Driving Permit for Honduras
Driving in Honduras with a foreign licence: IDP rules under the 1968 convention, the 3-month licence window, rental-car requirements, right-hand traffic and road-safety tips.
- Drive on
- Right
- Convention
- 1968 Vienna
- IDP validity
- 3 months
- Processing time
- 24-48 hours
Do you need an IDP to drive in Honduras?
Honduras recognises the International Driving Permit, and tourists can drive on a valid foreign photo licence for short visits — both the UK and Canadian governments put the window at up to three months. At the treaty level, Honduras acceded to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic in February 2020; it is not a party to the 1949 Geneva Convention, even though many IDP country lists still file it there. Carry the IDP together with your original licence — the permit translates your licence, it does not replace it.
At the rental desk, a passport plus a valid home-country photo licence is normally enough, but hire companies often apply stricter requirements than the law itself, so an IDP is a cheap way to avoid friction — particularly if your licence has no photo or is not in Spanish or English. Bring a credit card for the deposit, and expect rental minimum ages and young-driver surcharges that go beyond the legal driving minimum.
Traffic drives on the right, as it does throughout Central America. Keep your passport, licence and vehicle registration with you at all times — document checks are a normal part of driving in Honduras. If you have an accident, stay at the scene: leaving may be treated as an admission of guilt, and drivers involved in injury accidents can be temporarily detained regardless of fault. Avoid driving after dark, when unlit vehicles, roaming livestock and unmarked hazards cause most serious crashes, and note that the emergency number is 911.
Honduras recognises the IDP under the 1968 Vienna Convention.
Honduras is a signatory to the 1968 Vienna Convention. In practice, an IDP issued by another signatory country is recognised for your permitted visitor stay — in Honduras, plan on 3 months.
What you need to drive in Honduras
Have these ready before you pick up the keys.
Valid original driver's licence from your home country — photo licences are accepted for visits of up to 3 months
International Driving Permit recommended; effectively necessary if your licence has no photo or is not in Spanish or English
Passport and vehicle registration must be carried whenever you drive
Minimum driving age is generally 18; rental companies typically require drivers to be older and may add young-driver fees
Honduras acceded to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic on 3 February 2020 (UN Treaty Collection); it is not a party to the 1949 Geneva Convention, although many IDP guides still list it there.
UK photocard driving licences are valid in Honduras for up to 3 months (UK FCDO), and Canada's travel advice gives the same 3-month window for Canadian licences.
Leaving the scene of an accident may be considered an admission of guilt under Honduran law, and drivers can be temporarily detained after injury accidents regardless of culpability.
Both UK and Canadian government advice strongly discourage night driving: many vehicles travel without lights and animals frequently wander onto roads.
Traffic drives on the right, matching neighbouring Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua, so overland border crossings involve no change of driving side.
The nationwide emergency number is 911.
What to know before you turn the key
Honduras drives on the right — the driver sits on the left, and roundabouts flow anti-clockwise.
Carry your IDP and your original license together — rental desks and police checks will ask for both documents.
Rental desks normally accept a passport plus a home-country photo licence, but hire companies often impose stricter requirements than the law — carrying an IDP with your original licence avoids friction.
Stay at the scene of any accident: leaving can be treated as an admission of guilt under Honduran law, and drivers involved in injury accidents can be temporarily detained regardless of fault.
Avoid driving after dark — unlit vehicles, roaming livestock and patchy road maintenance are the main accident causes.
Honduras does not publish an easily referenced fine schedule for foreign drivers, so expect routine document checks and fines for licence, registration or traffic violations. After any injury accident, temporary detention is possible regardless of fault, and leaving an accident scene can be treated as an admission of guilt under Honduran law.
Local rules to watch in Honduras
Low-emission zones, tolls, and city-specific rules that catch visiting drivers out.
Tegucigalpa: the mountainous capital has steep, congested streets; many international arrivals now land at Palmerola International Airport near Comayagua, roughly an hour's drive away.
San Pedro Sula: the country's commercial hub and busiest rental market; the CA-5 corridor linking it with Tegucigalpa and Puerto Cortés is among Honduras's best-maintained highways.
Roatán: island traffic also drives on the right; visitors commonly rent cars or scooters, and roads outside West End and Coxen Hole are narrow and winding.
Signs you'll meet on the road
Eight internationally recognised signs — including which side of the road Honduras keeps.
Common questions about driving in Honduras
Drive Honduras, confidently.
Apply online in minutes and get instant digital access to your IDP translation — with an IDP PVC card option if you want one in your wallet.