stimpy

That's not true. There is actually less authority in an IDP than there is in your US or Canadian DL. All the IDP does is give you a translation. It does not give you the authority to drive. And you are really selling the police short here. They know very well what a US drivers license is. They've seen them many times. What a translation can help with are notations on your license such as the requirement to wear corrective lenses. And again, as a short time visitor you can do the translation yourself for the VERY few policemen who can't figure it out for themselves. Google translate it if you don't know French.

It may be worth the $15 to ease your own mind. But it's not worth anything in Europe in regards to the police.

bibbju

Or rather, the cop investigating knows the French law better than you and is aware that your Canadian licence is not actually valid to drive in France if it's in English only and isn't accompanied by either a IDP or a notarised or official translation into French.

Saying "but posters on FlyerTalk say it's ok and they've not had any problems" won't be the best defence.

Will you get stopped by the Police? Probably not. If you get stopped, will they care if you don't have an IDP or translation? Probably not. If you're involved in an accident and/or need to make an insurance claim, could they use your lack of IDP/translation against you? Absolutely!! You'd be breaking French law so on your head be it. Why risk it for the sake of $15?

YVR Cockroach

+1. Basically just to have everything covered though the chances of needing it are next to none.

FWIW, I read the T&C for Citröen's sale & repurchase (a.k.a. "lease") agreement which revealed this:

Citroen T&C by yvrcockroach, on Flickr


It looks like a directive here indicates that the DL is valid in France or short stays if it is in French (so a newer DL from all except the 3 westernmost provinces is fine), is accompanied by an translation into French, or an IDP.

The page doesn't note a notarised translation is required but one from the embassy in Washington does. Canberra embassy says IDP required. The embassy in Ottawa has nothing to say about the matter.

The Canadian government site needs some updating (specifically in re: to BC) but it seems DLs not in French need an official translation.

stimpy

Who cares what the Canadian government says? It's a FRENCH law. Why do people have a problem reading the French govt website? It is linked right above so you have no excuse. And if you can't read French, may I introduce Google Translate to you?

YVR Cockroach

Canadians perhaps? Simply a courtesy to let Canadians know what is required if driving in other countries, France in this example. States quite clearly, reiterating French law, that DLs that are not in French must have an official translation or be accompanied by a IDP.

It also states which provinces have reciprocal DL exchange agreements with France. I know BC didn't two years ago but has now.

No one is disputing that. The government of Canada is merely making it easier for Canadians to find out relevant information.


What part of do you not understand? It is what I quoted in my response above.


I prefer Microsoft Translator. Works offline too.

stimpy

Where exactly in that quote does it say *official* translation?

And to give you another hint, scroll down for longer term visitors and expats, there it does state, with a link, that in that case you need an *official* translation. I don't understand why I have to dumb this point down and repeat it several times? You don't need an *official* translation as a short term visitor.

To dumb it down even further, the reason it doesn't have to be an official translation is because the government does not want to limit tourism. If they really made a new rule that you needed an official translation and enforced it, non-European tourism outside of Paris would dry up. The people who depend on that tourism (car rental agencies, wineries, hotels, restaurants, Disneyland, etc.) I'm sure had a hand in lobbying the language in this new law.

IAD_flyer

Sorry to bump an old thread. I just realized that my IDP is expired by a year. Do you think Hertz would notice and/or care?

kerouac2

They won't care.

More important, is your national/state licence in the international format now? If so, the question is of no importance. The international format eliminates the need for an IDP since the numbered boxes ARE the translation of the information.

IAD_flyer

What do I find out? My driver’s license is American and from a U.S. that issued me a “Real ID” license. I know if that is a U.S. standard is it also international?

kerouac2

Well, for example; a Washington DC licence has the numbers that eliminate the need for translation:
District Of Confusion? 'Washington, D.C.' To Replace 'District Of Columbia' On New Driver's Licenses | WAMU

A Virginia licence does not have the necessary numbers:
Check point: New Virginia driver's licenses will be needed to fly domestically beginning October 2020 | Business News | richmond.com

mlin32

I know the North Carolina one had the international format since before I left many years ago.

I don't even think France required the IDP, or at least no one cared.

kerouac2

When I moved to France straight out of college many years ago, I was able to exchange my California licence for a French licence with a translation I had made myself, just in case the functionary did not understand English. I had a new French licence 20 minutes later (they used typewriters and cardboard in those days). I think that the French have much greater English language proficiency now than back then (1973!), so you would have to come across a real ignorant jerk to have a problem. The utility of an IDP now concerns countries like Serbia or Myanmar, in case they have not adopted the international number format.

KathrynFlyingAway

We're already on our way to France. I just remembered I hadn't done an IDP run before leaving: 2 1/2 years without much travel- guess I got rusty. This would be for France and potentially Spain (the latter seems like a larger worry, but it can be skipped if needed).

Mr FlyingAway isn't at all worried: "show me the forums where hundreds of people have reported problems." I'm not seeing those. In reading around, I'm seeing it as a problem in Greece, for example, where you can't rent a car without it.

IAD_flyer

Data points from my trip in May:

• Hertz in Toulouse train station didn't ask for an IDP.
• Ran into a French national police popup roadside checkpoint (I believe designed to catch people sneaking and excessive cigarettes from Andorra). The police officer actually prefer to look at my passport over my driver's license and did not ask for an IDP.

KathrynFlyingAway

Various forums have authoritative statements about how in Spain it's a €250 fine and a confiscation of the car. For France they mention needing a "notorized translation." I'm not finding people who've either had this experience or done this translation.