You definitely do not need an international driving licence. Your old one is fine. We have used them on seven US trips so far!

Yup, don't worry

I've also got the likes of Egypt, India and Tunisia on my passport and they've never even mentioned them and I go to the States every year

Have a great time!!

Cheers,

TC

I don't see a problem. I also never had any type of 'driving permit'. I did however have a photocard license, along with the paper part which I think they looked at.

I wonder if my passport will be ok this year with my new 'checkpoint charlie' stamps from Berlin??

In the years before 9/11 when the immigration staff were a lot more friendly they even remarked 'my you've done a lot of travelling' I've got stamps from all over the world and some of the countries are not on the list of US friends. When I entered the US a couple of months ago I don't think they even looked through the passport, just stamped the appropriate page and pointed out something I had missed off of one of the forms.

I think the only time you need an International Driving Licence is when your licence is not in the English language.

For passport information/queries please use the dedicated thread at the top of the page.

Thanks.

Pippy

You need the photocard licence not the old style one. I saw a guy be refused a car last year cos he only had that.

You need the photocard licence not the old style one. I saw a guy be refused a car last year cos he only had that.


And I've had no problems using the old style one - they just wanted to see my passport as well.

To drive you just need a valid UK licence of any type.

Hiring a car depends on the policy of the company you are hiring from. Some seem to insist on more than US law demands.

Just a quick question, I am going to Florida in 10 days and have hired a car while we are there.

Could anyone tell me, I have a photocard licence, but I can not for the life of me find my paper counterpart. Do i need this part, or will my photocard be ok??

I'm really starting to worry now!!!!

Thanks for any help x

LOL.

I just had the same panic about half an hour ago for our trip to New Mexico and Las Vegas beginning Saturday but I managed to find my paper part. In 10 years of travelling to the USA and hiring cars on many occasions I have never once had to show the paper part, but have you heard of Sod's Law?

Has anyone ever been asked for the paper part? I ask because US drivers licenses don't have this legendary "paper part" (I'm not even sure what it is, to be honest) and, therefore, it's unlikely a cop would even ask to see it. How would (s)he even know of its existance?

When we first hired a car in the USA Virgin Holidays made a big deal out of telling us to take both parts of my drivers licence. As soon as I handed over both parts, the guy just handed me back the paper part without even looking at it.

As I said, ever since then, always taken it, but never needed it.

Merged with existing topic.

Pippy

thanks so much everyone for your replys, i think i'll just try with my photocard!!!!

fingers crossed hey!!!

We just came back from Orlando last week, the car hire company never asked to see the paper part.

Posted this a couple of months ago hope it helps, have booked with http://www.uscarhire.co.uk. for our next trip in May 09, (gave the so called free car a miss) better insurance, still chose Dollar no que there at all, will say no to any thing that I haven't paid for.

As promised will post my findings, still find it confusing , no wonder no one could give me a reply.
LDWI UMP SLI was included.
PPP & ESP declined ( didn't even think I had ESP??)
OK was directed to car rental, got in the que and remembered that I hadn't got my paper that came with my new card driving licence, back to my bags as only one person from each party was allowed to be in the line, then back in the que which moved quite fast, the lady at the desk run me through a booklet and pointed out that as a courtesy there was a full tank of petrol, also showed me the map how to get to the Hotel no problem as I had it in my GPS, was then sent round the corner to Dollar rental and no he didn't want to see the paper that came with my new ID licence it was enough, He checked on his screen and said that I had full insurance then tried to get me to upgrade the car I said no as there was only two of us, as it turned out it was a Dodge about the size of a ford focus more than big enough for us, then tried to get me to have a GPS, said that I had my own,(I would recommend any one to have one) the next thing was a ticket to get through all the tolls I told him that I wasn't planning to use the tolls very often so he asked me if I was planning to go to the Space centre because I would have to go through tolls and it would cost me about $25 each way to get there and back I told him I would punch in avoid tolls on the GPS and it would get me there he said that the only way to get there was on the toll roads, He must have thought I was born yesterday. When we went to Kennedy Space it was avoiding the tolls and a really nice drive one 20 mile stretch we only saw about 10 houses and 6 other cars.
Back to Dollar rental He swiped my card in case something untoward happened, IE fines etc I signed the forms and away fairly painless all in all.
Checked the small print later, OK it was a long day couldn't get out of there fast enough, found that the courtesy fuel cost $66.78 for 4.91 gallons, half way through the Holiday the fuel light came on, filled the tank up for $20 .
Haven't got the bank statement yet but the figure on the rental form was $71.45 time will tell if that is all it is.
This is only my findings, another day another person on the desk and it could all change.
Survived the course but next time will do things differently.

Alan