Driving license in America?

moretothegirl

hi everyone,

just wondering can anyone tell me is my irish license valid to use in america for 2 weeks?? is it valid for me to drive an automatic car???

Run_to_da_hills

You need to get an international driving permit. If a cop stops you with an Irish license he will do you.

http://www.aaireland.ie/travel-insuranceone/idp.asp

moretothegirl

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

You need to get an international driving permit. If a cop stops you with an Irish license he will do you.

http://www.aaireland.ie/travel-insuranceone/idp.asp

thanks for replying so quickly!
i dont see anything on that link that says this is a necessity though, where did you get this idea? i thought the international driving license is only required when your license is not written with the alphabet used in english and so it is just a translation of your own

Davidth88

You need to get an international driving permit. If a cop stops you with an Irish license he will do you

Really ?

I have hired cars in the US many times on my driving licences ( a few times on a British licence and few times on an Irish one ) , never had any problem .

moretothegirl

thanks for the info do you know if our licenses are okay with automatic cars as well? im assuming so but i want to make sure!

peter1892

moretothegirl wrote: »

thanks for the info do you know if our licenses are okay with automatic cars as well? im assuming so but i want to make sure!

Yes - no problem with hiring an automatic over there, personally I liked driving an automatic car, it meant I had less to worry about when driving on the 'other side'!

childoforpheus

Here's a link that might help: http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Foreign_Visitors_Driving.shtml

moretothegirl

thats great thank you! im thinking now that i should be safe without one?

Run_to_da_hills

Davidth88 wrote: »

Really ?

I have hired cars in the US many times on my driving licences ( a few times on a British licence and few times on an Irish one ) , never had any problem .

For the sake if e5 and a postage stamp I would rather have peace of mind.

Davidth88

No I was just surprised , I have now double checked , glad I was never done for speeding or whatever ....


I would now get one to be honest

moretothegirl

i would get one if i had the time but im travelling in 2 days. ive checked it out, i dont need one so its grand

seamus

If you're in Dublin, it appears you can wander into the AA office and they'll print it on the spot.

Useful to know, might grab one myself. My Irish driving licence is in tatters but doesn't expire till 2011.

dobsdave

The international drivers license is for people who dont have their normal license in the english language.
It is NOT required in the US and is of no use to you unless you are going out of the EU and to a non english speaking country.
The rental company in America will want your Irish/EU license only.
Don't waste ur time/money folks.

I speak from various experiences of handing over one to the rental company and getting it handed back with "what is this? wheres your real license?"

Lafortezza

Last January I drove a 5litre cadillac from PHX to Vegas on a full Irish driving license. Hired from Hertz, no questions asked about international drivers license.

AA Ireland

dobsdave wrote: »

The international drivers license is for people who dont have their normal license in the english language.
It is NOT required in the US and is of no use to you unless you are going out of the EU and to a non english speaking country.
The rental company in America will want your Irish/EU license only.
Don't waste ur time/money folks.

I speak from various experiences of handing over one to the rental company and getting it handed back with "what is this? wheres your real license?"

We'd like to clarify a few issues raised here:
Firstly, the AA would ask that you watch out for anything described as an International Driving Licence. There have been numerous scams in the past with such documents, where victims have been charged up to €80 for one. There is only one document of this type available in the Republic of Ireland and it's the International Driving Permit or IDP, which is available from the AA in Drury St, Dublin and South Mall, Cork for €5.08 (the 8c is due to the price remaining unchanged from the original £4 charge). No other document is recognised internationally and AA Ireland is the sole authorised issuer of Irish IDPs. They're available to anyone with a full Irish driving licence or an Irish resident with a full driving licence from an EU/EEA member state (utility bill with Irish address required).
Secondly, the need for an IDP varies from country to country. There are very few places where an IDP is compulsory and certainly in the EU, an Irish driving licence is usually sufficient (that said, we have heard anecdotally of IDPs being requested by police in rural parts of southern Europe). In the US, car rental companies would be used to seeing Irish and other foreign licences and would have no problem accepting them with no further questons.
However the IDP is often a good document to have if you're asked to produce your licence by police, who may not have come across an Irish driving licence before. The IDP is a translation of your national driving licence but it's also quite standardized throughout the world, so chances are that a police officer would be more like to have encountered an IDP before than an Irish driving licence.
Thirdly, an IDP is not an independent document and is only valid with the national driving licence it was issued for. Handing it over on its own will not satisfy anyone, so it's important that your licence is kept with it at all times.
More information is available on the AA Travel number: (01) 617 9988.

Tom Dunne

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

You need to get an international driving permit. If a cop stops you with an Irish license he will do you.

http://www.aaireland.ie/travel-insuranceone/idp.asp

Sorry, that's nonsense.

For two weeks, an Irish drivers licence will cover you.

I'm moving abroad in three weeks time. That's where you need the International Drivers Permit, seeing as it is outside the EU.

SeanW

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

You need to get an international driving permit. If a cop stops you with an Irish license he will do you.

http://www.aaireland.ie/travel-insuranceone/idp.asp

Nonsense. I rented a car in the U.S. with an Irish license and no IDP, no problem. Most states - if not all - do not require the IDP if your license is readable in English.

Colonel Sanders

I hired a car in San Diego last year with my Irish driver's licence. Was stopped by the highway patrol and they were happy with the Irish driver's licence too

Geog

No problem to use your Irish licence there.

Geog

I produced my Irish licence when stopped by a cop on a routine check and there was no problem.

L1011

You absolutely do not need an IDP in any English speaking country - its a translation of your licence and nothing more. RTDH is being paranoid, as usual.

In Tom Dunne's case, an IDP is of no use when moving abroad unless moving to a country where an Irish driving licence isn't accepted at face value due to language. It is not a permanent allowance to drive in another country - if the country you move to doesn't swap Irish licences you can only use it for however long they accept, usually 3, 6 or 12 months.

moretothegirl

thanks everyone for all your help and info