Beware fake International Driving Permits
Travelers planning to rent a car while traveling overseas are probably already braced for the higher gas prices, but the FTC and AAA now are warning of a scam that could cost a lot more than only gas money — fake international driving permits.
The International Driving Permit (IDP) is required in addition to your US driver’s license in many countries. Notable European tourist destinations on the latest list now include Italy, Spain (a new development), Austria and Greece. Here is the entire list of countries requiring the International Driving Permit.
Major car rental companies, such as Hertz or rental car specialists like AutoEurope, will strongly recommend drivers have one for any travel overseas. Even some Caribbean countries, like Jamaica, require them. These IDPs are valid for a year. They are an official translation of your license into 10 foreign languages. Drivers must be 18 years old with a valid U.S. license and the permit supplements but does not replace that license — which means bring both of them.
The ONLY authorized sellers of an IDP in the United States are the AAA (American Automobile Association) and the AATA (American Automobile Touring Alliance). Despite the fact that travelers or travel sites may use other names, there is no alternative document. So-called “International Drivers Licenses” or “International Driving Documents” are scams.
Our attorneys have found that individuals or companies not authorized to issue IDPs on behalf of the U.S. government are selling fake IDPs over the Internet, through unsolicited email and in person for prices ranging from $60 to $400. If you buy a fake IDP, not only will you be paying for a worthless document, you also could be facing legal problems or travel delays if you’re detained for using it to drive in a foreign country.
A quick check of the Internet shows many companies offering these permits. Some are just passport and visa services that may get you the regular IDP, with a hefty fee for the service; others are apparently selling licenses that are useless at best and fake at worst.
If drivers travel with only a US driver’s license, travelers could be fined on the spot, (for example, €75 in Italy) and there have been isolated reports of tourists having their car impounded. As in the US, it seems to depend on the police officer making the stop.
Be careful when purchasing an International Driving Permit. Buy it for $15 from a local AAA or AATA office or download an application from the AAA website.
To be safe, it is always easy to call a local AAA representative. Travelers don’t have to be AAA members and many offices will even take the two required passport-sized photos for you, albeit for a charge. ($10 for member photos, $15.00 for non-members)
European driving vacations almost always seem to result in one or two embarrassing little stories; my husband and I once somehow managed to completely miss all the exits for Brussels. But get the correct International Drivers Permit now, and with luck, at least your embarrassing stories will be inexpensive ones.
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