The AAA (i.e. US) one is. You can get it post-dated to take effect on the day you need it, thereby effectively extending it's validity.

You also need to get a new one if you move out of town. It's got you name, DOB, place of birth, and "permanent place of residence" on it. The last one should probably match you DL.

BTW: It's not an IDL, it's an IDP (permit). it's only valid with your driver's license.

My understanding is that IDP's are only required when you goto a country where the Roman alphabet is not used and it is simply so they have a translation of your driving license.

I have driven everywhere in Europe on my NSW license and never had a problem.

I lived (and drove everyday) in Spain for 2.5 years and never got a Spanish or Int'l DL. I've rented cars across the EU (most recently two weeks ago in the UK) with only my NY or (now) CA driver's license

Don't think it really means anything

It still does, if you get stopped by authorities who are sticklers for detail and want a translation into the local language.

FWIW, licences issued in the E.U. are valid throughout the E.U. without an IDP. Licences from outside the E.U. aren't. So while U.K. and Irish licences are valid throughout the E.U. w/o an IDP, those issued in other english-language countries may not be.

be safe, it's cheap and quick so just get it

Ime, the IDP is a waste of money (especially the US version which is only valid for a year) if you travel to Western Europe and a lot of other places. The only place I've ever been asked for an IDP was South Korea. I still carry an IDP for "peace of mind" (a great justification for bad investments!), but I certainly wouldn't call it a necessity.

The rental agency I used in Poland recently required it.

I've never ever been asked to show it in over ten years of living in Eastern Europe. Personally, I think it's a waste of money and so I stopped getting it. But people are right--the hassle of not having it could be a lot greater than waiting 20 minutes in line and forking over $10.

Put me down on the list who has never been asked to provide an international driving permit. I did have one sometime in the 90's but no one ever asked to see it.

It's a legal requirement in Italy where the Roman alphabet is quite popular.

The main purpose of the IDP is that it provides a standardised document that police should recognise whether or not it has a local translation - for example the IDP is a legal requirement in Greece but there isn't a Greek translation.

As for not having one - it just takes a visit to a Greek police station because you don't have an IDP to convince anyone that it's money well spent.

I've even seen some cases reported where people were stopped and then prevented from driving on because they didn't have an IDP and hence weren't driving legally in that country

Count me as one who has had several IDPs and never been asked to show it.

Last time I got one from AAA (in August) the AAA rep asked me where , exactly, I'd be driving. I told her that since the permit was good for a year, I couldn't tell her, exactly. And asked why she needed to know. "The FBI asks us" was her response. It was a strange encounter.

The hertz counter in Milan required one to rent, I had one the guy next to me didn't.

I said thank you and took my keys, he's still probably yelling and screaming at them.

It's one of those things it's way better to have and not be asked for then it is not to have it and be asked to produce it. It's $15 for a year, no huge deal.

That's quite funny since I have been renting cars in Italy from both Hertz and Avis for over 10 years now with my California DL.

Yes, there's little doubt that in Italy one could just walk to another company's counter if some agent insisted on seeing an IDP. But I agree with cordelli that it can be a huge hassle if you happen to find yourself in a location where no alternatives are available.

I have never been certain whether an IDP was really necessary. I got one two separate times but was not asked to show it on either trip. Now I just carry an expired one in case the translation is necessary. I filled out the permanent address in pencil so I could change it. The one year expiration seesm just like a reason to get money from me. It's not an official document and I've always wondered how AAA became the sole provider of this document.