Beware of International Driver's License Scams
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Contributed by: Nick Nevarez, Jr. and Slater Elza
Manufacturing false identification has become an increasingly profitable criminal enterprise. Fake ID manufacturers are both small-time and large, complex, operators. Many of these operators advertise fake international driver's licenses and claim their products are entirely legal.
International driver's license manufacturers generally market their unlawful products to persons who lack official citizenship documentation. While international driver's licenses do not legally exist, a legitimate government-issued document called an International Driving Permit allows non-citizens to drive in foreign countries. International Driving Permits are often incorrectly referred to as international driver's licenses - a confusion that is easily exploited by enterprising criminals. The United States recognizes International Driving Permits under the 1949 International Convention on Road Traffic (ICRT) treaty.
To date, the U.S. State Department has authorized only two American organizations to issue the ICRT permits: the American Automobile Association (AAA) and the American Automobile Touring Alliance (AATA). These organizations are only allowed to sell permits to drivers over the age of 18 who present valid driver's licenses issued by a U.S. state or territory.
For information on international driver's license scams, visit the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) web site at www.ftc.gov or the Office of the Attorney General's web site at www.texasattorneygeneral.gov.
This column is published for informational purposes only. It should not be construed as legal advice and is not intended to create an attorney client relationship. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the author's law firm or its individual partners.
