International Driving Permit Black Eye Rolled to Third Reading in House

With little discussion and no drama, the Florida House took up and rolled to a third reading HB 7059, the bill that repeals an international driving permit requirement put into Florida law in 2012 and aimed to make it easier for police to interpret foreign drivers' licenses.

Rep. Daniel Davis said the permit requirement was passed last year "with righteous intentions," but it had unintended consequences. In particular, the Canadians, Florida's largest bloc of foreign visitors, weren't aware of the new requirement. State officials fear the law sends an unwelcoming message to the 3.3 million people a year who come to Florida from Canada -- as witnessed by the large Internet story count (Google "Florida IDP law").

Sunshine State News was the latest, but not the first, to remind lawmakers that the international driving permit incident -- which they created last year -- is embarrassing, serious and costly.

Have a look at this reprinted editorial from the Feb. 20 edition of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, "Licensing, legislating produce a gaffe in Florida."