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Do I need an international driving permit for California?

I’m going to visit my family in California but I moved to Italy several years ago. I have a valid Italian driver’s license. Do I need an international driver’s permit if I want to rent a car in California?

avatar
Andrea Barrett · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
You do not need an international driving permit for
California
.
California does not recognize international driving permits (IDPs) as valid driver’s licenses. They do, however, recognize a foreign license issued in another country, state, or territory where the license holder resides.
In California, an IDP is only used for translating information on a foreign driver’s license. So it can be helpful in that sense to bring along if you already have one.
The bottom line: Your Italian license is sufficient to drive in California, but you can carry an IDP for translation purposes.
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