International Driving Permit for Florida

[wayneg]

A reply Tim (I assume its Tim) from TripWheels has posted on Dibb. They are admitting its a pointless document but its now law

Elle has also blogged it on their website http://news.tripwheels.com/2013/02/11/international-driving-permit-required-for-florida/

I hope this answers all your questions (some of the old stuff, plus new stuff):

Customers that wish to drive in Florida without obtaining a Florida driver license will be required to have an International Driving Permit to accompany their out-of-country license. This applies to any vehicle, including rental vehicles. The International Driving Permit must be in the customer’s name and from their country of residence.

This is the information from the Florida Statutes:

322.04(c)(1)Persons exempt from obtaining driver license-

(c) A nonresident who is at least 16 years of age operating a motor vehicle of the type for which a Class E driver license is required in this state if the nonresident has in his or her immediate possession:

(2) An International Driving Permit issued in his or her name in his or her country of residence and a valid license issued in that country.

When did the law change, and why? January 1, 2013. The purpose of the permit is for the English translation. Obviously, a license issued in the UK is already written in English, so the permit is admittedly a little redundant but that is technically the law at this point.

What will happen to British drivers who drive without an IDP?
Without an IDP, a driver is therefore driving without a valid license and if stopped, law enforcement has the option of 1/ arresting the driver and taking him/her to jail 2/ giving the driver a citation with a mandatory court appearance.

Hope this helps,


Deputy Communications Director
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles

 

[wilma-bride]

As I previously stated that I would, I have now revised my position on this having received official correspondence and confirmation from the horse's mouth, so to speak. Based on information provided to me by the Florida Senate, I have revised my stance on this and will be ensuring that my DH gets an IDP before we travel to Florida in October.

Ms. ******,

In response to your information request: The primary mission of the Division of Revision and Legislative Information is to publish the Florida Statutes and to provide information about the legislative process upon request. The division cannot, by law, provide legal advice or statutory interpretation.

Florida Statute 322.04 is relevant to your query; see especially 322.04(1)(c)2. A hot link to that section follows:

http://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2012/322.04

You will need both an IDP and a UK drivers’ license.

I hope that you find this information useful.

David Murphy
Division of Law Revision and Legislative Information

I still think it is completely ludicrous that a law has been put in place which affects a huge number of visitors to Florida and it has not been properly cascaded to those people who need to know. It is hardly surprising that there is so much confusion amongst visitors

 

[15isto2]

As I previously stated that I would, I have now revised my position on this having received official correspondence and confirmation from the horse's mouth, so to speak. Based on information provided to me by the Florida Senate, I have revised my stance on this and will be ensuring that my DH gets an IDP before we travel to Florida in October.

Ms. ******,

In response to your information request: The primary mission of the Division of Revision and Legislative Information is to publish the Florida Statutes and to provide information about the legislative process upon request. The division cannot, by law, provide legal advice or statutory interpretation.

Florida Statute 322.04 is relevant to your query; see especially 322.04(1)(c)2. A hot link to that section follows:

http://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2012/322.04

You will need both an IDP and a UK drivers’ license.

I hope that you find this information useful.

David Murphy
Division of Law Revision and Legislative Information

I still think it is completely ludicrous that a law has been put in place which affects a huge number of visitors to Florida and it has not been properly cascaded to those people who need to know. It is hardly surprising that there is so much confusion amongst visitors

While I agree that the change has been poorly publicised it was fairly clear when I read it.

 

[chmurf]

I still think it is completely ludicrous that a law has been put in place which affects a huge number of visitors to Florida and it has not been properly cascaded to those people who need to know. It is hardly surprising that there is so much confusion amongst visitors

Now, here's a point we agree upon

cheers

 

[Elise79]

The Post office - costs £5.50 can post date the start upto 3 months but not all branches.
Post Office - IDP

The RAC - costs £8 can post date start and takes upto 10 days
RAC - IDP

The AA - costs £8 can post date and as standard takes 10 days priority sevices offered.
The AA - IDP
Edit: the AA also require you send a C5 sized envelope (no stamps)

For all you need a passport sized photo.

 

[Red-Snapper]

While I agree that the change has been poorly publicised it was fairly clear when I read it.

Round of applause

 

[15isto2]

Round of applause

No applause needed just that people remove their heads from the sand where several peope had them firmly embedded

 

[wilma-bride]

The Post office - costs £5.50 can post date the start upto 3 months but not all branches.
Post Office - IDP

The RAC - costs £8 can post date start and takes upto 10 days
RAC - IDP

The AA - costs £8 can post date and as standard takes 10 days priority sevices offered.
The AA - IDP
Edit: the AA also require you send a C5 sized envelope (no stamps)

For all you need a passport sized photo.

Thank you Tracy, useful information

 

[queendisney]

Just to add.....

The US Embassy in London web site says:-

International Driving Permits are generally not required in the U.S.A but it is helpful to carry one. If they are taken, they are only valid in conjunction with a full national driving license. They should not be accepted on their own. It is recommended that drivers who possess a full national license that is in script other than Roman, i.e. Cyrillic or Arabic, should also obtain an International Driving Permit (IDP).

all in all if we are going to hire a car, which sometimes we do for 1 or 2 days only then I might get one just in case..

 

[Elise79]

Another official source confirming the change
https://ffdhsmv.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/118/kw/international%20driver%20permit

 

[wayneg]

Another official source confirming the change
https://ffdhsmv.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/118/kw/international%20driver%20permit

But that is not as clearcut as the others. I don't like the wording "you may need to" or "We suggest you contact the rental company in advance to find out more regarding their policy"
If its law then yes you need it and the car rental company need to see it.

I think its a matter of the left hand not knowing what the right is doing on this.
As it stands now its law and we need it but only about 3 people in a Floridian office and a few 100 people reading UK forums. I doubt the Highway patrol know, the car rental companies or 99% of UK travellers.
Once they get this out properly they will either get a backlash from car rental companies/agents and change theri policy or it will be on all our car rental contracts.

Glad I am not going for 7 weeks, hope its all sorted by then.

 

[irenep]

I have been following this thread with interest and I am glad to see that there finally seems to be some sort of conclusion albeit a really strange one ie. we DO need an IDP to translate our English language driving licenses into English

If it turns out that the rental companies end up agreeing and start enforcing this...the queues are going to be horrendous as I expect the vast majority of British (and Canadian? etc) visitors will be completely unaware of this change for quite some time.

There must be something in the water in Florida -add this to the whole WDW website, the Fastpass+, and My Disney Experience fiascos and It's all rather exhausting

 

[thestevied]

Glad I get the buses! Would be nice to have a car, especially for getting to universal and idrive from wdw but I like to have a cold beer during the day anyway, so happy to rely on taxis or shuttles. I just make sure I factor the cost of taxis in when budgeting...

 

[Elise79]

But that is not as clearcut as the others. I don't like the wording "you may need to" or "We suggest you contact the rental company in advance to find out more regarding their policy"
If its law then yes you need it and the car rental company need to see it.

I think its a matter of the left hand not knowing what the right is doing on this.
As it stands now its law and we need it but only about 3 people in a Floridian office and a few 100 people reading UK forums. I doubt the Highway patrol know, the car rental companies or 99% of UK travellers.
Once they get this out properly they will either get a backlash from car rental companies/agents and change theri policy or it will be on all our car rental contracts.

Glad I am not going for 7 weeks, hope its all sorted by then.

I think they have updated to include the new law but left the remaining text the same. A little bit of panic maybe with all the queries from these Brits on forums?

 

[tigger137]

I think its a matter of the left hand not knowing what the right is doing on this.
As it stands now its law and we need it but only about 3 people in a Floridian office and a few 100 people reading UK forums. I doubt the Highway patrol know, the car rental companies or 99% of UK travellers.

I wouldn't want to risk the Highway Patrol and other law enforcement not knowing. We've experienced both good and bad LEOs, and some would be only too happy to cart tourists off to jail given half a chance!

We're heading to Florida at the end of next week so DH will be getting an IDP in the next few days. Despite the 40 mile round trip to the closest Post Office that does them - which is ridiculous given that we live in a major urban conurbation.

If this becomes permanent and many more people need IDPs, then I think more Post Offices will need to offer them.

Once they get this out properly they will either get a backlash from car rental companies/agents and change theri policy or it will be on all our car rental contracts.

I think the issue will hit the fan one way or another. Whether it's the car rental companies, or the first batch of tourists ending up in jail and/or court. It has the potential to harm the tourist industry in Florida, so it will have to be addressed. I suspect that the change was made to cover some problem they were having and no thought was given as to its impact on tourist drivers.

I even checked out Visit Florida, the official state tourism website, and it clearly says you don't need an IDP to drive there. I know that the onus is on the visitor to ensure they comply with the local laws, but if the state's own website has the wrong information, what chance have you got?

I have been following this thread with interest and I am glad to see that there finally seems to be some sort of conclusion albeit a really strange one ie. we DO need an IDP to translate our English language driving licenses into English

From another thread I saw recently, it would seem that Florida is well known in the US for having daft laws.

If it turns out that the rental companies end up agreeing and start enforcing this...the queues are going to be horrendous as I expect the vast majority of British (and Canadian? etc) visitors will be completely unaware of this change for quite some time.

On one hand, I'd say the rental companies won't care because it's your problem and not theirs. Certainly on the Hertz website it basically says it is up to the renter to make sure they have an IDP if one is required in the location you are renting. And it could mean a loss of revenue if they turn people away for not having an IDP.

But on the other hand, presumably they are obliged to ensure that you are legally allowed to drive their vehicles. If they rent to people who are not legally licensed to drive in Florida then it could perhaps affect their corporate insurance.

It is a complete and utter mess, and it beggars belief that something with such a potential adverse impact on tourism in the world's biggest tourist destination could have got this far without someone highlighting the issue.

 

[bubblefactory]

I've just spoken to the person at the AA who dealing with the situation for them. They have been in contact with the AAA who in turn are dealing with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles regarding this.

The short term advice from them is that if you are travelling in the next few weeks to Florida the Law states that you should obtain an IDP. They will update their website shortly to reflect this.

They are working however with the AAA and FDHSMV to get the Statute changed quickly because they believe it contravenes certain agreements in place regarding the acceptability of UK licences.

 

[phi2012]

I've just spoken to the person at the AA who dealing with the situation for them. They have been in contact with the AAA who in turn are dealing with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles regarding this.

The short term advice from them is that if you are travelling in the next few weeks to Florida the Law states that you should obtain an IDP. They will update their website shortly to reflect this.

They are working however with the AAA and FDHSMV to get the Statute changed quickly because they believe it contravenes certain agreements in place regarding the acceptability of UK licences.

Im glad to read this as we go in June and as others have said it seems utterly ridiculous that they are asking us to get our English driving licences translated into English. I just hope that they can get it changed, hopefully it does contravene agreements between the UK and USA over our licences, fingers crossed .

I only by chance saw this post (I normally look at stuff with food and info for kids etc) and feel lucky I did. We are only hiring a car for two days with two drivers. So for us to have to pay out two times £5.50 plus the photos plus the petrol to the nearest post office that can do them for us, is silly. I think I will wait a bit longer before I book my car hire and worst case I may even end up using buses instead (using Disney buses most of our holiday).

The Florida senates really been silly with this and it really does seem like they've not thought about it properly. Ah well, I'll keep my fingers crossed.

 

[wayneg]

A post by Simon Vaness, they have caught wind of it now.

Hey there folks. We at the Brit Guide are currently chasing this with the Visit Florida people in the UK and USA as they know NOTHING about this and are very concerned someone has misinterpreted something along the way.

They will be talking to the necessary Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to find out what on earth is going on, as certainly no-one here in Orlando is aware of this.

Let's just hold for for a while until we can get an official response as Visit Florida are truly appalled at the potential to upset British visitors here.

 

[tigger137]

A post by Simon Vaness, they have caught wind of it now.

Let's just hold for for a while until we can get an official response as Visit Florida are truly appalled at the potential to upset British visitors here.

So they should be!

But our next trip is too close for us to wait, especially if the wheels of their government turn as slowly as ours. So DH has taken the afternoon off work to do the trip to the Post Office and hopefully get an IDP.

 

[bubblefactory]

My confirmation email from the AA arrived a couple of hours ago:

Dear Mr K

Further to our telephone conversation yesterday.

Following on from your enquiring, we started an investigation in to the query you raised regarding a new law introduced, requiring all UK licence holders driving in Florida to also hold an International Driving Permit.

Following our query raised with them, Florida State governments legal team, have confirmed to us that the revised law is in place and will be upheld.

See below:

A new law was introduced in Florida on the 1st January 2013, requiring all persons driving in Florida who hold a licence issued outside of the US to carry an International Driving Permit along with their national driving licence.

We have consulted with the American authorities who have today confirmed that this law will be upheld and applies to all UK licence holders.

We are currently investigating the introduction of such requirement, however this could take months.

In light of the information received, it is compulsory for all UK licence holders to obtain an International Driving Permit to accompany their UK licence if driving in Florida.

When did the law change, and why? January 1, 2013. The purpose of the permit is for the English translation. Obviously, a license issued in the UK is already written in English, so the permit is admittedly a little redundant, but that is technically the law at this point.

What will happen to British drivers who drive without an IDP?

Without an IDP, a driver is therefore driving without a valid license and if stopped, law enforcement has the option of 1/ arresting the driver and taking him/her to jail 2/ giving the driver a citation with a mandatory court appearance.

As advised by Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles

Full information and details about how to obtain an International Driving Permit can be found on the following link How to apply for an IDP | AA

If I can be of any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact me

Kind regards

Rxxxx

Miss Rxxx Sxxxxxxxxx

International Motoring Services

Tel: 01256 xxxxxx

Fax: 01256 xxxxxx

Email: rxxxx.sxxxxxxxxn@theAA.com