1968 convention (as amended in 2011)

The convention has been ratified by 83 countries/jurisdictions.^[8] Examples of countries/jurisdictions that have not ratified the Convention include Australia, Canada, China, Cyprus, Iceland, Ireland, Malaysia, Malta, New Zealand, and the United States.

The main regulations about driving licences are in Annex 6 (domestic driving permit) and Annex 7 (International Driving Permit). The currently active version of those is in force in each contracting party since no later than 29 March 2011 (Article 43). According to the 1968 Vienna Convention, an IDP must have an expiration date of no more than three years from its issue date or until the expiration date of national driving permit, whichever is earlier, and it is valid for a period of one year upon the arrival in the foreign country.

Article 41 of the convention describes requirements for driving licences. Key of those are:

• every driver of a motor vehicle must hold a driving licence;
• driving permits can be issued only after passing theoretical and practical exams, which are regulated by each country or jurisdiction;
• Contracting parties shall recognize as valid for driving in their territories:
  • domestic driving permit conforming to the provisions of annex 6 to the convention;
  • International Driving Permit conforms to the provisions of annex 7 to the convention, on condition that it is presented with the corresponding domestic driving permit;
• driving permits issued by a contracting party shall be recognised in the territory of another contracting party until this territory becomes the place of normal residence of their holder;
• all of the above does not apply to learner-driver licences;
• the period of validity of an international driving permit shall be either no more than three years after the date of issue or until the date of expiry of the domestic driving licence, whichever is earlier;
• Contracting parties may refuse to recognise the validity of driving licences for persons under eighteen or, for categories C, D, CE and DE, under twenty-one;
• an international driving permit shall only be issued by the contracting party in whose territory the holder has their normal residence and that issued the domestic driving permit or that recognised the driving permit issued by another contracting party; it shall not be valid for use in that territory.

1968 convention (original)

The convention had amendments on 3 September 1993 and 28 March 2006. There is a European Agreement supplementing the Convention on Road Traffic (1968), which was concluded in Geneva, on 1 May 1971.

Note that before 29 March 2011 the convention demanded contracting parties to recognise as valid for driving in their territories:

• any domestic driver's permit drawn up in their national language or in one of their national languages, or, if not drawn up in such a language, accompanied by a certified translation;
• any domestic driver's permit conforming to the provisions of annex 6 to the convention; and
• any international driver permit conforming to the provisions of annex 7 to the convention.

Prior to 29 March 2011, annex 6 and annex 7 defined forms of driver's licences that are different from those defined after that date. Driving licences issued before 29 March 2011 that match older edition of the annexes are valid until their expiration dates (article 43).

1949 convention

The 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic has been ratified by 101 states. The 1949 Convention's description of a driving permit and international driving permit are located in Annexes 9 and 10. Switzerland signed but did not ratify the convention. The 1949 Geneva Convention states that an IDP remains valid for one year from the date of issue, with a grace period of six months.

There is a European Agreement supplementing the 1949 Convention on Road Traffic, in addition to the 1949 Protocol on Road Signs and Signals, concluded in Geneva on 16 September 1950.

• "Permissible maximum weight" of a vehicle means the weight of the vehicle and its maximum load when the vehicle is ready for road.
• "Maximum load" means the weight of the load declared permissible by the competent authority of the country(or jurisdiction) of registration of the vehicle.
• "Light trailers" shall be those of permissible maximum weight not exceeding 750 kg (1,650 lbs).

1926 convention

The 1926 International Convention relative to Motor Traffic is the older IDP Convention. It is only required in Somalia. International Driving Permits according to the 1926 Convention on Motor Traffic might also still be valid in Liechtenstein and Mexico.^[11] However, both are parties of the above-mentioned later conventions, thus the most recent signed convention is the valid one.^[12][13] Mexico also recognizes the Inter-American Driving Permit according to the convention on the Regulation of Inter-American Automotive Traffic 1943.

Validity

According to the 1968 Vienna Convention, an IDP must have an expiration date of no more than three years from its issue date or until the expiration date of national driving permit, whichever is earlier, and it is valid for a period of one year upon the arrival in the foreign country.^[15] The previous convention (1949 Geneva Convention) stated that an IDP remains valid for one year from the date of issue.

The IDP is not valid for driving in the country or jurisdiction where it was issued, it can only be used in foreign countries, and it must be shown with the carrier's original driver's license.

Card design

The requirements with regards to content and layout of the data elements is contained in Annex A of ISO/IEC 18013-1:2018. While the main ideology is a minimum acceptable set of requirements, sufficient freedom is afforded to the issuing authorities of driving licences to meet domestic needs such as existing standards, data contents and security elements.

Booklet layout

The specifications of the layout of the booklet is defined in Annex G of ISO/IEC 18013-1:2018. There are two options; a booklet with some personalisation or a booklet with no personalisation.

The booklet shall be marginally larger than a ID-1 size driving license card, with an insert pocket for storage of the card, and for convenient carrying of the booklet. The front cover should include the logo of the UN or the issuing country and the words “Translation of Driving Licence” and "Traduction du Permis de Conduire ".