Aruba on a US Licence 2026: No Right on Red, Police Is 100

Two quick answers first. Aruba drives on the right, the same side as the US. And your US driver’s license is enough to rent and drive a car; the State Department says so in as many words, so you do not need an International Driving Permit. The island is small enough to circle in a day, and a hire car is the easy way to reach the north coast and Arikok National Park. What trips Americans up is not the side of the road but a handful of rules and habits that look familiar and are not.

Your license is the whole requirement

The U.S. State Department’s Aruba page puts it in one line: “You can drive in Aruba with a valid U.S. driver’s license.” No permit, no translation. Bring the card itself, in date, and your passport, and keep them together while you drive.

You may read elsewhere that visitors should carry an IDP. That advice comes from Global Affairs Canada and is aimed at Canadian licence holders. It does not apply to an American license. If you are island-hopping, the Driving Permit Checker covers Curaçao and Bonaire.

Is driving in Aruba the same as in the US?

Mostly, which is exactly why the differences catch people. Here is what changes:

• No right turn on red. It is prohibited. Wait for green, even at an empty junction late in the evening.
• Police are on 100, not 911. In Aruba 911 reaches ambulance and fire.
• Animals wander onto the road, especially in the countryside.
• Other drivers do not always follow the rules. Canada’s advice says many do not respect traffic laws, so leave room at junctions and do not assume a signal means what it should.
• Road quality drops off the main routes. The roads between Oranjestad, the airport and the hotel areas are in good condition. Beyond them, surfaces get rough.

The right-on-red ban, in practice

For most American drivers, turning right on red is a reflex built over years. In Aruba the light means stop and stay stopped. The first few red lights after you leave the rental lot are the risky ones, because the habit fires before you think about it. A simple fix: when you pull up at a red, keep your foot on the brake and your hands still until it changes. If a car behind you honks, it is not your problem.

The first hour out of the rental lot

Do the paperwork part once: license and passport on the counter, contract read before you sign. Then walk round the car and photograph any marks, so a scratch you did not make is not added to your bill. Set the map before moving, since the route out of the airport area is where most visitors are juggling a phone, a new car and the right-on-red reflex at the same time. Drive the first stretch slowly and let the island’s pace set yours.

Animals and rough tracks

Canada’s advice singles out animals on the road as a hazard, more so in rural parts of the island. They are harder to see once the light goes, so slow down on unlit stretches in the evening. Inside the national park, tracks suit a high-clearance vehicle; a standard rental is best kept to paved roads, and off dirt roads entirely after rain. If the park is the reason you are renting, say so at the desk and ask which car suits it.

Alcohol

Neither the US nor the Canadian advice gives a number for Aruba’s legal limit, so the guidance is simple. If you are driving, do not drink. That beach bar can wait until you are back at the hotel on foot.

Three numbers, not one

Save these before you set off:

• Police: 100
• Ambulance and fire: 911
• Coastguard: 913

That split is the reverse of a lifetime of dialling 911 for everything, so put them in your phone at the rental lot rather than relying on memory. The Aruba driving guide covers the rest.

Sources

• Global Affairs Canada, Aruba travel advice (Canadian licences accepted; carry an IDP; no right turn on red; road conditions and animals; police 100, ambulance and fire 911, coastguard 913): travel.gc.ca
• U.S. Department of State, Country Information, Aruba (“You can drive in Aruba with a valid U.S. driver’s license.”), last updated August 13, 2026: cadataapi.state.gov