Can an American Drive in Trinidad and Tobago? — Side Switches Left
United States
Trinidad and Tobago
Yes. A US licence is valid for 90 days after arrival, the State Department says, so no IDP is needed. The catch is the side switch: Trinidad and Tobago drives on the left, and towns are 40 km/h.
Can an American licence holder drive in Trinidad and Tobago? Yes — the State Department says US licences are valid for up to 90 days after arrival, so you do not need an International Driving Permit for a normal visit. Rental cars are generally right-hand drive. The harder adjustment is not the paperwork at all.
The side of the road flips. The US drives on the right; Trinidad and Tobago drives on the left. For an American this is the central thing to relearn, and the danger isn’t the open highway — it’s the instinctive moments. Pulling out of a car park, turning across oncoming traffic, glancing the wrong way first at a junction. The wheel sits on the right of the car, the gearstick is on your left, and roundabouts flow clockwise. Give yourself the first hour on quiet roads, ideally not straight into Port of Spain’s traffic, and stay conscious of which lane is yours until it stops feeling backwards.
Speeds are low and conditions are mixed. Expect roughly 40 km/h in town, 60 on rural roads and 80 km/h on the main highways — slower than you’d run at home, and the numbers tend to fit the roads. The motorways around the capital are decent, but rural routes can be narrow, potholed and busy with pedestrians and stray animals, and rain turns hill roads slick fast. Drive to the road in front of you rather than to the sign. The alcohol limit is 0.08, the same as most US states, but local night driving is demanding enough that staying dry is the smart call.
One genuine bright spot: fuel is cheap, around US$0.42 a litre thanks to local production, so running a car here costs very little. The emergency number is 911, the same as home. Carry your US licence and passport together.
Confirm exactly what you need with the Driving Permit Checker, read the full rules on our Trinidad and Tobago driving guide, and brush up on how penalties work overseas in our guide to driving fines abroad.
Sources
- U.S. Department of State, Country Information, Trinidad and Tobago (“U.S. driver’s licenses and International Driving Permits are valid for up to 90 days after arrival.”), last updated April 23, 2026: cadataapi.state.gov
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, for 90 days. The U.S. State Department says "U.S. driver's licenses and International Driving Permits are valid for up to 90 days after arrival," so the US licence alone covers a normal visit. Rental cars are available and are generally right-hand drive.
No — it drives on the left, the opposite of the US. This is the main thing American drivers have to relearn, especially at junctions and when turning.
Limits are low: about 40 km/h in towns, 60 on rural roads and 80 km/h on the main highways. Drive to the road, as conditions off the highways can be rough.