How to Apply for an International Driving Permit

To apply for an International Driving Permit, go through AAA or the American Automobile Touring Alliance (AATA). Those are the only two organizations the U.S. Department of State authorizes to issue an IDP tied to a U.S. license.¹ The permit costs $20 through AAA, requires two passport-style photos and a copy of your valid U.S. driver’s license, and can be issued the same day if you walk into a branch. Apply online or by mail and you’re looking at about a week of processing plus shipping.²

The IDP itself is a booklet that translates your U.S. license into ten languages so foreign police and rental car agencies can read it. It is not a license on its own. You carry it alongside your U.S. license, never in place of it.³

Who Qualifies

You need a current, valid driver’s license from a U.S. state or territory. A learner’s permit or temporary license will not work, and neither AAA nor AATA will issue an IDP without a full license in hand.² Your license also needs to stay valid for the full time you plan to use the IDP, because the permit expires the moment your U.S. license does.⁴

If you plan to ride a motorcycle abroad and your U.S. license carries the endorsement, check the motorcycle box on the IDP application. The permit records specific vehicle categories, and an unchecked box means your IDP doesn’t cover two wheels even when your home license does.

What to Gather Before You Apply

Before you start the form, put these together:

Two identical 2″ × 2″ passport-style photos, signed on the back. If you apply online through AAA, you can use a smartphone photo instead, for an extra $10 photo fee.⁵²
A legible photocopy of the front and back of your driver’s license. If you apply in person, bring the physical license.⁵
The completed application form from AAA or AATA.
The $20 permit fee. Mailed payments must be a check or money order made out to AAA. No cash by mail.⁵

Three Ways to Apply Through AAA

In Person

This is the fastest route. Bring your photos, your license, and $20 to a local AAA branch. Staff review the paperwork on the spot and hand you the finished permit the same day. If you’re leaving the country within a week, this is the way.²

Online

AAA’s online application lets you sign the form digitally, upload a smartphone photo, and capture both sides of your license. You pay the $20 permit fee, the $10 photo fee, and shipping. Allow five business days for processing before the permit ships. There is no digital IDP; the booklet has to be mailed.²

By Mail

Send the completed application, two signed photos, a photocopy of both sides of your license, and a $20 check or money order to AAA’s processing office in Heathrow, Florida. Processing takes five business days, plus return shipping.⁵

If You’re Already Overseas

You can still apply from abroad, but the timeline stretches. Mail applications go to AAA at 1000 AAA Drive, Heathrow, FL 32746, Attn: Mail Stop #28, and return delivery runs five to seven weeks. Online is faster because processing is still five business days, but you’re then waiting on international shipping.² This is why most people handle the IDP before leaving.

How Long the Permit Lasts

An IDP is valid for one year from issue, or until your U.S. driver’s license expires, whichever comes first.⁴ There is no mid-term extension or renewal. When it runs out, you apply again with a fresh photo.

The permit only works when you carry it with your actual U.S. license. It’s a translation of that license, not a substitute. Foreign authorities need to see both.³

Avoiding Fake IDP Sites

A search for “International Driving Permit” pulls up dozens of sites that will sell you a worthless document. The Federal Trade Commission warns that these operations exist to take your money and your personal information, and that using a fake IDP overseas can land you in real legal trouble.⁶

Three signs the site is fake: it isn’t AAA or AATA; it promises an instant digital IDP (real ones are physical booklets that get mailed); or it charges much more than $20. The FTC’s guidance is direct: if any company other than AAA or AATA claims it can issue you an IDP, don’t believe it.⁶ AATA operates primarily online at aataidp.com.⁷

Using Your IDP Abroad

Carry both the IDP and your physical U.S. license any time you drive. Some rental agencies won’t release the car without seeing both, even where the IDP isn’t legally required. Requirements vary by country, so check AAA’s country list or the destination’s embassy before you travel.

Match the vehicle classes on your permit to what you actually plan to drive. Rent a scooter after only checking the passenger-car box and your IDP doesn’t cover that ride, which matters most if there’s an accident and an insurer is looking for a reason to deny the claim.

Keep photocopies of the IDP and your license stored separately from the originals. If either goes missing overseas, the copies help with local authorities and speed up replacement. The IDP itself cannot be replaced abroad; it has to be issued in the United States. Losing it mid-trip means finishing the trip without one.

1
U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual. 7 FAM 1430 Drivers Licenses
2
AAA. International Driving Permit
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AAA. International Driving Permit
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AAA. International Driving Permit
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AAA. International Driving Permit Application
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Federal Trade Commission. Planning to Drive in Another Country Heres How to Avoid International Drivers Permit Scams
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USAGov. International Drivers License for U.S. Citizens