing in travel documents, as it won't mean you'll get your license any quicker. It can't hurt to go in and ask, but I would do so more in hope, than in expectation. Sorry.


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    #3
    Peppa Pig
    Registered Users Posts: 2,670 ✭✭✭Peppa Pig


    Same happened to me a number of years ago (so unsure of it's relevance now). I went to the motor tax office and got it the same day.
    If I were you I'd go the the local Garda station today for advice and I'd be in the motor tax office first thing Monday morning and be prepared to wait. The major snag is the fact that the plastic card is probably done centrally for the country.
    If you can get an emergency passport, surely you can get an emergency driving licence.

    Edit - ah well, you can live in hope


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    #4
    ProudDUB
    Registered Users Posts: 11,569 ✭✭✭✭ProudDUB


    Emergency drivers licenses don't exist. The motor tax office do not have a system in place to bump special circumstances applicants up to the top of the queue, the way that the passport office do. (They should, but they don't.) Back in the days of the flimsy, paper licenses, it was possible to go in and get one in a day. However, since the new credit card style license with the computerized chip in them came out in January, they can no longer be produced as quickly, hence the long delays in getting them.


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    #5
    Gatica
    Registered Users Posts: 3,296 ✭✭✭Gatica


    In addition, I thought you had to have an international licence for N America?


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    #6
    Dionysius2
    Registered Users Posts: 342 ✭✭Dionysius2


    Gatica wrote: »
    In addition, I thought you had to have an international licence for N America?

    Doubt that you will be given the keys of a hire car in N/America without the production of an International Driving Licence.


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    #7
    Fr Tod Umptious
    Registered Users Posts: 15,004 ✭✭✭✭Fr Tod Umptious


    Dionysius2 wrote: »
    Doubt that you will be given the keys of a hire car in N/America without the production of an International Driving Licence.

    Of course they would
    An International Drivers licenses is only used as a easy way to translate a local drivers license into common languages.

    So a guy from China renting a car in the US can produce one and the rental staff can understand what it says.


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    #8
    Gatica
    Registered Users Posts: 3,296 ✭✭✭Gatica


    I thought it was because the format is recognisable, i.e. with the old Irish licences, out there who's to know you didn't make it yourself at home, it's not like they know what they look like...
    Considering the Irish International Driving licence is also in English, what is the point of them offering it, if it's the same thing anyway?

    Off the AA application form, list of countries includes USA, with additional complication of some local equivalent (weird!):
    http://www.theaa.ie/AA/Motoring-advice/Driving-in-Europe/~/media/Files/AA%20Ireland/Application%20Forms/aaform4.ashx


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    #9
    coylemj
    Registered Users Posts: 25,327 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    An IDP is useless without a current national driving licence and as stated above, it's just an aid to translation so would be useful to have in parts of Asia etc. but not required in the EU, US or Canada.

    Gatica wrote: »
    Off the AA application form, list of countries includes USA, with additional complication of some local equivalent (weird!):
    http://www.theaa.ie/AA/Motoring-advice/Driving-in-Europe/~/media/Files/AA%20Ireland/Application%20Forms/aaform4.ashx

    The IDP is a nice little earner for the AA, they get paid money for transcribing a few details from your licence to a new piece of paper and they make a large profit on the transaction so it's in their interests to muddy the waters when it comes to advising you where & when you need it.

    There was a potential issue with the local state rules in Florida but I think it's been sorted so you should not need an IDP anywhere in the US.


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    #10
    Gatica
    Registered Users Posts: 3,296 ✭✭✭Gatica


    guess so...

    http://dublin.usembassy.gov/abouttheusa/travel-in-the-us/driving-in-the-us.html
    Motorists visiting the United States from countries that have ratified the Convention on Road Traffic 1949 (the Convention has been ratified by Ireland), may use their own valid driver licenses to drive in the United States.

    but then they again add:
    However, it is recommended that drivers carry an international drivers permit.

    so recommended, but not required.


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    #11
    ProudDUB
    Registered Users Posts: 11,569 ✭✭✭✭ProudDUB


    Irish people most definitely do not need an international drivers license to rent a car in the US. Your Irish one (provided it is valid) is all you need.


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    #12
    BuffyBot
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 24,924 Mod ✭✭✭✭BuffyBot


    Same happened to me a number of years ago (so unsure of it's relevance now). I went to the motor tax office and got it the same day.

    The councils no longer produce the licences themselves. They're now done centrally by the National Driving Licence Service, so no change of rush jobs these days.

    OP, you will require a valid licence unfortunately.


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    #13
    schemingbohemia
    Registered Users Posts: 5,606 ✭✭✭schemingbohemia


    OP you state "we", has the other person/people got a valid licence? If so, then they'll have to do all the driving unless you want to risk it.


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    #14
    ProudDUB
    Registered Users Posts: 11,569 ✭✭✭✭ProudDUB


    He can't risk it. The car rental company won't let him have the car in the first place unless he has a valid drivers license. Fingers crossed someone else in the traveling party has one.


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    #15
    Vex Willems
    Registered Users Posts: 503 ✭✭✭Vex Willems


    BuffyBot wrote: »
    The councils no longer produce the licences themselves. They're now done centrally by the National Driving Licence Service, so no change of rush jobs these days.

    OP, you will require a valid licence unfortunately.

    When did that change? With the issue of the new licences? Got my licence on same day this time last year


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    #16
    ProudDUB
    Registered Users Posts: 11,569 ✭✭✭✭ProudDUB


    Yes, it changed when the new licenses (that take longer to produce) were introduced in January of this year.


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    #17
    BuffyBot
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 24,924 Mod ✭✭✭✭BuffyBot


    19th of Jan this year.


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    #18
    keithclancy
    Registered Users Posts: 9,222 ✭✭✭keithclancy


    Gatica wrote: »
    I thought it was because the format is recognisable, i.e. with the old Irish licences, out there who's to know you didn't make it yourself at home, it's not like they know what they look like...
    Considering the Irish International Driving licence is also in English, what is the point of them offering it, if it's the same thing anyway?

    Off the AA application form, list of countries includes USA, with additional complication of some local equivalent (weird!):
    http://www.theaa.ie/AA/Motoring-advice/Driving-in-Europe/~/media/Files/AA%20Ireland/Application%20Forms/aaform4.ashx

    Same with the ANWB in the Netherlands, just a money earner really.

    I've never, ever needed that thing, its only potentially necessary in countries where they may not recognise Latin script. (e.g. China, India, Russia etc)

    If you rent from the larger franchises (hertz/sixt/dollar etc) you'll never have a problem.

    They have a book at the rental firm to understand all of the fields on the license anyway.

    Old Dutch and Belgian licenses are paper by the way, people still have them. People still have driving licenses from the UK that are just a big fold out sheet of paper.


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