Florida International Driving Permit Panic Ends Well For Canadians

There was a flurry of panic in Canada this week with the announcement by the CAA that Florida would begin requiring all foreign drivers to carry an International Driving Permit in order to pilot a vehicle within the state's borders.  Given that Florida is a popular snowbird destination - especially in Quebec - long queues formed at CAA offices across the country as would-be vacationers put in last-minute bids to snag the necessary documentation.

An International Driving Permit is an essentially meaningless piece of paper that doesn't actually impart any legal status on the holder but allows law enforcement to determine whether the individual in question actually has a license in their native land due to its multi-lingual nature.  The Permit can be purchased at any CAA location for $25 and the cost of a passport photo.

The unusual step taken by Florida to force visitors to make use of this document when driving through the Sunshine State had to do with making it easier for officers to deal with the influx of tourists and their various licenses and permits.  No other state requires this particular Permit.  When news of the uproar from Canadians reached the legislature, Florida hastily issued a statement that it would provide an exemption for drivers from up north, tying it in to the Geneva Convention, which amongst other more important things governs international road traffic.

A new session of the Florida state legislature will take another look at the unusual law in March.