The rule for a US licence
For a short stay of under six months, the French government requires a non-EU license to be written in French, or accompanied by an International Driving Permit, or by an official translation that has been legalized or apostilled. An IDP from AAA is much the easiest of the three for a US license.
As everywhere, the IDP works only alongside your US license. Both must be produced together if you are stopped.
Live in France, or hold an EU/EEA licence?
A licence issued in France is what you drive on at home - an IDP is a translation of a foreign licence, so it does not apply to you here. An EU or EEA licence from another member state is also valid in France on its own, under EU Directive 2006/126/EC. In neither case do you need an IDP.
At the rental counter
Rental practice in France is inconsistent: some agencies never ask, others refuse without an IDP. Because the legal requirement exists regardless of what the counter asks for, carrying one removes the risk entirely.
What the permit covers
An International Driving Permit is a translation of your licence into a standard multilingual booklet, issued under the 1949 and 1968 road traffic conventions. It is not a licence, and it is never valid on its own: you carry it with your own licence, and police expect to see both.
It is issued against the vehicle classes already on your home licence, and it never adds one. If your licence does not cover motorcycles, an IDP does not let you ride a scooter in France; if it does not cover a heavier vehicle, the permit will not cover a camper or a minibus either. The permit restates what you already hold, in a form the local authorities can read.
Driving in more than one country?
Check every destination on your trip at once - France is already filled in.
Check your tripOther destinations
Informational only, not legal advice. Requirements change and vary by length of stay, rental company, and vehicle class. Always confirm with the destination's embassy or your automobile association before you drive.