The idea of having to get an International Driving Permit has always been intimidating to me. It brings back memories of drivers’ ed, an on-the-course driving test, and a heart-wrenching, hours long exam.
It’s because of these associations that I’d never even so much as looked into getting my International Driving Permit, even though I’ve traveled relatively extensively.
However, with my open-ended, RTW trip looming, I decided it was time. A friend of mine had recently mentioned getting their permit, so I reached out to find out where he’d gotten it. To my surprise, he’d gotten it at his local AAA and said it “wasn’t that hard.”
Alright… so I had to do another things I abhor… make a phone call.
I called my local AAA office and they said all I had to do was…
Three Steps to Getting an International Driving Permit
Step 1: Get Passport Photos
Step 2: Fill Out the AAA International Driving Permit Application
Step 3: Show Up at AAA & Pay $15 (and hand over Steps 1 & 2, along with your drivers license of course)
So…. I did it today! Here’s how it went:
Step 1: I had recently paid an exorbitant amount of money for a pair of passport photos (read: over $12 for the pair!). So I had smartly scanned in the photos and sent copies to print on 4×6 photos… making FOUR photos only $0.29. Two of those went with me for my visit to AAA for my Permit application. Thanks, Walgreens!
Step 2: I visited the AAA website, grabbed the app, printed it and filled it out. No crazy exam questions here! 
Step 3: The local AAA office is about 10 minutes from my house! I drove over this afternoon with all of my paperwork. When I walked in, a service rep welcomed me immediately and took a look at my documentation. She asked where I’d be traveling, as apparently there’s a different permit for the majority of Latin/South America. Once she confirmed my trip (very interesting for a RTW traveler!), she stepped into the back of the office, telling me it would only be a few minutes. True to her word, she was back within ten minutes (I was happily sipping my complimentary lemon tea) with my Permit! She watched me sign it, rang me up, and I was done!!! I would say I was in AAA for less than twenty minutes.
In Conclusion:
Now I’m the proud owner of my very own International Driving Permit. It’s stamped and very official looking, and it’s valid for 1 year from the start date, which you select on your application. In order for it to be valid, I’m required to carry it while driving IN ADDITION to my US Drivers License.
That was definitely way easier than I anticipated. I should have done it sooner!
It’s interesting to learn that getting an international driving permit isn’t that hard to get since it’s basically going to the AAA office and following the permits required based on where you’ll be traveling. I’ll be sure to do this once I’m done getting my driving permit test so that I’d be able to drive whenever we’ll be on a trip. Thanks for the informative read about how to get an international driving permit!
I didn’t know that you could get an international permit with paying a fee and then filling out the application to be able to drive in a different country. That would make traveling easier and cheaper in most cases. How long does the permit last?