International Driving Permit for American drivers
American licence holders drive on the right at home and United States is a contracting state to the Geneva 1949 convention. What that changes abroad, and how to get your IDP online.
What changes when a American driver goes abroad
United States is a contracting state to the 1949 Geneva Convention but not the 1968 Vienna Convention. Worth knowing before you book: 31 of the countries we cover — Dominican Republic, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan among them — recognise the 1968 Vienna form instead, so check the destination page before you drive there.
And coming the other way. Foreign visitors driving on a non-English licence should carry an IDP (a certified translation) with the original. Rental firms frequently require it. It is worth knowing what United States asks of visiting drivers, because it is the same question every destination will ask of you — see the United States destination page for the detail.
The other change is the road itself. You drive on the right at home, and 36 of the 154 destinations we cover drive on the left — Japan, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom among them. Licensing age travels too: United States licenses from 16, but the destination's minimum is what applies when you get there, and rental desks add their own on top.
How to get your IDP as a American driver
You don't need to visit an office. Get your International Driving Permit online with International DL — we translate your licence into the languages the road-traffic conventions set out and issue your IDP digitally, ready before you fly.
Where it changes most for American drivers
Destinations whose rules differ most from United States — a different side of the road, a different convention, or an IDP that is required rather than recommended.
Common questions from American drivers
Do American drivers need an International Driving Permit?
As a American licence holder, your national driving licence is issued in the Latin alphabet, which helps abroad — but most countries still expect an International Driving Permit (IDP) alongside it, and car-rental agencies frequently require one. An IDP is a certified translation of your national licence and never replaces it, so carry your licence, your passport and your IDP together.
Will I be driving on the other side of the road?
At home you drive on the right. 36 of the 154 destinations we cover drive on the left, including Japan, Thailand, Australia — worth checking before you book a car, because it changes more than the steering wheel.
What is the minimum driving age for American drivers abroad?
You can hold a licence from 16 in United States, but the age that counts abroad is the destination's, and rental companies set their own minimum on top of it — frequently 21 or 25, with a young-driver surcharge. Each destination page lists the local minimum.
Is my United States driver's licence valid abroad?
Your United States licence stays valid at home. Abroad it is presented together with an IDP, which translates it into the languages the road-traffic conventions set out for police and rental agencies.
How do American citizens get an IDP?
You can get a digital International Driving Permit online from International DL — apply, upload a photo of your licence, and we issue it without a trip to an office.
How long is an International Driving Permit valid?
For the term you choose when you apply, and only while your national licence is still valid — an IDP translates that licence, so it cannot outlive it.
Travelling abroad soon?
Get your digital International Driving Permit in minutes and drive worry-free wherever you go.
Get my IDP →IDP for other nationalities
Checked 30 October 2026. Driving rules change and can vary by destination and nationality. Always confirm the current requirements with the embassy or official transport authority of your destination before you travel.