Florida now requires Canadian drivers carry an international driving permit

[InSutterWeTrust]

Good information I found out and wanted to pass along to anyone travelling in Florida who plan on renting/driving a car.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013...ng_permit.html

If you are travelling there, you will need to apply through AMA/CAA to get one. http://www.caa.ca/travel-documents/idp/

[c.t.ner]

I generally believe that most cops are decent human beings, only working to do a good job, but still this wasn't very reassuring if I was driving down in Florida...

“Theoretically you could be arrested,” she explained. “Law enforcement officers use discretion, and if they pull you over because the tail light is out, most of them, as long as you conduct yourself appropriately and everything, probably would not choose to be super tough on you. But I can’t speak for that, because there are 400 law enforcement agencies in Florida.”

I'm sure someone will make a "stand your ground" joke also about this.

[Short Shift]

So what's the excuse for the locals?
I've spent a fair deal of time there, and they are some of the worst drivers I have ever encountered.
Yes, worse than Montreal, Toronto and UK combined.

I can attest to the number of cops, too. There is usually about one marked car every 10-15 km all the way from Tallahassee to the Keys (and people still try to speed).

[gargamel]

Originally Posted by Short Shift

So what's the excuse for the locals?

Most of them have one foot on the gas pedal and one foot in the grave.

[FlamesAddiction]

It's not like getting an international drivers license makes you a better driver. It's just a piece of paper.

[comrade]

The article says that the reason for the change is more for foreigners with non English licenses, allowing the police to read everyone's license. It suggests that forcing people with English licenses to acquire an international license wasn't the main intent of the law, and that some people are pushing for an exemption for Canadians with English drivers licenses.

Seems to me like they just didn't put quite enough thought into this law.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Short Shift

So what's the excuse for the locals?

Most of them are damned near dead already, they dont have much time left and they've got places to be.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

It's not like getting an international drivers license makes you a better driver. It's just a piece of paper.

There isnt even a test or anything. It seems like an unnecessary step because it accomplishes nothing.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by Locke

There isnt even a test or anything. It seems like an unnecessary step because it accomplishes nothing.

Aside from making me slightly less likely to go Florida, since now it requires me to go stand in a line and pay an extra $25.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

Aside from making me slightly less likely to go Florida, since now it requires me to go stand in a line and pay an extra $25.

But you get a cool pice of paper that looks like it is still using fonts from a 1940s printing press.

[GrrlGoalie33]

Don't forget about the $15 for passport photos you need to go along with!

[rd_aaron]

I wouldn't care so much if it was a one time $25 payment and you had to show both to the Florida cop to prove it was still valid, but the fact that you need to buy a new one every year is a PITA.

[OffsideSpecialist]

I heard on the radio that the government will amend the law to allow Canadians to be exempt and in the meantime the police in Florida won't enforce the law against Canadians.

So I guess all the people lined up at the CAA yesterday may have wasted their time and money getting this thing.

It sounds like the state government pushed this law through without actually thinking about it.

[MoneyGuy]

This will cause a significant drop in Canadian tourism. If you go down every couple of years, will you be getting a new license each time? Not me. I've been to Disneyworld already and now only see myself going down to Florida to get on a cruise ship.

However, I think Canada will work out an exemption for us.

[missdpuck]

Good lord Canadians are the least of our problems. I dont know what percentage of the Haitian population even has licenses at all. Yes, there are some wealthy, well-educated Haitians, I'm not talking about them. Same with the other immigrant groups.
As for any of the bad drivers-it's the NY/NJ people who drive like they're still in Manhattan or Newark. Don't blame the old people. It's the young jerk in the Porsche who thinks he's so important he can just make a right turn from the left lane, no matter who he cuts off.
I've never had any issues with Canadian drivers.
Most cops here are not so cool. Palm Beach County Sheriff Dept is the worst.

I don't see the drop in tourism happening, at least not in South Florida. These people are too desperate to stay below the Frost Line.

[Flames89]

All for nothing
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2...a-license.html

I like this part "But despite Florida saying the law won't be enforced, CAA told CBC News it's recommending travellers purchase a permit."
Read: "We still want your money and this was a gold mine"

[Jimmy Stang]

In most cases, the purpose of an IDP is to provide translation into a variety of languages. Kind of a "Hello, I'm from Canada, I speak English, and this IDP is just to a little thing to help you understand that my Canadian license is valid here."

Why this document would even be necessary in Florida to anyone that speaks English and has a license printed in English on it is beyond me. I have purchased an IDP for a few countries where it was recommended, but in each case, the primary reason is simply to overcome any language barriers that may arise.

At least they have had the common sense to revisit this law. And I read today that the CAA is refunding anyone that purchased an IDP because of the Florida law, although they still recommend getting one because the law is still on the books, even though enforcement of it is on hold. I don't have a problem with the CAA making people aware of this law. Had they not, surely we'd see a newspiece in a few weeks/months of some 80-year-old snowbird getting caught in legal limbo down there because of it. The real blame should fall on the Floridian lawmakers.

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by OffsideSpecialist

It sounds like the state government pushed this law through without actually thinking about it.

That doesn't sound like any branch of the US government I know.

[sa226]

As long as this is the same thing I think it is. There is either some other motive behind this or a huge cash grab.

All the IDP does is translate your licence into the local language. I purchased one to drive in France. There is even debate about whether it is necessary in European countries that speak another language.

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by sa226

As long as this is the same thing I think it is. There is either some other motive behind this or a huge cash grab.

All the IDP does is translate your licence into the local language. I purchased one to drive in France. There is even debate about whether it is necessary in European countries that speak another language.

The only entity to benefit financially would be the CAA, but they're the group that raised the concern that led to the media attention against it (which led to it being revisited by the Florida lawmakers).

I think that it is more a case of a government going a little overboard and/or not thinking the repercussions through. Tourism is a huge industry in Florida, and Canadians (mostly from the East) make up a large part of it.

I always thought that it would be handy to have if I got pulled over on a Czech back road after dark by a cop who doesn't speak English, but in practical terms, it is pretty difficult to come across someone who doesn't understand "Canada" when you had them your license.

But Florida? I know that they talk funny down there, but come on...