Driving abroad
Renting a car in Italy as an American
Italy is the most rented-in country on this site and the one with the most expensive misunderstandings. Most of them happen after the counter.
Can you drive in Italy with what you carry?
Under article 135
You may drive
| Residence | visitor |
| Document | IDP |
| Fine if stopped | none for documents |
Italian law lets a non-resident drive on a license from outside the EU only together with an international permit or an official Italian translation of the license, both valid; after one year of residence the US license no longer counts.
To rent and drive a car in Italy on a US license, you need the license itself, valid, and either an International Driving Permit or an official translation into Italian: that is the rule of article 135 of the Codice della Strada, the Italian road code, for holders of licenses issued outside the European Union who have not been resident in Italy for more than a year. The fine for driving without the permit or translation is €408 to €1,634, under paragraph 8 of the same article, as published by the Automobile Club d'Italia. Rental counters do not always ask for the permit, and that is where the misunderstanding starts: the rule binds the driver on the road, not the company at the desk. The State Department's Italy page adds the second trap of Italian rentals, limited-traffic zones in historic centers, watched by cameras, whose fines are mailed to US addresses, often months later.
Will your age cost extra at the rental desk?
Young-driver surcharge
$140
| Your age | 23 |
| Company minimum | 21 |
| Days | 7 |
Ages and surcharges are set by each rental company and location, not by law: copy them from the terms of the offer you are looking at.
Rules read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
Documents to bring
| Document | Why |
|---|---|
| US driver's license, valid for the whole rental | the permit has no value without it |
| International Driving Permit, or official Italian translation | article 135 of the road code; fine of €408 to €1,634 without |
| Passport | identity; rental companies ask for it |
| Credit card in the driver's name | deposit; company policy |
The permit or the translation
Either document meets the article. A translation must be official, which in practice means certified, and it serves only in Italy. The permit costs a $20 permit fee, is issued in the United States by AAA or AATA, and covers a trip that continues to Austria, which also requires a permit or translation, or to Switzerland, which does not. The application guide gives the last safe day to apply.
Limited-traffic zones and camera fines
Florence, Rome, Milan, Bologna, Pisa and many smaller towns close their centers to unauthorized traffic. The entrances are marked with a ZTL sign and the hours of restriction; a camera records every plate. A visitor who follows the navigation app to a hotel inside the zone can collect a fine at each pass. Ask the hotel whether it can register the plate with the city, and park outside the zone otherwise. Italian speed cameras work the same way: the fine is sent to the rental company, which passes on your address.
Residents
A person who registers as a resident in Italy may drive on the US license, with the permit or translation, for one year from acquiring residence. After that an Italian license is required. The tool at the top applies this rule to the months you enter; the Italy country page quotes the State Department in full.