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What Is an International Driving Permit?

An International Driving Permit (IDP) is an official document that serves as a certified translation of your U.S. driver’s license into multiple languages. Recognized in more than 150 countries worldwide, the IDP allows foreign authorities, law enforcement officers, and car rental agencies to quickly verify your driving credentials — even if they can’t read English.

Important to note: an IDP is not a standalone license. It must always be carried alongside your valid U.S. driver’s license. Think of it as a universal translator for your existing credentials.

Which Countries Require or Recommend an IDP?

Many popular travel destinations either require or strongly recommend an IDP for foreign drivers. These include:

• Italy — An IDP is legally required for U.S. license holders driving in Italy.
• Japan — Japan does not recognize the IDP issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention; a Japan-specific permit is required.
• Germany — Strongly recommended, and required for non-EU license holders in many situations.
• Greece — Required for driving with a non-EU license.
• Spain, Austria, and Eastern Europe — Strongly recommended for U.S. drivers.
• Countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East — Many nations outside the EU require an IDP for foreign visitors who wish to drive.

Even in countries where an IDP is not strictly required, having one can prevent misunderstandings with local authorities and streamline the car rental process. Always check the specific requirements of your destination country before you travel.

How Does an IDP Work?

Your IDP works hand-in-hand with your regular U.S. driver’s license. When you present both documents together, foreign officials can instantly understand your driving qualifications without a language barrier.

The IDP translates your license information into ten languages, including French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic, German, and more. This makes it an invaluable tool whether you’re navigating a traffic stop in rural Italy or picking up a rental car at an airport in Tokyo.

Remember: Always carry both your IDP and your valid U.S. driver’s license. Presenting the IDP alone is not sufficient and may result in fines or other complications.

Benefits of Having an International Driving Permit

Traveling with an IDP offers several important advantages:

• Legal recognition abroad — Drive with confidence knowing your credentials are officially recognized in over 150 countries.
• Multilingual translation — Your license details are translated into ten languages, eliminating confusion with local authorities.
• Required for car rentals — Many international car rental companies require an IDP, especially in Europe and Asia. Without one, you may be denied a vehicle.
• Peace of mind — In the event of an accident or traffic stop, having an IDP ensures clear communication with local law enforcement.
• Affordable protection — For a small fee, you gain a year’s worth of driving confidence wherever your travels take you.

How to Get Your IDP Through AAA South Jersey

AAA South Jersey is an authorized issuer of International Driving Permits — one of only two organizations in the United States authorized to issue IDPs (the other being the American Automobile Touring Alliance).

Getting your IDP is simple and fast. Here’s what you’ll need:

1. Visit a AAA South Jersey branch — Stop by any of our convenient local branch locations.
2. Bring your valid U.S. driver’s license — Your license must be valid and not expired.
3. Bring two passport-style photos — These will be included in your IDP booklet.
4. Pay the fee — A modest fee is required at the time of issuance.

Your IDP will be issued on the spot and is valid for one year from the date of issue. There’s no waiting — you can walk in and walk out with your permit the same day.

Tips for International Travelers

Before you hit the road abroad, keep these best practices in mind:

• Apply before your trip — Don’t wait until the last minute. Visit a AAA South Jersey branch well in advance of your departure date.
• Always carry both documents — Keep your IDP and your valid U.S. driver’s license together at all times while driving internationally.
• Check your destination’s requirements — Driving laws vary by country. Research whether your destination requires an IDP and any other local driving regulations.
• Make a copy — Keep a photocopy or digital scan of your IDP and driver’s license stored separately from the originals, in case of loss or theft.
• Know the local rules of the road — Speed limits, right-of-way rules, and road signs differ from country to country. Familiarize yourself before you drive.

With an IDP in hand and AAA South Jersey by your side, you can explore the world’s roads with confidence. Stop by your nearest branch today to get started.

WASHINGTON, DC (May 11, 2026) - AAA projects 45 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home for Memorial Day between Thursday, May 21 and Monday, May 25. This year’s domestic travel forecast is slightly higher than last year and sets a new Memorial Day weekend travel record with 39.1 million travelers expected to drive and 3.66 million expected to fly to their destinations. While gas prices are higher than last Memorial Day weekend, average ticket prices for flights are lower than last year.

“Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, and for most Americans, it’s a three-day weekend,” said Stacey Barber, Vice President of AAA Travel. “Travel demand remains strong, and despite higher fuel prices, many people are prioritizing leisure travel during holiday breaks.”

Memorial Day Travelers by Mode of Transportation

By Car: AAA projects 39.1 million people will travel by car over Memorial Day weekend, a slight jump over last year. Driving is the most popular way to travel and makes up 87% of the share of Memorial Day travelers. This holiday weekend, drivers are paying more at the pump compared to last year when the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline was $3.17 on Memorial Day. Currently, pump prices are the highest they’ve been since the summer of 2022.

With a record number of travelers on the road this holiday weekend, AAA reminds drivers to put safety first, Slow Down, Move Over, and drive sober. Before hitting the road, check your car’s battery, tire pressure, and fluids. Last Memorial Day weekend, AAA responded to more than 350,000 emergency roadside assistance calls to help stranded drivers with issues like dead batteries, flat tires, and empty fuel tanks.

For travelers who are renting cars over Memorial Day weekend, AAA car rental partner Hertz says Thursday and Friday are expected to be the busiest pick-up days. The top 5 markets with the highest demand are Orlando, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Denver, and Boston. According to AAA booking data, domestic car rentals are 1% cheaper this holiday weekend compared to last year.

VOORHEES, N.J. (April 30, 2026) — After ticking down for nearly two weeks, gas prices are going back up again with the national average seeing a 27-cent hike in one week. The national average is $1.12 higher than it was this time last year, as oil prices surge above $100/barrel with no indication of when the Strait of Hormuz will reopen. Gas prices are the highest they’ve been in four years, since late July 2022.

Today’s National Average: $4.300
One Week Ago: $4.031
One Month Ago: $3.990
One Year Ago: $3.183

In New Jersey, the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline has skyrocketed 34 cents to $4.27 over the last week. That’s the 8th-largest jump in the country during that span. Over the last month, prices are up 40 cents. Since the same time last year, prices are up $1.27.

The cheapest gas in the Garden State can currently be found in Salem County, with an average price of $4.21. Cape May County is the most expensive in the state at $4.32.

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand increased last week from 9.05 million b/d to 9.10 million. Total domestic gasoline supply decreased from 228.4 million barrels to 222.3 million. Gasoline production decreased last week, averaging 9.8 million barrels per day.

Oil Market Dynamics

At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, WTI rose $6.95 to settle at $106.88 a barrel. The EIA reports crude oil inventories decreased by 6.2 million barrels from the previous week. At 459.5 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are about 1% above the five-year average for this time of year.

EV Charging

The national average per kilowatt hour of electricity at a public EV charging station went up by one cent this past week to 41 cents.

State Stats

Gas
The nation’s top 10 most expensive gasoline markets are California ($6.01), Hawaii ($5.64), Washington ($5.57), Oregon ($5.15), Nevada ($5.12), Alaska ($4.92), Arizona ($4.67), Illinois ($4.66), Michigan ($4.58), and Ohio ($4.46).

VOORHEES, N.J. — This Memorial Day Weekend, visit AAA South Jersey at one of the area’s largest festivals — the Collingswood May Fair! AAASJ is a proud sponsor and vendor for the 45th annual May Fair, taking place on Saturday, May 23 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Collingswood estimates more than 50,000 people attended last year’s event on Haddon Avenue. The day includes more than 250 vendors and artists, a kids zone, live music, food from local restaurants, and a car show.

Find us at the blue AAA South Jersey tent to learn about AAA membership, insurance, travel and more. Plus, enter to win tickets to a concert at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion this summer!

We’ll see you there!

VOORHEES, N.J. (April 29, 2026) – Camden County’s legendary Summer Concert Series returns this summer, and AAA South Jersey is joining the fun. AAA South Jersey is proud to sponsor the Sundown Music Series at Haddon Lake Park.

Come visit our tent at select shows to learn about AAA membership, insurance, travel and more! Plus, free giveaways, special enter-to-wins music lovers won’t want to miss, and surprises each week.

All shows at the McLaughlin Norcross Memorial Dell take place on Wednesdays, begin at 7:30 p.m. and are completely free! Check out the lineup below.

June 3 – Goodbye June
June 10 – Edgardo Cintron & The Incaband: A Celebration of the Music of Santana
June 24 – Devon Gilfillian
July 8 – Work Drugs
July 15 - Augustana
July 29 – Sixpence None The Richer
August 12 – Young Gun Silver Fox
August 19 – Sadie Gust
August 26 – The Verve Pipe
September 16 – Here Come the Mummies

There are plenty of other concerts throughout the summer, including the Sunset Jazz Series at Wiggins Park, the Freedom Festival on the Fourth of July, the Twilight Concert Series at Cooper River Park, and more! Check out the full lineup of shows here!

About AAA
Started in 1902 by automotive enthusiasts who wanted to chart a path for better roads in America and advocate for safe mobility, AAA has transformed into one of North America’s largest membership organizations. Today, AAA provides roadside assistance, travel, discounts, financial and insurance services to enhance the life journey of over 63 million members across North America, including 56 million in the United States. To learn more about all AAA has to offer or to become a member, visit AAA.com.

About the Camden County Summer Concert Series
The Camden County Summer Concert Series is brought to you by the Camden County Board of Commissioners. This highly anticipated annual event brings world-class performers to Camden County’s renowned park system, delivering exceptional entertainment to residents and visitors alike. Additionally, the concert series underscores the park system as a valuable public resource for recreation, culture, and community.

VOORHEES, N.J. (April 21, 2026) — The new year brought new partnerships to the AAA South Jersey Gives Back program and the largest in-kind donation in AAA South Jersey’s history! Read the AAA South Jersey Gives Back 2026 first quarter highlights below.

VETERANS MULTI-SERVICE CENTER

In 2026, the 250^th anniversary of the founding of the United States, AAA South Jersey is partnering with Veterans Multi-Service Center to honor our veterans all year long.

AAA South Jersey is providing Veterans Multi-Service Center 250 lifetime AAA memberships to distribute to the veterans it provides services to. The donation, valued at nearly $400,000, is the largest in-kind membership donation in AAA South Jersey’s history.

To kick off the partnership, the club donated $5,000 in January to help support VMC’s vital programs for veterans experiencing homelessness, unemployment, and other barriers to stability. Read more here.

KINGSWAY LEARNING CENTER

AAA South Jersey hosted students and staff from Kingsway Learning Center for two Kingsway Keepsakes — pop-up shops where students sell handcrafted decorations, items and candy. Our staff love decorating their desks with the seasonal items, and the Kingsway students enjoy real-world experience outside of the classroom.

Kingsway Learning Center provides an alternative educational environment designed specifically for the academic, therapeutic, social, and emotional development of students with multiple disabilities.

Additionally, AAA South Jersey was honored to join the Kingsway Development Committee, which is currently planning the fifth annual Kingsway Framing Our Future Art Auction fundraiser. Click here to learn more about this wonderful event and to buy tickets.

DONATE NOW

VOORHEES, N.J. — Across the U.S., nearly 48 million people – 1 in 7 – experience food insecurity. These are families, seniors, children and neighbors who need food yet face barriers that keep them from accessing enough of it to live well.

At AAA, we believe that everyone deserves access to nutritious food and the basic resources they need to thrive. AAA is taking action, coming together again this year united by our mission and drive by the compassion of our people.

We are partnering with Feeding America®, the nation's largest hunger-relief organization, consisting of a nationwide network of food banks, agency partners, food pantries, and meal programs. Together, we are launching another coordinated giving and volunteering initiative designed to support communities where we live, work and serve. Last year, when we came together around this same cause, the response was extraordinary – generating 7.2 million meals*.

On April 1, AAA began fundraising efforts to help provide resources for food banks ahead of when schools let out in the summer. Our national Week of Impact will take place from June 8-12, when AAA will join forces with Feeding America to raise awareness, collect donations and volunteer with local network partners.

By working with local food banks, AAA will amplify their impact in ways that reflect the best of who we are: a community-driven organization dedicated to serving others and saving lives.

For the fourth consecutive year, AAA South Jersey is sponsoring the Stamp Out Hunger food drive in conjunction with the National Association of Letter Carriers and the Food Bank of South Jersey. The nation’s largest one-day food drive is taking place on Saturday, May 9.

The donation process is simple. The week of the food drive, AAA-branded bags will be delivered to nearly 250,000 homes in the South Jersey area. Donors simply fill the bag with nonperishable food items and leave it by their mailbox on May 9. USPS workers will pick up the bags on Saturday and deliver them to the Food Bank of South Jersey.

In 2025, Stamp Out Hunger collected 279,962 pounds of food for the Food Bank of South Jersey.

VOORHEES, N.J. – For most people, a vehicle breaking down and needing a tow means a bad day. For AAA South Jersey members, the silver lining is you might meet Karl Snyder. Karl was awarded AAA South Jersey’s Fleet All Star Technician Award for 2025. The second annual award was given to Karl to honor his outstanding performance, strong safety habits, and consistent commitment to delivering excellent service to our members. Get to know Karl below.

Q: How long have you been with AAA?

Karl: Ten years.

Q: What did you do before working at AAA?

Karl: I drove a tow truck for another tow company.

Q: What do you do for AAA?

Karl: 99% of the time, towing.

Q: What was your reaction when you found out you won this award?

Karl: I was a little shocked. I didn't believe it. They announced it at the holiday party but I wasn’t there. Everyone said something and I'm like, ’What are you talking about? I don't know. I never won an award before.’

Q: The award winner is selected based on metrics such as safe driving, speeding, harsh braking, distracted driving, etc. And then it's also based on customer service, how well you work with the team here. Is that something that you take pride in?

Karl: I do. It's my job. Pay attention. And I take commercial truck driving very seriously because we get to clean up the aftermath of when people don't pay attention. They're too busy browsing Facebook to pay attention and smack curbs and hit other cars. And just treat everybody like people, show up, enjoy your coworkers. It's the people here.

Q: What do you enjoy most about the job?

Karl: It’s something different every day. It's never the same thing. You never know what you're getting into. So, it's something fresh every day. Yeah, the job's the same. You put the truck where it needs to be and the truck does the rest of the work, but you never know who you're gonna bump into. People telling you funny stories from back in the day. Just people's stories, getting to talk different people every day.

VOORHEES, N.J. (March 31, 2026) — The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline surpassed $4 this week for the first time since August 10, 2022. As spring break arrives, more people are planning to hit the road. So, what can you do to save on your next road trip, or simply on your daily commute to work? AAA South Jersey has 9 easy tips for you to follow.

1. Watch your speed. Fuel economy peaks at around 50 mph on most cars, then drops off as speeds increase. Reducing highway speeds by 5 to 10 mph can increase fuel economy by as much as 14%.
2. Avoid excessive idling. A car engine consumes one quarter to one-half gallon of fuel per hour when idling, but a warm engine only takes around 10 seconds worth of fuel to restart. Where safe to do so, shut off your engine if you will be stopped for more than a minute.
3. Regular vs. Premium. Pay close attention to the words “recommended” and “required.” If regular gas is recommended for your vehicle, that’s all you need. Choosing premium when your car doesn’t require it will only cost you money and doesn’t improve fuel economy.
4. Remove unnecessary weight from your vehicle (e.g., trunk, cargo area, etc. ). As weight increases the amount of effort it takes to move the vehicle.
5. Check and maintain your tire pressure. Maintaining the proper pressure will save you gas money as it takes less effort to move the vehicle and proper tire pressure decreases wear on the tires. Follow the recommended pressure as identified in your owner’s manual and/or a decal located on the driver’s side door.
6. For road trips, map out your route ahead of time to avoid unnecessary stops. Pack enough water and snacks to hold you over to avoid spending extra cash on fast food.
7. AAA has a free travel tool TripTik Travel Planner that lets you identify gas stations, EV charging stations, hotels, campgrounds, restaurants, and attractions along your route. That helps keep you on track and avoids unnecessary detours.

VOORHEES, N.J. (March 30, 2026) — To celebrate Earth Month, AAA South Jersey is planting one tree for every vehicle battery we recycle in the month of April. AAA South Jersey Gives Back has partnered with the nonprofit One Tree Planted to plant trees in areas of the United States most in need of reforestation.

Over the last two years, AAA South Jersey has planted more than 1,100 trees in areas of North America in need of reforestation. One Tree Planted has planted more than 135 million trees in 82 countries across the globe in its 10-year history.

AAA is Driving Change through our vehicle battery recycling program. Since its inception 25 years ago, we have recycled over 30 million batteries! Not only do we recycle every battery we replace, but we also encourage others to do the same! Anyone can drop off their batteries at one of our AAA Car Care Centers or Approved Auto Repair, and we will make sure they are disposed of properly.

Unrecycled batteries can discharge large quantities of lead and sulfuric acid into the environment, creating health, safety, and fire hazards for humans and animals alike.

The AAA battery program is a year-round effort that collects and recycles as many old batteries as are installed annually. Last year alone, AAA recycled over 2.5 million batteries with the lifetime total of the program topping 30 million.