Thousands of British holidaymakers heading for half-term holidays in Florida face arrest after sudden law change Thousands of British holidaymakers heading for half-term holidays in Florida face arrest if they lack the right paperwork for driving rental cars. The most popular US state for UK visitors has passed a new law requiring every foreign motorist to carry an International Driving Permit (IDP). Those who inadvertently fail to get the document in advance - or who are already in Florida - risk prison. Alternatively, they may find that rental companies turn them away, leaving them stranded with their family and luggage at the airport in a state where a car is a near-necessity. About one million UK citizens visit Florida annually. Until this year, drivers needed only the standard British photocard licence with the green counterpart - as with the rest of the USA. But Florida's legislature has tightened up the motoring rules, making it mandatory for overseas visitors to carry an IDP as well as their national licence. The move has caused confusion among car-rental suppliers and the Foreign Office. The UK's leading broker, Holiday Autos, told The Independent that its US supplier, Alamo, had asserted that an IDP was needed "only if the full licence held by the driver/hirer was not in English." Alamo's UK website stipulates only that a "Full and Valid Driver's Licence from country of origin" is required for a US rental. In addition, the Foreign Office travel advice on the USA says only that an IDP is "recommended." The Independent contacted the Foreign Office to alert officials to the new law, but so far the advice has not been updated. Stuart Woodhead, who arrived yesterday at Orlando airport with a permit, said: "We hired from Dollar and went through the whole process without being asked for the IDP. At the end I said I had heard that I would need an additional permit to drive in Florida, but was point-blank told my UK licence is good on its own. Those interpretations were flatly contradicted by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Its spokeswoman, Kirsten Olsen-Doolan, told The Independent: "Customers that wish to drive in Florida without obtaining a Florida driver license will be required to have an International Driving Permit to accompany their out-of-country license. This applies to any vehicle, including rental vehicles. If a driver is pulled over by Highway Patrol officers, or is involved in an accident, penalties for transgressions are harsh. Ms Olsen-Doolan said that police who encounter British motorists driving illegally have two options: "Arresting the driver and taking him/her to jail, or giving the driver a citation with a mandatory court appearance." The change in the law was identified by Elle Hubbard of the rental broker Tripwheels. She told The Independent: "We had hoped that perhaps there might be a 'grace period' or leniency shown given that many tourists will be already in Florida and unaware of the new rules. However, we were told 'Law enforcement is there to enforce the laws, we are not selective nor can we disregard the law'. Few British motorists carry the IDP, because the vast majority of holidays and business trips are to countries that do not require it. IDPs are issued by the Post Office - but only by 88 branches in the entire UK. Anyone hoping to obtain one just before flying out of the main gateway to Florida, Gatwick airport, will find that the nearest office is 10 miles away in Redhill or Horsham. Peter Stanhope from York, a frequent visitor to the "Sunshine State" and administrator of the Florida Brits Club said: "This is yet another case of bureaucracy gone mad, which will impact on all arriving tourists into Florida - almost all of whom need to rent a car on arrival. It is another nail in the coffin of US tourism.