The permit
Fake International Driving Permits sold online
Search for an international driver's license and many of the top results are not AAA or AATA. Here is how to tell the difference before paying.
Is this online "international driver's license" genuine?
Warning signs found
3 of 4
| Sign 1: The seller is not AAA or AATA, the only two issuers the State Department authorizes. | |
| Sign 2: The price before shipping is above the $30 of AAA's permit and photo fees. | |
| Sign 3: An IDP is a printed booklet; AAA states that digital versions are not available. |
A document that is not issued by AAA or AATA is not a US International Driving Permit, whatever it is called.
The only valid International Driving Permits for US license holders are issued by AAA and the American Automobile Touring Alliance, the two organizations the State Department authorizes. USAGov states it plainly and warns that other websites selling permits are often fraudulent. The look-alike products have recognizable features: they are called an international driver's license or a universal license, they cost several times the official $20 fee, they arrive as a PDF or a phone app, they claim to replace your US license or to let someone without a license drive, and they promise acceptance everywhere. None of this is true of the real permit, which is a printed booklet, valid one year, usable only together with a valid US license. Japan's rule shows the stakes: the State Department notes that permits sold over the internet are not valid there, and drivers relying on them can be fined or arrested.
What does an International Driving Permit cost?
AAA online, total
$30
| Permit fee | $20 |
| Photo | $10 |
| Shipping | $0 |
Fees published by AAA and AATA; AAA branches may add sales tax and charge for photos taken there.
Rules read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
The warning signs, one by one
| What the site says | What the real permit is |
|---|---|
| "International driver's license", "universal license" | International Driving Permit, issued under the 1949 Geneva convention |
| $50 to $200 and more | $20 permit fee at AAA and AATA |
| Delivered by email, PDF or app | a printed booklet; AAA states that no digital version exists |
| Replaces your license, or no license needed | valid only with a valid US license; holders must be 18 or older |
| Valid in every country, for years | valid one year, in countries that recognize the 1949 model; useless in China or Vietnam |
Why the scam keeps working
Search results for the permit mix official issuers with sellers that pay to appear first, use flags and seals in their design and quote real countries. A buyer under time pressure, a week before a trip, sees "instant delivery" and pays. The document may even pass a rental counter that does not know what to look for. The problem comes later, at a police check or after an accident, when the driver discovers they had no valid permit and, in some countries, no valid insurance either.
The legal risk abroad
The State Department's Japan page is the clearest: international permits sold over the internet or by organizations other than AAA are not valid in Japan, and foreign residents driving without proper documentation may be fined or arrested. In countries that require a permit, such as Italy or Spain, a fake booklet counts as no permit: the fines on those pages apply. Presenting a forged official document can also be an offense in itself, depending on the country.
How to check before paying
Type the address yourself: AAA's permit page is on aaa.com, AATA's on aataidp.com. The checker at the top of this page takes four answers and lists what does not match the official permit. It sends nothing anywhere: the answers stay in your browser.