Do you need an international drivers permit

Often I see the question asked: Do i need an international driver's permit besides my driver's licence.

This is the information I received from the rental car company:

Customers traveling to the United States and Canada from another country must present the following:
·         Their home country driver’s license, and
·         If the home country license is in a language other than English (or French, for rentals in Canada) and the letters are English (i.e. German, Spanish, etc.) an International Driver’s Permit is recommended, but not required, for translation purposes in addition to the home country license.  

·         If the home country license is in a language other than English and the letters are not English (i.e.alphabet is not an extended Latin-based alphabet like German or Spanish but is Russian, Japanese, Arabic, etc.) an International Driver’s Permit is required. 

·         If an International Driver’s permit cannot be obtained in the home country, another professional, type-written translation may be substituted.  In either case the home country license must also be presented.

·         Customers may not rent a vehicle solely with the International Driver’s Permit.  The International Driver’s Permit is a translation of the individual’s home country license and is not considered a license nor is it considered valid identification.

·         In some locations, including but not limited to offices in Arizona, California, Georgia, New Mexico, Nevada, and Texas, customers may be asked to provide additional valid government-issued documentation.