About Chinese women who have overstayed...

[warpedbored]

The US only recognizes IDL translations issued by the American Automobile Association and the American Automobile Touring Alliance's National Automobile Club They are not a licence on their own. They must be accompanied by a valid driver's license issued by the country of origin and be signatory to the 1968 convention.

There are lots of internet sites issuing fake IDLs. It may be possible that they are using these but any policeman who gives a damn probably knows the requirements.

Convention 1968

 

The Vienna Convention on Road Traffic was not ratified by all signatory parties. Notable cases of countries that refused or delayed ratification include Chile, Republic of Ireland, Republic of China (Taiwan), Israel, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Ghana, Holy See, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Spain, Thailand, United Kingdom, and Venezuela.

The main regulation about driving license is in Annexs 6 (domestic driving permit) and 7 (international driving permit).

Following article 41:

• Contracting Parties shall recognize:
  
  • (a) Any domestic driver's license 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;
    
  • ( B) Any domestic driver's license conforming to the provisions of Annex 4 to the Convention; and
    
  • © Any international driver's license conforming to the provisions of Annex 7 to the Convention, as valid for driving in their territories a vehicle coming within the categories covered by domestic driver's license, provided that the license is still valid and that it was issued by another Contracting Party or subdivision thereof or by an association duly answeredthereto by such other Contracting Party. The provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to learner-driver permits.
    

• 3. Contracting Parties undertake to adopt such measures as may be necessary to ensure that the domestic and international driver's licenses referred to the in subparagraphs 1(a). ( B) and © of this Article are not issued in their territories without a reasonable guarantee of the drivers aptitude and physical fitness.
  

• 5. An international driver's license shall not be issued only to the holder of a domestic driver's license for the issue of which the minimum condition laid down in the Convention has been fulfilled. It shall not be valid after the expiry of the corresponding domestic driver's license.
  

There is a European Agreement supplementing the Convention on Road Traffic (1968), which was concluded in Geneva, on May 1, 1971.

[Randy W]

Well, yes, but again, we're back to what is "legally required" versus what someone on the street can get away with.

 

The U.S. DOES NOT recognize the IDL's issues by the AAA and the National Automobile Club - these organizations issue IDL's ONLY to American drivers for use while visiting foreign countries. - http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Foreign-Visitors-Driving.shtml

 

The IDL "must" be obtained in a foreign country for use in the United States - the drivers in question here can probably get a good idea of what they can get away with.