International Drivers License

Visiting SXM next month and renting a car. Was wondering if an international drivers license is required to drive on St Maarten - St Martin?

No, not needed

No, just learn how to deal with cows in the road

In over 26 years of visiting St Maarten and driving every where I have never encountered "cows in the road". A few lizards but never cows.

Yup, on the French side, sometimes the horses cross the road also!

and the goats !

I have a neat picture (recent) of goats on Cake House Road. Cows definitely more common on the french side, for sure.

And then there's the cute little donkeys that dot the hillsides on the French side, becoming more rare, it seems, with every year that passes, but if you're lucky you might see a small group of them along the roadside.

On our most recent trip it seems we were seeing the bigger anoles (lizards, iguanas or whatever they're called.......) sun bathing all over the place - be it the warmed concrete pool decks and the sidewalks in some resort areas we visited but because of the larger sizes of what we were seeing crossing the roads we were doubly careful to avoid them, giving them the absolute right of way! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

Cows on / beside / the road going to Friars Bay and goats on / beside the road I call the Coralita road - Oyster Pond to French Quarter
Not common, not uncommon, but more so on the French side
Just part of the fun, stay alert and drive safely. I think at times some tourists who stop their cars for pictures pose a greater hazard then animals by the road.
J&B

Yes, Coralita Road, that's where I was thinking...

But do these animals need international drivers licenses?

I had 3 cows moseying on the road out of Friar's last week. One on each sidewalk and one basically parked in the middle of the street. Stopped traffic for a few as she made up her mind where to go. Finally a dog came out and she got out of the way.

We have even encountered pigs hogging the road on different occasions.They like to travel too, and when you blow the horn they politely get to the side of the road. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

Yup...seen those porkers around the Friar's parking lot at the Happy Bay hill

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Still looking for my herd of cows pic! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />

Pigs hogging the road! Good one!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />

I'm not sure if this is happening in the U.S. but CAA has warned us here in Canada that while you may not "need" an IDP...International Driver's Permit...there have been some cases where, while in a foreign country,,that did not require an IDP..only a valid Canadian Lic... the Canadian tourist has gotten into a collision...the insurance company refused to pay the claim because..as they said..their insured did NOT have a valid driver's lic. for the country they were visiting. An IDP is supposed to be good in any country in the world and in Canada you can get one at CAA for 30 something dollars and the permit is good for one year. To protect yourself from your insurer from trying to wiggle out of a claim on a technicality I think it's worth the small amount of money for the IDP.

Interesting...the St Martin Tourist Office indicates you must have an IDP for driving on the French side since it is considered part of France. I suspect here in the US, insurance companies would react the same way if you were in a collision and cited for not having the IDP (or French drivers license). Here in the US you can pick up the IDP at AAA for $15 and another $8 for passport photos, and the IDP is good for one year. So if you don't have an IDP, the question is, "Do you feel lucky?"

St Martin Tourist Office - Driving Info

Huh. I never knew that.

Regarding having an IDP for collision coverage, just checked with our credit card company (Capital One Venture) and they only care about compliance with the rental agreement. So if your rental company only requires a national (US or Canadian) drivers license, then you're good to go. Whether or not the Gendarmerie would choose to cite you for not having an IDP and the consequence (fine perhaps) would remain to be seen.

And that depends on the car rental company I guess. Ours always take down the DL number or make a copy, I can't remember, of the DL, so it would seem all the ones we've dealt with are fine with just a US license. Perhaps the Dutch side doesn't require it, as I've never seen that requirement before.

As far as the car insurance issue goes, other than Canada and Mexico, the normal US car insurance does not cover you in a foreign country in any event.

I got stopped by the French cops during one of their controls and showed them my WA driver's license and they said okay and sent me on my way.

I rented a car in Germany and they did not want to see the International Lic. They wanted my NY Lic. Was stopped in Austria, all they wanted was my NY lic. I don't think anyone wants to see and International LIC. It was a waste of money for me to get it.

The collision coverage is primary with my credit card...valid in almost all countries with only a few exceptions...Ireland and Israel come to mind

Yes, the CDW coverage you get with your credit card is another issue.

We rent from Lesley at Kenny's Car Rental. He said our TX drivers license is fine. We'll purchase our liability coverage thru him (daily rate). Our Capital One credit card will cover the collision as long as we use their card for payment and decline the CDW coverage from Lesley.

New to TTOL, and returning to SXM in June for 2nd visit. Just chiming in to say I use Amex's "Premium Car Rental Protection", which costs $25 (total cost for the duration of the rental, up to 42 straight days) and only kicks in when you rent a car. Valid worldwide EXCEPT Australia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, and New Zealand. Provides primary theft/damage coverage up to $100K, plus up to $100K accidental death/dismemberment, and $15K secondary medical, $5K secondary property coverage. Does NOT cover liability, so that would be something one would need to get from the rental agency. And no, I don't work for Amex, lol. Can't wait to return to SXM!

Yes, Amex's premium car rental insurance is great, especially when renting in the USA as it provides primary CDW coverage, whereas most credit cards only give secondary CDW coverage. However, outside the USA and possibly Canada, most credit cards should offer primary CDW coverage to USA citizens since your personal auto insurance coverage probably won't be in effect.

Do you have to also use the Amex to pay for the rental? ((Too lazy this a.m. to look it up in the small print))
Merchants on island don't like to take Amex, and some flat out won't.

Yes, to be covered with Amex's premium car insurance, you must use an enrolled Amex card for the rental. Note that you must be enrolled in the program prior to the rental. I don't use Amex's premium insurance in St Maarten or outside the USA since my other no foreign fee credit cards provide primary CDW (since my personal USA auto insurance doesn't provide coverage outside the USA).

.americanexpress.com/premium/car-rental-insurance-coverage

"no foreign fee credit cards AND primary coverage"

Not sure that is correct, not positive at all, but I have a diners club card and benefits from way back when .... only reason I stil have it and pay the annual fee (now I might be grandfathered also for the benefits, that I do not know). But it provides primary coverage worldwide (some exceptions, but not sxm) and do not remember (can look) about a transactoin fee, but know for a fact that there was no transaction/exchange/conversion fee on our last rental.

Now in the US, diners club is part of MasterCard.

Yes it provides "primary coverage, even in the US" I do not rent a rental car anywhere in the world without using that card. And yes I have used it for coverage.

We've been happy with our Capital One Venture Card (Visa)...no foreign transaction fee, and it provides CDW coverage as long as you use the card to cover the car rental. Annual card fee is $59 with 2 for 1 rewards. We covered our airfare this year with our rewards from the card. Have also not encountered many businesses or vendors unwilling to accept the Visa card...particularly outside the US.

I agree wholeheartedly.

What exactly is secondary coverage. if I don't have primary coverage am I still covered with secondary coverage? I doubt our Island car insurance covers anything other than me and my car.

Although I didn't actually state what you put in quotes, I use my Chase Sapphire Preferred card outside the USA which does indeed offer primary CDW (even in the USA) and no foreign fees. What I was alluding to in my prior post though, is if one's personal auto insurance is not valid outside the USA (for USA citizens), then your credit card's secondary CDW coverage essentially becomes primary because you have no other primary coverage (subject to your card's limits and exclusions).

Secondary coverage just means if you have primary coverage (such as your personal or business auto insurance), the secondary benefits only provide coverage for amounts in excess of your primary coverage. So if you live and rent within the USA and have a collision claim, you need to file with your own insurance company first which means your insurance company may raise your rates due to the claim.

I renting a car in France next month and while the official information on the web is a little confusing, I figured out you do not need an IDL for France. We are also driving to the Czech Republic, and that country does require an IDL. So I am going to AAA tomorrow.

BTW, I almost hit a cow on the Grand Case bypass road in the dark near the GC airport. I left some long skid marks that night.

did it scare you that much <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />

Your US automobile insurance will not cover you for anything on your rental car in sxm. This has been discussed here many times and no one who's checked with their insurance company has been covered. If someone has a policy that does, it will be the first we've ever heard of.

This thread seems to have been hijacked by the insurance crowd but the IDP thing is the main question. I've been going to SXM for YEARS and would never consider having to get an IDP EVERY year...

I would assume many here have been stopped by the police at checkpoints over the years...has ANYONE had an issue with using your regular license. Last year I was stopped in southern France (never stopped in SXM) and they just checked my MA license and sent me on my way...

Any non-theoretical, non-insurance related experiences from those here???

This is not 100% true. I have spoken to my insurance company (NJ Manufactures) and my liability insurance covers me anywhere in the world. Now I don't know if this is a requirement of NJ insurance companies or I just got lucky.

I hesitate to get involved in this thread but since I've been up and down this slippery slope about a hundred times over the years, what the heck?!

Did you actually see IN YOUR SPECIFIC POLICY that you are covered outside the USA?

We had this question many years ago and our agent thought we were covered and told us we were. I asked him to show me in writing in our policy since he said it with an air on uncertainty, and he discovered we were not. And to take this a step further, he had also informed me in that first conversation that our various umbrella policies covered us outside the USA, too. Having gotten the first piece of misinformation from the agent, I asked him to contact the underwriting department in the companies (two different ones) to locate it in writing in our policies, and guess what. We were NOT covered at all since our umbrellas were secondary to where our primary coverage left off. We had more insurance than we knew what to do with in the US but once outside the boundaries, we had nada.

I don't mean to question you on this but many agents just don't know the limits of the coverage and sometimes make assumptions. I would hate to see this happen to anyone, but who knows, perhaps your agent is up to date and perhaps NJ insurance coverage is different, in which event, i offer my humble apologies for questioning you. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

I have never actually asked for it in writing. I have only called them each time I leave the country and they read me the same pre-canned speech which I assumed was from the policy. Next time I will request in writing.

We have been stopped twice on the French side, showed our US driver's license and rental paperwork to the gendarmes, and were sent on our way with a polite, "merci."

Unless you see it in writing, it does not exist.

I have discussed this with my AGENT, along with another coverage related issue. Until the AGENT talked to the underwriter or researched it closer, he was mistaken about coverage also.

I would be leery of assuming anything when it comes to insurance.

boucharda:
As I posted earlier, when I was stopped on the French side my WA license was okay with them.

Sincerely appreciate everyone's input to the original question and enjoyed the diversions regarding various critters one might encounter on the roadways and general car rental insurance coverage. Believe its safe to say your US/Canadian drivers license will suffice, and don't count on your home auto insurance company to cover you out of country. To all: "Mercy Buttercups!"

Thanks and thanks also to "January"

I've been spending three to five months on the island for the last 20 years and never purchased an IDL. I have been stopped twice in roadblocks on the French side and showed a US based license (probably NY, earlier years NV). No problem.

I was stopped in vehicle controls on the Dutch side because my rental car operator was a bit behind in getting new plates. They let me go and I don't even remember if they wanted to see the license.

Having said all that here is a page from the French Embassy that basically says you need a notarized translation of your license and strongly recommends an IDL, which is something like a translation notarized by AAA.

Appreciate the info Erich. So, while the French Embassy and St Martin Tourist Office recommends you have an IDL, your experience plus comments from other posters as well as rental car agents all agree the IDL is not needed. Since the IDL is basically a translation of your drivers license in several languages, I suspect if the Gendamerie know some English, they're satisfied with just seeing your US drivers license. I'm confident most if not all of the Dutch police are fluent in English, so they can read the US drivers license just fine.
Liked your web page too...good info on SXM. Thanks!

Not to bring this back around to insurance but I did get in writing from my insurance company some clarification. In NJ we have a 3rd element to our insurance from Collision and Liability called Personal Injury Protection aka PIP insurance. This coverage pays for all medical expenses for all parties involved in an accident up to the coverage limit and does follow NJ residents around the globe. This is slightly different than liability and explains for the confusion. So if you are NJ resident you should be covered for medical expenses for you and whomever you run over, but I don't think it covers cows or goats.

We have PIP in Florida too but it only covers occupants in the insured's car. Since it's called Personal Injury Protection in NJ also, I'd guess it doesn't cover others. That's what liability and/or bodily injury are for. Also, you should check the coverage limits. In Florida, the PIP max is $10,000 which may cover an aspirin and a band-aid in the ER.

In NJ everything is more expensive We have up to $1 Million coverage however the standard policy is $250k. Yes it is not liability coverage which certainly changes the way I think going forward.

I read the French Embassy website as well, but in further research, I believe that a notarized translation is only required if your license is not in roman letters (English, French, etc.)

Just got word from the Office de Tourisme de St Martin indicating, "Your US drivers license should be sufficient for driving on the island". No idea why their website says otherwise.