Getting one
Where to get an international driving permit
Four routes, honestly compared — including the one that wastes a morning.
An International Driving Permit is issued by a small number of authorised bodies in each country — in the United States that is AAA and AATA, and not the DMV — or prepared online by a private service like this one. There is no government office that issues them in most countries, and for many people the nearest counter is an hour away, which is why the online route exists.
A motoring club, in person
AAA and AATA in the United States · CAA in Canada · RAC, RACQ, RACV, NRMA and the other state clubs in Australia · the national club in most European countries
- In its favour
- It is the route the issuing conventions were built around, and in the United States these are the only two bodies the State Department authorises to issue an IDP.
- Against it
- You have to physically reach a branch during office hours with printed passport photos, and outside large cities the nearest one can be a long drive. Membership is sometimes assumed. Turnaround at the counter is quick; getting to the counter is not.
- Choose it when
- You live near a branch and you are not travelling this week.
By post, through a club
Most of the same clubs will accept a posted application
- In its favour
- No travel, and it is the same document as the counter route.
- Against it
- You are posting your photographs and a form, then waiting for the return leg. Two to four weeks is normal and there is no way to accelerate it once it is in the post.
- Choose it when
- Your trip is more than a month away and you would rather not drive to a branch.
A government office
DMV, RMV, licensing agency, town hall
- In its favour
- Nothing — in most countries this is not a service they offer at all.
- Against it
- This is the single most common wasted trip in the category. In the United States the DMV does not issue International Driving Permits and cannot process an application for one. The same is true of most national licensing agencies: they issue the domestic licence, and a separate authorised body issues the international document.
- Choose it when
- Never, unless your own country specifically names its licensing agency as the issuer.
An online preparation service
This site, and others like it
- In its favour
- It is filled in from wherever you are, at any hour, and the digital copy is issued the same day. No branch, no posted photographs, no office hours.
- Against it
- You are buying preparation and printing, not a state licence — so it matters a great deal who you buy from. Plenty of sites in this category are unclear about what they are, and a few are outright fraudulent.
- Choose it when
- You are travelling soon, there is no branch near you, or you would simply rather do it at eleven at night.
International Driving Service is a private document preparation service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by or acting on behalf of AAA, AATA, CAA, RAC, RACQ, the DMV or any government agency or motoring club. Those names appear here because people search for them when they are trying to work out where to go, and they deserve a straight answer. Club prices, membership rules and branch hours change — check with the club directly before travelling to one.
Questions people ask before deciding
Where can I get an international driving permit near me?
For most people there is no counter nearby. In the United States, permits are issued in person by AAA and AATA branches, and outside major metropolitan areas the nearest one is often an hour or more away. Other countries route it through their national motoring club or an authorised outlet. If reaching a branch during office hours is impractical, an online preparation service like ours is the alternative — you complete it from home and receive the digital copy the same day.
Does the DMV issue international driving permits?
No. In the United States the DMV does not issue International Driving Permits and cannot accept an application for one. The Department of State authorises two organisations to issue them: the American Automobile Association (AAA) and the American Automobile Touring Alliance (AATA). This is the most common wasted trip in the category — people go to the DMV first because it issued their licence.
Is AAA the only place to get an international driving permit?
For a US-issued permit under the 1949 convention, AAA and AATA are the two authorised issuers. That is a fact about the United States, not about the document — every country authorises its own bodies, and the permit you need depends on where your licence was issued and where you are driving. We are a private preparation service and are not affiliated with AAA, AATA or any motoring club.
What is the difference between AAA and an online service?
AAA is a membership motoring club authorised to issue permits in the United States, and you attend a branch in person. We are a private document preparation service: you complete the application online, a person on our team checks it against the licence you upload, and you receive a digital copy the same day with a printed booklet shipped if you want one. The practical difference is travel and hours — a branch needs you there during the working day, this does not.
How long does it take to get an international driving permit?
At a motoring club counter, usually the same visit. By post, two to four weeks. Through us, the digital copy is issued the same day — within about two hours as standard, or eight minutes with express processing — and printed booklets ship worldwide by tracked courier.
Can I get an international driving permit online?
You can complete the whole application online with a preparation service, which is what this site does. What no one can do online is issue you a national driving licence: an IDP only ever accompanies the licence you already hold, and is worthless without it. Be wary of any site that suggests otherwise.
Do I need to be a member of a motoring club?
Not with us, and generally not with the clubs either — most will issue to non-members, sometimes at a higher price. Membership is worth checking before you drive to a branch, because policies vary between clubs and between branches.
If the online route is the one that fits
About four minutes to complete, checked by a person before anything is printed, and the digital copy is issued the same day. If your destination turns out not to need a permit, we will say so — see what each country expects before you pay for anything.