Is an International Driving Permit the same as a certified translation?

No. An IDP is a separate booklet issued in your licensing country that translates your license for driving as a visitor. When a DMV, court, or USCIS asks for a certified translation, they mean an English translation of the license itself delivered with a signed translator certification, which an IDP is not.

Do you translate the back of the license too?

Yes. Both sides are translated, including category codes, endorsements, restrictions, and issuing-authority text, because the DMV reads your driving privileges from those fields. Front and back together still count as one page.

How much does a driver's license translation cost?

A license is well under the 250 source words that make up one page, so a certified translation is one page at 24.95 USD, delivered in 2 to 3 business days with a signed Certificate of Translation Accuracy and a QR verification page.

My license shows dates as day-month-year. How are they handled?

Dates are rendered unambiguously so the DMV records the correct date of birth, issue date, and expiration date. The original values are preserved exactly; nothing is reinterpreted or corrected.

Will the name on the translation match my passport?

The translation transliterates your name consistently with the passport or identity document spelling you provide. That consistency matters because the DMV cross-checks the license translation against the other identity documents you present.

Can I use the same certified translation for insurance or an employer background check?

Insurers verifying a foreign driving history and employers screening for driving positions commonly request a certified translation of the license. Every certified order includes the signed Certificate of Translation Accuracy and a QR verification page; confirm any recipient-specific format requirements with them directly.

Certified translation

Driver's License Translation for the DMV

Many state DMVs require a certified English translation of a foreign driver's license or supporting identity document before issuing a license, and each state publishes its own requirements, so confirm with your state's DMV. A certified translation of a driver's license costs $24.95 per page of up to 250 words, and a typical order runs 1 page, so most cost $24.95. Delivery takes 2 to 3 business days and includes the complete translation with a signed Certificate of Translation Accuracy from the qualified professional translator responsible for the work.

Start an order See pricing

ATA Corporate MemberSigned certificate of accuracyAccepted for official use

Pricing

Exact prices, shown before you pay

Front and back of a license together stay well under 250 source words, so it is one page. Certified translation is $24.95 per page, so a typical order of 1 page comes to $24.95. The exact total is measured from your real document and shown before payment.

Standard

$19.95 per page

3 to 5 business days

A professional translation with digital delivery.

Certified

$24.95 per page

2 to 3 business days

A certified translation accepted for official use.

Premium

$39.95 per page

1 to 2 business days

A certified translation, translated first.

One page is up to 250 words.

Requirements

DMV requirements for a certified driver's license translation

Texas DPS requires that foreign driver licenses not in English or Spanish be translated by a translation service or the holder's consulate before applying for a Texas driver license.
If the license is submitted to USCIS as part of a filing, it must carry a full English translation certified by the translator as complete and accurate, with the translator's certification of competence (8 CFR 103.2(b)(3)).
Both sides of the license must be translated, including license classes or categories, endorsements, restrictions, issue and expiration dates, and issuing-authority text, because the DMV maps driving privileges from the category codes.
The license number, dates, and all identity fields must be copied exactly as printed, with dates rendered unambiguously so a day-month-year source format cannot be misread as month-day-year.
The holder's name must be transliterated consistently with the passport or other identity documents in the same process to avoid record mismatches.
Seals, holograms with text, stamps, and signatures are rendered or described, and any portion that cannot be read is marked as illegible rather than guessed.

Common reasons translations get rejected

Only the front of the license is translated, so category codes, endorsements, or restrictions printed on the back are missing and the DMV cannot map the driving privileges.
A day-month-year date is silently reordered or left ambiguous, and the DMV records a wrong date of birth or expiration date.
License classes or categories are mistranslated or replaced with assumed US class letters, misstating what the holder is licensed to drive.
The name transliteration does not match the passport or immigration documents presented at the same DMV visit, causing an identity mismatch.
The translation arrives without a signed translator certification, which fails USCIS requirements under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) and the certification expectations of most DMVs and courts.

Good to know

Who asks for a translated driver's license

State DMVs and driver licensing agencies when a foreign license holder applies for a US license; Texas DPS, for example, states that foreign licenses not in English or Spanish must be translated by a translation service or the applicant's consulate

State and municipal courts in traffic and identity matters, and immigration courts, where foreign-language documents must be filed with certified English translations

Auto insurers verifying a foreign driving history when rating a new US policy

Employers and background check firms screening candidates for driving positions

USCIS, when a foreign license is submitted as supporting identity or residence evidence; any foreign-language document filed with USCIS must carry a certified English translation

How it works

From upload to certified delivery

Step 1

Upload and get an instant quote

Send us your document, choose your languages, and see your price right away.

Step 2

A professional translator translates it

A qualified professional translator translates your document.

Step 3

Reviewed for accuracy and certified

Your translation is reviewed for accuracy and certified with a signed certificate of accuracy.

Step 4

Receive your certified translation

You receive your certified translation, ready for official use.

Get an instant quote

Questions

Common questions

Is an International Driving Permit the same as a certified translation?: No. An IDP is a separate booklet issued in your licensing country that translates your license for driving as a visitor. When a DMV, court, or USCIS asks for a certified translation, they mean an English translation of the license itself delivered with a signed translator certification, which an IDP is not.
Do you translate the back of the license too?: Yes. Both sides are translated, including category codes, endorsements, restrictions, and issuing-authority text, because the DMV reads your driving privileges from those fields. Front and back together still count as one page.
How much does a driver's license translation cost?: A license is well under the 250 source words that make up one page, so a certified translation is one page at 24.95 USD, delivered in 2 to 3 business days with a signed Certificate of Translation Accuracy and a QR verification page.
My license shows dates as day-month-year. How are they handled?: Dates are rendered unambiguously so the DMV records the correct date of birth, issue date, and expiration date. The original values are preserved exactly; nothing is reinterpreted or corrected.
Will the name on the translation match my passport?: The translation transliterates your name consistently with the passport or identity document spelling you provide. That consistency matters because the DMV cross-checks the license translation against the other identity documents you present.
Can I use the same certified translation for insurance or an employer background check?: Insurers verifying a foreign driving history and employers screening for driving positions commonly request a certified translation of the license. Every certified order includes the signed Certificate of Translation Accuracy and a QR verification page; confirm any recipient-specific format requirements with them directly.

Accuracy commitmentATA Corporate MemberSigned certificateOfficial use

A translation error is ours to fix

If your certified translation is rejected because of a translation error we made, we correct it at no charge, and if the corrected translation is rejected again for that same error we refund what you paid for it. Our Refund Policy sets out the conditions and what it does not cover. Your documents are encrypted and kept confidential from start to finish.

Start an order