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14 May 2014 U.S. Army Garrison BAVARIA–Tower Barracks/ Rose Barracks
COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER
Check for updates on community news, information and events at: www.grafenwoehr.army.mil
Bavaria temporarily halts issuing international driving licenses to DoD personnel By USAG Bavaria Police Department
GRAFENWOEHR, Germany – With summer fast approaching and vacations starting soon, please remember that you need an International Driver’s License (IDL) to operate your vehicle outside of Germany. To obtain an IDL in past years, all you had to do was bring a passport photo and your U.S. Army Europe Driver’s License (DL) to a local German licensing office. However, the state of Bavaria – which is changing its license classifications – is no longer issuing IDL’s to USAREUR DL holders for now, with USAREUR working to resolve the problem. The Bavarian government has already issued such guidance to the Neumarkt office, which services people stationed at Hohenfels. Amberg and Eschenbach, which service people stationed either at Grafenwoehr or Vilseck, have not received official paperwork telling them to take similar actions. However, that is expected to happen quickly. You can get an IDL only at the city office that corresponds with your CMR Box number: Grafenwoehr (Tower Barracks) – Eschenbach Vilseck (Rose Barracks) Rose Barracks – Amberg Hohenfels – Neumarkt (no longer issuing IDL’s) Addresses of Amberg/Eschenbach licensing offices are: District Office of Amberg-Sulzbach Regulatory Affairs Beethoven Straße 7 92224 Amberg Eschenbach Licensing Office Karlsplatz 29 92676 Eschenbach If you don’t have an IDL, please plan for alternative transportation when taking out-of-country trips. Do not take a chance and drive without proper documentation; it could lead to severe fines and/or criminal actions. The IDL is a translation of your USAREUR DL, which is required for all U.S. Department of Defense personnel who are on orders, fall under the Status of Forces Agreement while stationed in Germany, and wish to drive a vehicle here. If you were to acquire an IDL through a stateside organization, such as AAA, it would be a translation of your stateside driving license, making your IDL invalid for use in Europe as all DoD personnel fall under the SOFA. If you were just a tourist in Germany, an IDL issued by a stateside organization suffices; however, Soldiers, civilian employees and family members on orders need the USAREUR DL to be translated into the IDL here.