Dear Readers:
I don’t know what is going on in the States, but they are trying their hardest to keep us Canadians out!
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By: Katie Daubs News reporter
This just in from the department of red tape you didn’t know existed: Canadians are now required by law to have an international driving permit in addition to their regular licences when driving in Florida.
I don’t know what is going on in the States, but they are trying their hardest to keep us Canadians out!
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By: Katie Daubs News reporter
This just in from the department of red tape you didn’t know existed: Canadians are now required by law to have an international driving permit in addition to their regular licences when driving in Florida.
The state law quietly came into effect on Jan. 1, but no one in the
tourism industry really noticed until a British journalist called this
week.
“We realize that tourists will be an unintended side effect of this
new law,” said Kathy Torian of Visit Florida, who just got the heads-up
from “the folks” at the state highway department. “We’re trying to help
spread the word to the tourism community around the world as well as our
own industry in Florida.”
Millions of international visitors drive in Florida each year, and
state legislators thought the international driving permit — a
standardized document that translates the licence details into 10
different languages — would help law officers interpret foreign
licences.
The new law applies to any non-resident, including all those Canadians getting ready for March break.
The Canadian Automobile Association, while recommending Florida-bound
travellers obtain a permit, is urging the state to modify or waive the
law for Canadians, who make up Florida’s top international tourism
market. (More than three million Canucks visited last year.)
“It’s unclear at this point what the enforcement regime will be and
whether the Florida authorities might reconsider this for Canadians,”
said CAA spokesman Ian Jack. “For the time being, given that it is the
law, you are better safe than sorry.”
The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles confirmed it is
looking to “clarify the law” so that English-language licences would be
acceptable.
The next legislative session begins in March, and the soonest any
change might happen would be July 1, said spokeswoman Kirsten
Olsen-Doolan, adding, “We love our Canadians.”
Until the law is clarified, Canadian drivers found without the permit
would technically be considered “driving without a valid licence,” she
said.
“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.”
Georgetown resident Dianne Kayess, who plans to vacation in Orlando this March, learned of the law online.
“I’m not going down there to go to jail,” she said, noting she and her husband will likely get the permits, just to be safe.
“My biggest concern is if we didn’t have one and we were in an
accident or got a speeding ticket or whatever, and the insurance company
says, ‘You were driving without a licence. We’re not going to cover the
damage of your car,’ ” she said.
Canadians can pick up an IDP at a local CAA office for $25, plus the cost of passport photos. It’s valid for one year.
Snowbirds already nestled in the sunshine state for the season must apply by mail, as the permits can only be issued in Canada.
The new law applies to those renting cars as well, but Olsen-Doolan
said she was unclear whether agencies would ask for the permit.
The car rental industry itself is confused. At an Alamo outlet in
Miami, the clerk hadn’t heard of the law. Marlene Aziz, manager at Best
Rate Car Rental in Kissimmee, also didn’t know about it. “We ask about
your licence and your passport, that’s it,” she said
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