International Driving Permit Required for Florida - UPDATED

[Mags]

A Facebook friend of mine has been following this very carefully and is flying out to Orlando tomorrow. She is in touch with Simon Calder, the travel journalist, who is now on the case. He is writing something up for this weekend's Independent and intends to broadcast on it too. Once she has reached Orlando she is to ring Simon and let him know how the car rental firms are dealing with this, so watch this space.....

Mags

[Wendy]

Thanks Mags.

[Wendy]

Well, it would seem that it is indeed true, you must now have an IDP when visiting Florida, I have received a response to my email which I have posted below.

Dear Wendy,

Thanks for your question. As of January 1, 2013, per Florida Statute 322.04(c)(2), person(s) that wish to drive in Florida without obtaining a Florida driver license are 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 person’s name and from their country of residence. You will need to contact the authorities in your country who issued your driver’s license, or the motoring association there, to find out how to obtain an International Driving Permit (IDP).


Customer Service Center
Correspondence/Email Unit
Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
www.flhsmv.gov

I will get a thread together with regard to applying for an IDP and post it later today.

[Mags]

Thanks for that Wendy. What a palaver the whole thing has been.

Mags

[Wendy]

I know, hopefully there will be some information in the press otherwise people who don't go onto forums won't know anything about it.

Our friends are going over in July for 3 weeks and they don't come online so they wouldn't have known.

It doesn't bear thinking about does it, being stopped by a state trooper and then being arrested because you are driving illegally. It would certainly put a damper on the holiday.

It is something that they are enforcing, but they won't get any revenue for it as you have to apply for the IDP in your own Country.

[Slowhand]

WOW, I`m glad I came across this thread. [I knew nowt about it!]
Thanks for the tip off Wendy.

[Wendy]

I was going to pm you about it Terry when I got home from physio.

[Britchick]

This has really irked me, what is the point? they can see everything they need to see from our driving licences, if it was in a different language i would fully support it. We had an issue when we moved to South Carolina where they wouldn't give me a driving licence and i was basically not able to drive until someone at state level intervened and found another condition that allowed me to drive in the US for however long i was there for without getting a US licence. There may be something in the florida law that allows this too. The esta charge now this...i know it's peanuts compared to the cost of the holiday but Grrrr.

[Mags]

Just an update on the situation with two rental firms. Car on the Drive now say that they require an IDP as part of their contract with the driver. Alamo have also confirmed on an Orlando based FB group that an IDP is now required. The AA is also updating their information in the next few days.

Mags

[Keith]

Just an update on the situation with two rental firms. Car on the Drive now say that they require an IDP as part of their contract with the driver. Alamo have also confirmed on an Orlando based FB group that an IDP is now required. The AA is also updating their information in the next few days.

Mags

Thanks Mags that's excellent information, really appreciate you posting