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Quick Answer: Yes, it’s possible to get an International Driving Permit (IDP) issued by AAA on the same day, but only if you apply in person at a participating AAA branch.
How Same-Day IDP Issuance Works at AAA
If you’re in a rush to obtain an IDP, visiting a AAA office in person is your best bet (only bet!) for same-day issuance. Here’s what you need to know:
Call Ahead Not all AAA locations issue IDPs on-site, and some branches may not have IDPs in stock. You can generally look online to see if a particular branch issues IDPs or not. Even if a branch shows online that it issues IDPs, it’s still a good idea to call ahead and confirm that your local branch has IDPs in stock and can process your application.
What to Bring
Your valid U.S. driver’s license
Two passport-sized photos (AAA can take these for an additional fee of $10-15 if you don’t have any)
A completed IDP application form (available online here to print and fill out in advance, or you can pick up a form at AAA and fill it out in the branch)
$20 processing fee
Processing Time Once you’ve submitted your documents, most AAA branches can issue your IDP on the spot, usually within 30 to 60 minutes.
Fast IDP: The Next Fastest Option if You’re Short on Time
If you’re unable to visit a AAA branch and need your IDP quickly, Fast IDP is the second-fastest way to get an IDP. With Fast IDP, you can complete your application entirely online. Our team handles the rest by visiting AAA on your behalf to obtain your IDP and shipping it directly to you anywhere in the world. Depending on your selected shipping option, you could receive your IDP as soon as the next day if you're in United States. If you're abroad, delivery timelines depend on the fastest shipping option, but we can almost always have your IDP delivered 2-5 business days after you submit your application. For instance, London, Paris, Milan and several other major European cities typically take 2 days to deliver to, Tokyo takes 2-3 days, and Seoul usually takes 3 days.
What About Online IDP Applications?
AAA just rolled out an online application process for IDPs. However, they still require 5 days for processing, plus additional shipping time. If you're in the US, the fastest option directly through AAA takes 6-7 business days. If you're abroad, they claim that all destinations globally are able to have an IDP delivered to them in 1-3 business days, but that that's not actually possible! For example, regardless of whether you write your shipping address as Timbuktu or Toronto, it shows that the shipping timeline will be 1-3 days, even though it will take over a week to get to Timbuktu. If you want to check how long it actually takes to ship something somewhere using FedEx, you can use the shipment calculator directly on the FedEx website here.
Any other website claiming to issue IDPs online to US drivers and not going through AAA is a scam. Though there are many websites that will try to sell you a digital IDP, know that there is no such thing as a digital IDP - and the booklet must be issued by AAA.
Final Thoughts
Obtaining an IDP on the same day is achievable if you're able to get to a AAA and all goes smoothly once you're there. We hope you don't have any issues, but we're happy to help if you need an IDP quickly and can't get an IDP from a AAA branch in person!
