The United States, Canada and over 100 other countries are party to the International Convention on Road Traffic.This Convention is intended to establish uniform reciprocal privileges on matters such as drivers' permits.The agreement also requires the US and its states to allow a foreign driver admitted to the US to drive a private motor vehicle for one year on certain conditions.
According to the information we have found by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrations (AAMVA), the conviction allows members to require that a foreign motorist possess a valid IDP, the US has not done so though.
An International Driving Permit (IDP) issued outside of the United States of America is recognized by States within the US but typically only as a secondary document in conjunction with a valid foreign issued driver's license.It is the foreign license that typically is acknowledged as validation that the person has driving privileges allotted to them by their home country and thus in the US while they are in it for that one year period.
For example, the state of California notes on their DMV site that they do not recognize an International Driving Permit (also called an International Driver License, International License, etc) as a valid driver license.California does recognize a valid driver's license that is issued by a foreign jurisdiction (county, state, territory) of which the license holder is a resident.
The IDP is simply a translation of a license issued by the country of residence to help people traveling to avoid language barriers between foreign drivers and law enforcement.IDPs thus are useful, but the issuing of these Permits is not well regulated in all countries so there is a potential for fraud.This is likely why States require a valid foreign license instead of just an International Permit.
Comment Update:
The contracting parties to the convention are:
- Albania
- Algeria
- Andorra
- Argentina
- Australia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Bahamas
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belize (former British Honduras)
- Belgium
- Benin
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Cambodia
- Canada
- Central African Republic
- Chile
- China (Republic of)
- Congo
- Costa Rica
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Croatia
- Cuba
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Faroe Islands
- Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire)
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- Estonia
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- Georgia
- Germany
- Ghana
- Greece
- Grenada (Windward Islands)
- Guatemala
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Holy See
- Hungary
- Iceland
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran (Islamic Republic of)
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Lao People’s Democratic Republic
- Latvia
- Lebanon
- Lesotho
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Mali
- Malta
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Monaco
- Mongolia
- Morocco
- Myanmar
- Namibia
- Netherlands
- Netherlands Antilles
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Norway
- Pakistan
- Papua New Guinea
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Poland
- Portugal
- Republic of Korea
- Republic of Moldova
- Romania
- Russian Federation
- Rwanda
- Samoa
- San Marino
- Senegal
- Serbia and Montenegro
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- South Africa
- Spain (including African localities and provinces)
- St Vincent and the Grenadines (Windward Islands)
- Surinam
- Swaziland
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Syrian Arab Republic
- Tajikistan
- Thailand
- The F. Y. R. of Macedonia
- Togo
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Turkmenistan
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
- Alderney
- Guernsey
- Gibraltar
- Isle of Man
- Jersey
- United Republic of Tanzania
- Tanganyika
- Zanzibar
- United States of America
- Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
- Venezuela
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Parties that are not contracted to the convention:
- Afghanistan
- Angola
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Armenia
- Bhutan
- Bolivia
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- Cape Verde
- Chad
- Colombia
- Comoros
- Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
- Djibouti
- Dominica (Windward Islands)
- El Salvador
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Guinea
- GuineaBissau
- Honduras
- Iraq
- Kiribati
- Liberia
- Libyan Arab Jamahiria
- Liechtenstein
- Maldives
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritania
- Micronesia
- Mozambique
- Nauru
- Nepal
- Oman
- Palau
- Panama
- Qatar
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Saudi Arabia
- Solomon Islands
- Somalia
- Sudan
- TimorLeste
- Tonga
- Tuvalu
- United Arab Emirates
- Vanuatu
- Viet Nam
- Virgin Islands
- Yemen Arab Republic
Comment Update:
It is up to each individual state and state law to determine if you are allowed to drive in a state with an international license.
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