Canada Ping!
Posted on 02/14/2013 7:41:12 AM PST by Squawk 8888
Canadians now require an international driving permit in addition to their provincial licences while driving in Florida after a state law quietly went into effect on New Year’s Day.
With March break just weeks away, CAA is alerting motorists about the change as it lobbies Florida state lawmakers to exclude Canadians from the rule, which applies to all non-U.S. residents. It is estimated that millions of Canadians visit Florida each year.
Florida passed the law so that its law-enforcement officials would not encounter driver’s licence documents in languages they could not read, according to CAA.
Despite its position on the law, CAA is urging Canadians to acquire an IDP if they plan to drive in Florida, be it in their own vehicle or a rental vehicle.
An IDP is a special driver’s licence that allows licensed motorists to drive in other countries without additional road tests or applications, and is proof that the holder possesses a valid licence in his or her home country, according to the Canadian government.
The IDP, which is translated into multiple languages, must be accompanied by a valid driver’s licence. The document is valid in all countries that have signed the 1949 Convention on Road Traffic and is recognized in many other countries.
Motorists can obtain an IDP at any CAA office for $25. CAA is the only organization in Canada that is authorized to issue the document.
Canada Ping!
It would be more than a minor inconvenience here in Michigan.
Good plan. They are the interlopers; let the burden fall on them, not Americans. We should do the same with Spanish.
Clearly a Canadian license can be read by a Florida police man. The big problem could be at the car rental kiosks. I’ve rented cars in Canada and the UK without any problem using a Massachusetts drivers license.
This is idiotic. They need to fix this NOW.
Guess Floriduh doesn’t need Canadian money.
Granted Canucks spend money here.
Some of them are real shmucks though.
And they drive REALLY slowly !
“Florida passed the law so that its law-enforcement officials would not encounter driver’s licence documents in languages they could not read”
Can their law enforcement officials understand plain English?
It's that damn metric system conversion.
At least in Fort Lauderdale, the vast majority of visitors are French-Canadians.
Since the upper half of the Canadian head flies up when they talk (thus hindering proper vision) it is easier and more profitable to require permits than require they don’t talk while driving.
This is not news for non-us citizens driving in the USA. (non commercial)
There is a multilateral treaty where you have a permit document, with your picture affixed, you carry with your standard DL. It is good in most countries AS LONG AS you have a valid DL in place of origin.
This is moure about selling CAA memberships.
AAA membership gets you the permit document for free. (AND pictures if you have an enhanced membership.)
I agree they should waive this for Canadians.
This gives me an idea though. Perhaps pro-2nd Amendment states could refuse to recognize driver’s licenses from states that don’t honor their resident’s gun permits.
Follow the money.
Kinda stupid as from what I’ve heard an IDP is FAR easier to get than their Provincial license back home. (I’m told in some countries it’s as simple as paying the proper bribe to the proper hack official)
Yes ... obviously anyone who can understand plain English will have no problems with a Quebecois Permis de Conduire.
“Can their law enforcement officials understand plain English?
“Probably not in south Fla. a lot of hispanics down there dontchaknow.
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