In short. Renting with a driver removes the questions of left-hand traffic, licences and parking. Behind the wheel yourself only with an international permit of the right category: the fine for driving without a licence is up to 1 million rupiah. When you collect the car, check the original STNK (the police ask for it), the insurance and the excess, film the body, interior and odometer with the owner present, agree on the fuel level, read the contract and do not leave your passport as a deposit. Seat belts are compulsory (fine up to 250,000 rupiah), parking under article 120 is along the edge of the road, and the Bali Mandara toll road takes only an e-money card. To Java, the car goes by ASDP ferry Gilimanuk–Ketapang: a named ticket in Ferizy, class IVA for cars up to 5 metres, and being late burns the ticket.
With a driver or without. Renting with a driver removes the main questions: left-hand traffic, licence, parking and dealing with the police. Article 77 of the road traffic law requires the person who drives to have a driving licence, so a renter who travels with a driver does not need a licence by law (this is our reading of the article). Driving yourself suits those who are confident driving on the left. It is wise to assess the risks beforehand because of the very dense traffic in Bali.
Licence. To drive yourself you need an international licence with the right category. Without it the fine is up to 1 million rupiah, and in an accident this is an aggravating circumstance: the insurer may refuse to cover treatment costs. Article 281 of the road traffic law names the same upper limit of the fine. How to get an international permit and which category fits a car is covered in a separate guide.
Left-hand traffic. Article 108 of the law requires driving in the left lane; the right one may be used for overtaking. U-turns, entering a junction and roundabouts need attention at first. It is better to drive the first kilometres on a quiet street and not go straight onto a main road at rush hour.
Where to rent. Choose well-known companies and avoid small street rental stands: in specialised firms the cars are insured and kept in decent condition. Do not leave your passport as a deposit. Be careful too: cars at a very low price are often rented out with hidden faults that later cause accidents.
What to check when you collect the car.
- The original STNK (Surat Tanda Nomor Kendaraan, the registration certificate). The police ask for exactly this at a stop. Article 106 of the law obliges the driver to show the STNK and the driving licence at a check, and for no STNK article 288 sets a fine of up to 500,000 rupiah.
- Insurance. Ask what it covers, what the excess is, and who pays for damage and for theft. Put the terms in the contract or get them on paper.
- The condition of the car. Tell the owner about every scratch and film it on your phone with them present. Film the body all around, the interior, the wheels, the odometer reading and the fuel level.
- Fuel. Agree on the tank level at which you receive the car and at which you return it. We have a guide on fuel in Bali, petrol.
- The contract. Read what you sign. Disputes between renter and rental company are a matter for local police and courts.
Rules of the road people ask about most. Seat belts in a car are compulsory for the driver and the front passenger (article 106), with a fine under article 289 of up to 250,000 rupiah. A phone in the hand and other distracting actions while driving are punished by article 283 with a fine of up to 750,000 rupiah. Violating signs and markings under article 287 is punished with a fine of up to 500,000 rupiah. The sums are given from the text of the 2009 law; in 2026 the punishments in these laws were partly revised, so treat them as an upper limit.
Parking. Under article 120, parking on the road is parallel to the edge or at an angle in the direction of travel. Violating the rules on stopping and parking is punished under article 287 with a fine of up to 250,000 rupiah. If the car has stopped because of a breakdown or an accident, article 121 requires you to put out a warning sign or turn on the hazard lights.
Toll roads. On the Bali Mandara bridge you drive only with a bank e-money card; cash is not accepted. The tariff for cars and all details are in the guide to the toll road.
If there is an accident. Under article 231 the driver must stop, help the injured, report to the nearest police and give explanations. Call 112. The steps at the scene, insurance questions and handling for motorbikes and scooters are collected in the guide to accidents; by law they apply to car drivers too. Tell the rental company about the incident at once, before you pay for anything.
To Java by car. Ferries between Gilimanuk in Bali and Ketapang in Java are run by the state carrier ASDP Indonesia Ferry. For an ASDP ticket, sold in the Ferizy app and on the website, these rules apply for 2026:
- Class IVA is meant for a car, jeep or minivan up to 5 metres long. ASDP staff may measure the vehicle, and if the class on the ticket does not match, they charge a penalty of 25 percent of the fare and the difference.
- The ticket is named: the name must match the name on your ID (a passport works).
- If you are late for check-in, the ticket burns without replacement or refund.
- On board you may not drink alcohol, smoke or vape outside specially designated places.
In press releases of 28 and 29 September 2026, ASDP wrote about restoring operation of the line between Ketapang and Gilimanuk and a shorter queue of cars. Check the fare and the current queue on the website and in the app before the trip; we do not quote them. Ask the rental company whether a trip to Java is allowed and whether insurance is valid there: this is our advice, and we found no such point in the sources.
What this means for you. If you doubt left-hand traffic, take a car with a driver: then you do not need a licence. For self-drive, get an international permit of the right category, choose a well-known rental company, do not leave your passport as a deposit and film the car's condition when you collect it. Keep the original STNK and your licence in the car, wear a seat belt and do not pick up your phone. For Java, ask the rental company in advance whether the trip is allowed, and check ASDP's current terms.