US licence 
ArgentinaDriving in Argentina with a US license
Short answer: to drive in Argentina with a US license you need an International Driving Permit in the 1968 Vienna format, carried together with your US license.
Yes — to drive in Argentina on a US licence you should carry an International Driving Permit together with your US licence. Argentina expects foreign drivers to hold an IDP.
U.S. drivers should carry an International Driving Permit alongside their state licence when driving or renting a car abroad. Your International Driving Permit is a certified multilingual translation of your existing licence, prepared in the 1968 Vienna format and carried alongside your national licence.
What driving in Argentina is like
Ruta 40, the legendary 5,000 km route running the length of the Andes, including the Cuesta de Lipán and the Salta-Jujuy stretch. For most visitors the real draw is the freedom to reach places trains and tours don't, on your own schedule, with the open road generally capped around 130 km/h autopistas. Getting behind the wheel is the easy part: your International Driving Permit is a certified translation of your US licence, carried alongside it, so rental staff and officials in Argentina can read your credentials at a glance.
Driving rules in Argentina
- Headlights on at all times on highways.
- 0.05% alcohol limit (0% in some provinces).
- Carry licence, IDP and rental papers.
- City parking restrictions are strictly enforced.
Local driving facts in Argentina
Emergency number: 911 (112 also connects from most mobiles). Typical maximum for cars on the fastest road class: 130 km/h autopistas. Posted limits always take precedence.
- Tolls & road charges
- Major highways and the Buenos Aires access autopistas use manned toll plazas (peajes) costing roughly ARS equivalent of USD 1-5 per booth; the electronic TelePASE tag is rarely fitted to rentals, so keep cash, as foreign cards are often not accepted in lanes.
- Parking
- In central Buenos Aires use 'estacionamiento medido' paid zones (pay via meter or the BA Estacionamiento/SEMOV-type apps); yellow-painted curbs and signed clearways mean no stopping, and illegally parked cars are towed (acarreo) with recovery fees.
- Penalties & enforcement
- Radar speed cameras are widespread; fines include phone-without-handsfree (~ARS 20,000-50,000) and no seatbelt (~ARS 10,000-30,000). There are officially no on-the-spot cash fines (an officer demanding cash is likely soliciting a bribe); camera fines are passed to the rental firm and charged to your card.
- If you have an accident
- Call 911 for police and ambulance; do not move vehicles if there are injuries. Complete the insurance accident form (denuncia), exchange details, and get a police report (constancia) which insurers and rental firms require.
- City driving
- Buenos Aires bans most through-traffic in the central microcentro and enforces bus-only carriles exclusivos during the day; the Avenida 9 de Julio and the access autopistas (25 de Mayo, Perito Moreno) are notoriously congested at rush hour.
- Winter driving
- Winter tyres are not generally mandated, but for Andean/Patagonian routes (e.g. mountain passes to Chile) authorities can require snow chains in snowfall; carry chains in winter (June-September) on high routes.
- Fuel
- Stations (YPF, Shell, Axion) are full-service with an attendant (playero); main grades are nafta súper/premium (petrol) and gasoil/diesel, around USD 1.10-1.30 per litre, with cards usually accepted in cities though cash is safer rurally.
Sources: gov.uk, rhinocarhire.com, tyremap.com, wander-argentina.com