Countries
Driving in Germany with a US license
Germany is often described as "no permit needed". The regulation says something more precise, and it is worth reading before you rent.
Do you need an International Driving Permit there?
Driving in Germany on a US license
IDP or official translation required
| US license counts | 6 months after you become a resident |
| IDP | An IDP from AAA or AATA is the simplest way to meet the rule; an official translation is the other. |
| Conventions | Party to the 1968 Vienna convention only, which the United States has not joined (1968: 1978) |
| Rule | National text A visitor may drive on a foreign license. Under § 29(2) FeV a foreign license that is not written in German must be accompanied by a translation, unless it follows the model of Annex 6 of the 1968 Convention or Germany has waived the translation; an IDP is one of the documents the article accepts. After moving to Germany the license counts for six months. The State Department page confirms the six months. |
Source: Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung (FeV), § 29, Federal Ministry of Justice; State Department page updated August 11, 2025. Not legal advice; the country's own authorities decide.
Driving in Germany: the full rulesSection 29 of the German driving license regulation, the Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung, allows the holder of a foreign license to drive in Germany within the limits of that license as long as they have no ordinary residence there. Paragraph 2 says how the license is proven: by a valid national license or an international permit under the 1926, 1949 or 1968 conventions, together with the national license. It adds that a foreign license not written in German, issued outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland and not following the model of annex 6 of the 1968 convention, must come with a translation, unless Germany has waived it. We found no waiver for US state licenses in the texts we read, so carrying a permit from AAA or AATA is the safe way to meet the rule. Residents may drive on the US license for six months, as the State Department's Germany page also states.
Which road traffic convention has this country joined?
Germany
1968 only
| 1949 Geneva | not a party |
| 1968 Vienna | party since 1978 |
| Our reading of the rule: IDP or official translation required | |
Party to the 1968 Vienna convention only, which the United States has not joined. The United States is a party to the 1949 convention only; a country's own law can still ask for more, or less.
Rules read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
The six months for new residents
When the holder of a non-European license takes up residence in Germany, the right to drive on it lasts six more months. The licensing office can extend this by up to six months if the person shows that the residence will not last more than twelve months. After that, a German license is needed; for some US states an exchange without a full test is possible, under rules outside the scope of this page.
What must be in the car
The State Department lists the documents to keep in any vehicle in Germany: registration, insurance policy, a first-aid kit, a reflective vest and a warning triangle. The blood alcohol limit is 0.05 percent. Speed limits apply on large stretches of the autobahn, contrary to its reputation. A trip that continues to Austria needs the permit or a translation there as well, on a clearer legal basis.
Germany at a glance
| What a US license holder needs | IDP or official translation required |
| How long the US license counts | 6 months after you become a resident |
| Side of the road | right, as in the United States |
| 1949 Geneva convention | not a party |
| 1968 Vienna convention | party since August 3, 1978 |
| Rule read in | Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung (FeV), § 29, Federal Ministry of Justice |
What the State Department page says
| Passage on driver's licenses, as published |
|---|
| If you hold a valid U.S. driver’s license, you can drive in Germany for up to six months without acquiring a German driver’s license. |
| You could be fined and have your driver's license suspended for a set period, depending on the severity of the violation. |