Apr 20, 2026
Jamie Patrick
How to Fill Out the AAA IDP Application, Step by Step
5 min read
Quick Answer: The AAA International Driving Permit (IDP) application is a short form that asks for your name exactly as it appears on your license, your contact details, your birthplace and birth date, your license details, your travel dates, the permit you want, and your vehicle type, followed by your signature. With it, AAA needs two identical recent 2" x 2" passport photos signed on the back, the $20 permit fee and your valid US driver's license (or, by mail, a photocopy of both sides).
This guide follows AAA's own form, the version marked "Updated June 2026". If your copy shows a different date, fields may have changed. The form belongs to AAA. Fast IDP is an independent service and is not affiliated with AAA, AATA or any government.
Before you start: can you apply?
The form lists two qualifications. You must be eighteen years or older, and you must hold a valid US or US territorial driver's license. AAA issues IDPs only to people with a valid US driver's license, so a license from another country does not qualify.
Download the current form from AAA's IDP page ("IDP Application").
The form, field by field
1. Your name
First, middle and last name. The form says "Please Print / Must Match License Exactly".
2. Contact details, birthplace and birth date
Your email and phone number. Then your birthplace city, birthplace state or country, and birth date in month/day/year order.
3. Driver's license details
Your license number, the state that issued it and its expiration date. The permit is only valid as long as your US license is valid, so check that the expiration date covers your trip.
4. Home address and foreign address
Your home street address and city, state and ZIP. The "Foreign address if known" line is for an address abroad, and you can leave it blank.
5. Departure date and permit effective date
Enter the date you leave the US and the date you want the permit to start. The effective date must be within 6 months of the application date. The permit is valid for up to one year from issue, so pick a start date close to your trip.
6. Which permit
Check either International Driving Permit or Inter-American Driving Permit. AAA's FAQ says the IDP is valid for South America except Brazil, where it says an IADP is needed for stays of 180 days and longer. The country list printed with the form marks Brazil as "Inter-American Driving Permit only". Not sure? See our post Should I get an IDP or IADP?
7. Vehicle type
Check the box for each vehicle type your current license covers: Motorcycle, Passenger Car, Vehicle Over 7,700lbs, Vehicle Over 8 Seat or Vehicle with Heavy Trailer. The form says the permit "will be issued for same". For an ordinary car license, check Passenger Car. Only check Motorcycle if your license has a motorcycle endorsement. See our post on scooters and motorcycles abroad.
8. Signature and date
By signing, you certify that the information is true and that your license has not been suspended or revoked. The form calls the signature "mandatory for issuance of permit".
9. Return label (mail only)
If you apply by mail, print your name and return address in the box at the bottom. The form says "If applying by mail, this is your return label."
Leave these blank
"Internal Use only - Permit #" and the "For office use only" section are for AAA staff.
What to include with the form
Two photos: 2 identical recent passport type photos (2" x 2"), each signed on the back. AAA branches also take passport photos.
The fee: $20 per permit, plus sales tax where it applies.
Your license: bring your valid license in person. By mail, include a photocopy of both sides.
Extra rules if you mail it
The form says to pay by check or money order only, with no cash by mail. Checks and money orders must be from a US-based bank and made out to AAA. AAA's mail-in page for its Florida headquarters also accepts major credit cards with a note authorizing the charge. You can add US funds for faster return mail. Without it, the headquarters page says to allow 4 to 6 weeks (AAA's main IDP page says 5 to 7 weeks from overseas).
Our guide on how to get an IDP in the US compares applying in person, by mail and online.
Common mistakes that cause delays
A name that doesn't match the license exactly.
An effective date more than 6 months away.
Photos that aren't identical, or aren't signed on the back.
No signature, or (by mail) no copy of both sides of the license.
Once issued, the permit is valid only with your current license, which you must carry with it, and it is not valid for driving in the United States. USA.gov adds that an IDP cannot be renewed.
If you'd rather not fill it out on paper
Going to a AAA branch yourself costs less: the $20 fee, plus photos if you need them. AAA says that if you need an IDP in 7 business days or less, you should visit a branch. Call first to confirm it offers IDPs. See how to find the closest AAA office that issues IDPs.
If you can't get to a branch, Fast IDP (that's us) fills in the AAA application for you from the details you enter online, collects your photos and payment, and takes the paperwork to a AAA office. You get a genuine AAA-issued booklet. One IDP costs from $64 all-in, including AAA's $20 permit fee and tax, with US delivery as fast as the next business day and international delivery typically in 2 to 5 business days on the fastest option. You need a valid US driver's license. Start an application here.
Only AAA and AATA are authorized by the US Department of State to issue IDPs. "Digital IDPs" and "international driver's licenses" sold elsewhere are not valid. See how to avoid fake IDPs.
Sources, checked November 11, 2026:
