International Driver's Permit

My Georgia driver's license has expired and I had planned on renewing it when I go home to Atlanta next week.  However, I can't.  Since July 1, Georgia has enacted tough new rules which prevent me from getting a new license.  It's always been that you get your actual license within 10 minutes.  Now, the new licenses have some new security features and the driver's license is mailed to your home address.  I no longer have a house in Georgia because I sold it.  And now, in addition to showing valid state or federal ID, you must also present two recent utility, bank statement, etc., that has your current address.  There is no way that Georgia will mail me a new Georgia license to the Czech Republic.


So in order for me to drive in the USA, I needed to go with Plan B.  An International driving permit is recognized in +160 countries.  It is a little bigger than a passport and has my picture and states what type of vehicle I can operate.  It is printed in Czech, English, German, French, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Turkish and Icelandic.

In order for an international permit to be valid you must carry it with your actual driver's license.  Also, it is not valid in the country of issue.  It only cost me 50 Kč ($2.65) and it is valid for one year.  I will only need this for the USA because my Czech driver's license is valid everywhere in Europe.

I'm actually a little bit nervous about driving in the USA.  Driving in Malta was the last time I was behind the wheel.  Let's hope I don't get too confused by all of the different rules.