Please note: The Department of State assumes no responsibility or liability for the professional ability or reputation of, or the quality of services provided by, the entities or individuals whose names appear on the following lists. Inclusion on this list is in no way an endorsement by the Department or the U.S. government. Names are listed alphabetically, and the order in which they appear has no other significance. The information on the list is provided directly by the local service providers; the Department is not in a position to vouch for such information.
Provisions of the law on road safety stipulate that short term visitors to the Czech Republic who hold a U.S. driver’s license may drive in the Czech Republic with a U.S. license under the condition that they have an International Driving Permit to accompany their license.
International Driving Permits are issued for U.S. licenses by the American Automobile Association (AAA) in the U.S. It is possible to download an application form from the AAA website. Please note that the IDP expires in one year. It can be renewed by mail every year, provided your U.S. license is valid.
Long term residents for more than 1 year and permanent residents are required to obtain a Czech driver’s license (DL) to drive in the Czech Republic within 3 months of issuance of their long term stay/permanent residence.
- A precondition for the issuance of a DL is the successful completion of a test of driver competency, on the basis of which – provided that other conditions, such as age, adequate health, and others, are met – a person is granted a Driving Entitlement(s).
- Applications for DLs are processed by the appropriate office (based on the locale of the applicant’s permanent/residence) of the Driver Registry of the municipal authorities of municipalities with delegated powers, or by the town hall of a city in the Czech Republic.
- Application forms may be obtained at any office of the Driver Registry of the municipal authority of municipalities with delegated powers, or at the town hall of a city. For more information on obtaining a Czech drivers license please check the webpage of the Ministry of Transportation of the Czech Republic dealing with drivers licenses at www.mdcr.cz.
A list of driving schools can be found at www.firmy.cz or www.google.com.
Under these circumstances, we caution all Americans not to drive without an appropriate license. Please be aware that in addition to any fines imposed by the police, in case of a car accident insurance companies may not honor claims for accidents that occur when a driver does not have a valid license under Czech law.