It’s no longer valid as of 2024, in case you decide to drive in Switzerland using it. 
In the late 1980s, a coworker had one of the old foldable licenses, and got stopped in upstate New York. He only spoke German to the police officer, and pretended he didn’t speak English. The police officer just kept talking to him louder and louder and finally gave up. He didn’t get a ticket.
Not terribly relevant to the thread, but noting that bureaucrats failing to accept valid ID is not limited to international travel. The TSA has (several times) rejected Washington DC driver’s licenses for travel within the US, apparently because the agent was unaware that DC is part of the country that the TSA works for.
Thanks!
I guess I’ll go get one. It is a bit of a hassle but not terrible and it seems I should have one for Italy.
That’s weird.
Speaking as the manager of a rental car agency in NZ - if your licence is in English, you shouldn’t need an IDP. We verify the licence and compare it to your passport and that’s all.
And to be as clear as possible - at least for us…
An “IDP” is literally a verified translation of your home country license. For us, and the NZ police, it is only required for non english licenses. If your license can be read and understood in english you don’t need an IDP. (of course, there is no accounting for the ignorance or dumb policies of different companies)
Sure, but the problem is that the OP wants to go to Italy and other places.
FWIW, the other alternative is an “official translation” of your driver’s license.
Here is one random service found on the net.
Certified Driver's License Translation Services - In 24 hours at $20.
I donno what I would do. I’m going to the States in the summer and may get a IDL just for the hassle factor because I’ll be going to different states.
My mother lives in Georgia and I got pulled over in her car when I didn’t have my IDL with me, but I had my Taiwanese license. It turns out that they don’t have a requirement for a translation and the cop’s supervisor eventually decided it was all good.
This next time, I will be renting a car so I may get one just to be on the safe side.
I once thought about renting a motorbike in SE Asia. Once. Being a pillion passenger is scary enough for my old bones nowadays. 
Last summer, I rented an SUV from Avis for two weeks in Italy. When I showed up at the Fiumicino Avis, I never even had to interact at the counter. I used the app and it told me where my car was and I just got in and drove off (I had to use the app to get through the exit, IIRC).
I’ve rented vehicles in Italy a couple of times (Hertz and Avis) and never worried about carrying anything but my California DL.
This is an ongoing debate where i work…“fast service” vs sharing hospitality and the friendliness kiwis are famous for
I didn’t see the point of it either, since it just duplicated information on my current driving licence. When I went through the online booking process, it specifically said that I would need one and told me which version was the right one. Didn’t seem necessary, but it was not a massive expense - we are also expected to provide a “code check” which is a document that confirms my licence details, what I’m allowed to drive, and whether I have any points/convictions on my licence. Nobody has asked to see that either, and when presented with it, rental folks look quite baffled!
It can be worth it depending on where you want to drive. I needed one in Spain once; they didn’t even look at my IL driver’s license, but they absolutely did look at my international driving permit. Ask the rental company. Sometimes the website of the US Embassy in the country in question will have info, too. I have never belonged to AAA, but there was a place near my office that did them.
They work quite well if one has a motorcycle license as well. Most people will assume that if you have a license you can drive a car, but our licenses just have the letter “M” for motorcycle endorsement. I’ve ridden around Europe twice and needed one to prove I could ride a motorcycle to rent them.
The other nice thing about them is that if some officer takes it for some reason you can keep your real one. That almost happened to me in Cozumel a couple of years ago. I got pulled over on a scooter, had the cop keep my license until I paid him. He was not happy I only had $20 in my wallet. So with an IDL he could have kept it.