Countries
Driving in Brazil with a US license
Brazil is the one country on this site where the State Department points to a different permit, the Inter-American one.
Do you need an International Driving Permit there?
Driving in Brazil on a US license
US license accepted for visitors
| US license counts | 180 days of a stay |
| IDP | Not required by the rule we read, but rental desks and insurers may still ask for one. |
| Conventions | Party to the 1968 Vienna convention only, which the United States has not joined (1968: 1980) |
| Rule | State Department The State Department advises an Inter-American Driving Permit, carried with the valid US license, for stays of more than 180 days. |
Source: U.S. Department of State, Brazil country information (updated August 6, 2026). Not legal advice; the country's own authorities decide.
Driving in Brazil: the full rulesThe State Department's Brazil page, updated on August 6, 2026, advises obtaining an Inter-American Driving Permit to carry with a valid US license if you plan to stay more than 180 days and drive, and says such permits can be obtained through AAA. That permit comes from a separate treaty among countries of the Americas; Brazil has been a party to the 1968 Vienna convention since 1980 but not to the 1949 one. For shorter stays the page lists no permit requirement. Brazil's Lei Seca, the dry law, forbids driving with any measurable alcohol, with checkpoints and random breath tests in cities, penalties and impoundment. The page describes risky roads: poor driving, bad surfaces, dense traffic, inadequate maintenance and seasonal flooding in the Amazon. The universal emergency number 193, staffed by fire departments, is the fastest way to get help.
Until when does your US license count?
Last day on the US license in Brazil
June 2, 2027
| Rule | 180 days of a stay |
| Days counted | 180 |
| Also needed | nothing else by the rule read |
Leaving and coming back may restart the count in some countries, not all: check the text cited on the country page.
Rules read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
Which permit for Brazil
The booklet most Americans know follows the 1949 Geneva model, which Brazil has not joined. The State Department therefore names the Inter-American permit for long stays. Ask AAA for that document specifically if you will stay more than 180 days; for a short trip, the US license is what the page relies on. The conventions page explains why one permit does not fit every country.
Driving habits
Drivers must yield to cars on their right. Stop signs are rarely enforced, drivers often cross lanes without warning, and flashing lights or a hand out of the window signal others to slow down. Federal law requires child seats under seven and a half years. Roadside help outside toll roads is informal and sporadic.
Brazil at a glance
| What a US license holder needs | US license accepted for visitors |
| How long the US license counts | 180 days of a stay |
| Side of the road | right, as in the United States |
| 1949 Geneva convention | not a party |
| 1968 Vienna convention | party since October 29, 1980 |
| Rule read in | U.S. Department of State, Brazil country information (updated August 6, 2026) |
What the State Department page says
| Passage on driver's licenses, as published |
|---|
| Traffic Laws: You should obtain an Inter-American Driving Permit to carry with your valid U.S. license if you plan to stay more than 180 days and drive in Brazil. Such permits can be obtained through AAA or other sources. |