Law Enforcement Update
Cracking Down On International Driver’s License Scams

With law enforcement stepping up the focus on border security, manufacturing false identifications has become an increasingly profitable criminal enterprise. Though many fake ID manufacturers are small-time operators who work in the shadows, the boldest among them are advertising fake international driver’s licenses and claiming that their products are entirely legal. Law enforcement officials around the state should remain vigilant and look for similar schemes in their communities.

The international driver’s license manufacturers market their unlawful products to those who lack official citizenship documentation or who are documented but lack the ability to drive legally in the United States. Those targeted by the scam also include residents whose state-issued driver’s licenses have been suspended or revoked.

Patrol officers who encounter international driver’s licenses should not be fooled – even if the documents look official. Many of these documents are not worth the paper on which they are printed.

The Office of the Attorney General recently charged a Houston company with manufacturing and selling fake international driver’s licenses. In that case, the defendants were selling their illegal products for as much as $225 each.

Advertising campaigns in several states, which targeted the Hispanic community, claimed the licenses were “100% LEGAL IDs” and promised that purchasers need not be state residents. In addition, the defendants inaccurately promised that possessing an international driver’s license would expedite the buyer’s ability to purchase and insure motor vehicles. The sellers also falsely claimed their licenses were authorized by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Our investigation indicates the defendants have never been authorized to issue international driver’s licenses by any legitimate government entity, including the State of Texas, the U.S. government or the United Nations.

The Houston case is not our first encounter with this type of fraudulent enterprise. In 2003, the Office of the Attorney General shut down two companies that operated similar schemes. One defendant sold the fraudulent licenses from Dallas and Houston retail outlets.

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. This document translates a valid government-issued driver’s license into several different languages. Foreign drivers can therefore present it to local authorities who are unable to read or understand the driver’s home-state license. International Driving Permits are often incorrectly referred to as international driver’s licenses – a confusion that is easily exploited by enterprising criminals.

The U.S. recognizes International Driving Permits under the 1949 International Convention on Road Traffic (ICRT) treaty. Only countries that have joined the treaty officially recognize these permits.

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 possess valid driver’s licenses issued by a U.S. state or territory.

While the AAA and the AATA charge $10-$15 for each International Driving Permit, the Federal Trade Commission reports that scam artists charge between $65 and $350 for fraudulent international driver’s licenses.

Law enforcement officials who need additional information about international driver’s licenses should visit the FTC’s Web site at www.ftc.gov or the Office of the Attorney General’s Web site at www.texasattorneygeneral.gov.