Can I really get an International driver's license after mine has been revoked?

Factual Questions
1

I got some SPAM today, from an outfit offering to sell me (or at least tell me where to apply for) an international driver’s license, which is supposedly valid even if my current license has been suspended or revoked.

The wording in the message is, “The United Nations drafted the international law in 1949 to provide uniformity of driving rules around the world. It also gave you the right to drive.”

My first thought was “yeah, right,” but we’re dealing with international law here, where the accustomed principles of law don’t necessarily apply. Still… the ‘right’ to drive?

The company, who offers no name, no return address, and only a toll phone number (at least its not a 900 number) also claims that:

… You can get car insurance with it
… No test required
… It’s not listed with any DMV database
… No more violation points…ever!
… It’s valid for motorcycles and commercial vehicles

Presumably, the company I call will charge me $20 and tell me to send a form to some organization that manages international driver’s licenses. I haven’t called them - I’m just assuming that they operate like every other get rich quick business.

But, still, every item on this list seems unbelievable.

Assuming that I couldn’t get a license in the states, can I really get an international license, regardless of my standing with the state, and legally use it to drive while my license is suspended or revoked? Would an insurance company really give me insurance without checking with the state? And, wouldn’t they think it was odd that an American citizen was using an international license? I can see why there might be no test required, but wouldn’t I have to show proof that I already have a valid license in my own country to get an international license? Is it true that the DMV doesn’t bother to keep track of offenses by international driver’s license holders? And, are they really valid for commercial vehicles? Could I get one and start driving a big rig tomorrow?

– Mike (who has yet to receive so much as a speeding ticket) –

2

I don’t know. The people I’ve known that owned an international driver’s license obtained it by showing that they had a valid driver’s license in their country of residence.

I imagine that a USA resident driving around with an international driver’s license would get some grief from law enforcement officers. But is it legal? Too deep a question for me.

3

Here’s what this site says about the laws in California

4

I am not sure about this - it’s been a while since I had an international license - but from what I remember, a U.S. resident can’t use an international license in the U.S. Also, you don’t need to pay anyone anything to tell you *how[i/] to get one - call up your local passport agency; I think that’s where I got mine from. I can’t remember if I had to show my current, valid U.S. license in order to get the international one, but I think I did.

Christopher Walton of the Detroit Free Press had this to say in a 10/4/99 article:
“But in fact, an international driver’s license is simply a copy of a domestic license translated into several languages. Its purpose, as agreed to by the more than 100 countries that signed the United Nations Convention on International Road Traffic in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1949, is to reduce language barriers between foreign tourists and police. Any U.S. resident with a valid, state-issued driver’s license can get an international license for $10.” The full text is at http://www.auto.com/industry/qlicens30.htm.

In any case, I would be suspicious of anything that claims you have “the right” to drive anywhere. You most certainly do not have any “rights” about it. Sounds like a money-making scam to me.

5

Sort of related to the idea of ‘no points on the driving record for a speeding ticket’ idea, does anyone know which states do not have ‘reciprocity’? That is, states that don’t report to your home state any moving violation if you just pay the fine?

The international driver’s license idea got me to thinking…years ago, I had the unfortunate luck to get nailed on I-8 on my way from San Diego to Tucson, AZ going…oh…110mph. Luckily, the cop was really cool and told me (after the ‘slow the hell down speech’) that if I just paid the $175 ticket (which was quite reasonable considering my speed) that it wouldn’t go on my record, and sure enough, it didn’t. No traffic school or anything. I find this especially odd though since I’m told Arizona supposedly has one of the best computer saavy police forces in all 50 states. Then again, out in Goat Scrotum, AZ or whatever the town was where that cop must live who busted me, I’m sure they probably just got indoor plumbing last week.

Anyone know of other states with this ‘don’t tell’ policy if you just pay the ticket?

For whatever it’s worth, I know that when I got nailed in California, they DID report it to the DPS in Texas, so I had to go to traffic school for that one.

But if getting this international license prevents the cops from being able to report you (i.e. you don’t have a “home” state) then I’m all over that…I’m more than happy to pay the tickets I get. Just no more traffic school :frowning:

6

Don’t pay for “information”.
Only pay for the actual license.
Free application forms are available at AAA and American Express travel centers.
I’ve had this one, thought it would help because I travel a lot, but foreign traffic cops have never seen one and only want to see my passport. On the other hand I’ve never been stopped for something serious, like Sweden, where your license is pulled for life if you’re a drunk driver.

7

Of course you CAN get one, but try using it in place of a VALID drivers license…

8

Dan: The International Driver’s License (IDL) is a valid license; however, as it clearly states on the license itself, the thing is not valid in the country of issue. Thus, if one gets an IDL issued in the United States, the IDL is not valid for use in the United States.

9

MONTY: and the thread is…? the point is that you cannot use your “international” as a valid license in your own country, so you cannot use it to replace an expired or suspended license.

Go to Jail, go directly to Jail…

10

Dan: Which is it, are you new to the language or new to the planet? You explicitly described the IDL as not being a valid driver’s license. As it actually is one, then my response above was 100% on-point.

11

O.K. fine, so I can’t use the interntional driver’s license as a substitute for my real license if it is issue in the same country. Well, I’m in San Diego and a mere 20 minute drive from Tijuana, Mexico. Can I walk across the border, get my international driver’s license THERE walk back across, and now legally give THAT to the cop instead of my real license when I get pulled over?

Inquiring minds want to know…

12

A WAG here, but I believe when they suspend your license they are simultaneously suspended your driving privileges (and make no mistake, legally speaking, driving is considered a privilege). So even if you manage to get a valid license by some means you would still be driving illegally.

13

only if you had a mexican license.
almost any country will issue a IDL to any of its citizens who have a valid “local” drivers license. if you have a mexican drivers license than mexico will issue you an IDL, if you have a US drivers license, the US will issue you a IDL.

HaVe a GreaTFuL DaY…

14

Yarster, please read my post above concerning the legality of an International Driver’s license in California.[list=a][li]The license must be accompanied by a valid driver’s license from the country in which you obtained your international driver’s license.[/li]If you are a resident of California, you must obtain a California driver’s license within 10 days.[/list=a]Both those conditions would put the kibosh on the scheme of using an international driver’s license to legally drive in California. I didn’t research the law in other states or countries, but I’m sure there are similar conditions, at least throughout the USA.

15

Your international Drivers License in not valid in the country you reside in.

MONTY: the thread here is can this guy, once his state drivers license is suspended or whatever, procure and use an IDL in it’s place. For that purpose, the IDL is not valid. For the questions raised in this thread, the IDL is not valid. No-one disputes that; ALONG with your (valid) State License, an IDL is valid in other countries, but that’s NOT the question here!