An International Driving Permit puts the driver's license you already hold into 10 languages, so police and rental counters in around 150 countries can read it. It is a translation, not a license: AAA's own application says an IDP “does not give driving privileges” and is “valid only in conjunction with a current driver's license.” That one line decides everything — there is no IDP without a valid U.S. driver's license first. If you do not hold one yet, the license is where you start, and that is the part we do at a DOL-approved testing center in North Seattle.
What an IDP is — and what it is not
An International Driving Permit (IDP) reproduces the information on your U.S. driver's license in 10 languages. AAA describes it as a valid form of identification in around 150 countries, carrying your name, photo and driver information.
What it is not is a license. These limits are printed on AAA's own application form, and they catch people out every year:
- It does not give driving privileges. It only translates a license you already hold.
- It is not valid for driving in the United States. If you live here, an IDP is no substitute for a state license.
- It works only together with your license. Your valid U.S. or territorial license must be carried with the permit at all times.
- It is valid for one year and cannot be renewed. When it expires you apply for a new one.
- It must take effect within 6 months of the date you apply.
Who can get one
AAA lists exactly two applicant qualifications, and that is the whole gate:
- Eighteen years or older.
- Hold a valid U.S.A. or territorial driver's license.
Where to apply — and the websites to avoid
Only two organizations are authorized by the U.S. Department of State to issue an IDP in the United States: AAA and the American Automobile Touring Alliance (AATA). That is confirmed on USA.gov. Any other website selling an “international driver's license” is not authorized to issue one.
With AAA there are three ways to apply, and you do not need to be a AAA member:
- Online — AAA-IDP.com is AAA's official online application, the one linked from AAA's IDP page. It costs the $20 permit fee plus a $10 passport-photo fee plus shipping. Allow about 5 business days to process, plus return mail.
- At a AAA branch — $20, with your license and two passport photos. This is the fastest route: AAA says to use a branch if you need the permit within 7 business days.
- By mail — application, two signed photos, a photocopy of both sides of your license, and a $20 check or money order drawn on a U.S. bank, payable to AAA.
- Photos: two identical recent passport-type photos, 2″ × 2″, each signed on the back.
- The permit is printed and mailed to you. There is no digital version, so do not leave it to the last week before a trip.
- Watch the price. Fake IDP sites charge $60 to $400 for a worthless booklet, and a fraudulent permit can get you fined or detained abroad. If it is not AAA or AATA, it is not a permit.
No U.S. license yet? Start here — this is the part we do
An IDP translates a license you already have, so if you do not hold a U.S. license the permit is simply not available to you yet. Getting a Washington license is the real first step, and it is what our school exists for: we are a Washington DOL-approved testing center in North Seattle, we run the knowledge test in 13 languages, and we provide the car for the road test.
The route from nothing to an IDP looks like this:
- Get your Washington driver license number. Start your application with the Department of Licensing and get your WDL number. Step-by-step: how to get your WDL number.
- Pass the knowledge test. The written exam, available here in 13 languages. Book a knowledge test.
- Get your instruction permit and practice. Practice with a licensed driver, or book lessons with an instructor if you want road time before the test.
- Pass the road test and get your Washington license. We provide the test car, and you test at our DOL-approved center. Book a road test.
- Apply for the IDP at AAA. Once your Washington license is in hand and you are 18 or older, apply online, at a AAA branch, or by mail as described above.
- Brand new to the whole process? The full walkthrough is in our first-time driver license guide.
What we do not do — and what we do not charge
We are not AAA, we do not issue International Driving Permits, and we take no part of the fee. We cannot sell you an IDP and we do not charge anything for the information on this page. The $20 permit fee, and any photo or shipping fees, are paid directly to AAA — never to us.
What we provide is the Washington driver license that an IDP translates, and the testing that gets you there. If you already hold a U.S. license, you do not need us for the permit at all: go straight to AAA.