Nobody likes getting up early to face the in no way-ending lines at the Department of Motor Cars (or your state’s equivalent issuing workplace). But some circumstances warrant the trip, or at least a go to to the state’s Division of Transportation site. The distinct regulations about when to get a new driver’s license differ from state to state, but here’s a fundamental guide to understanding when you need to have a new license and how to get it.


You’ll need to have a new driver’s license if:


You are a teen driver who has in no way had a driver’s license. 


You will need to have a new driver’s license if you are a teen driver age 16 or older. Each state has some kind of driver’s education system, and all teens are essential to pass written and vision exams before acquiring their learner’s permits. In Alaska, Iowa and South Dakota, teens can get their permits as young as age 14, whilst teens in Connecticut, Kentucky and New York for instance, have to wait until they turn 16. Some states, like Illinois and Colorado, mandate that teens beneath 18 take a driver’s education course, even though such classes are optional in other states such as Alabama. A 2011 survey by the National Highway Visitors Safety Administration found that 29 states require teens to take driver’s education classes.


Ahead of teens acquire their licenses, they are necessary to pass a driving abilities test. Then they need to bring some mixture of the following documents to their state’s license-issuing workplace:


  • Social Security card

  • Identification (photo ID or passport)

  • Proof of state residency (copy of lease, utility bill or mortgage)

  • Proof of citizenship (birth certificate, passport, resident card, and so forth.)

The expenses of new licenses differ broadly. Sixteen-year-olds in New York must spend up to $ 90, which includes the application, license and document fees. In Iowa, a fundamental license only expenses $ 4 a year and is valid for 2 to 8 years.


You have recently immigrated to the U.S.


If you are an immigrant in the U.S., you can use an International Driving Permit (IDP) along with your non-U.S. license to drive legally when you initial arrive (You have to carry both of these documents together in order for each to be valid.). An IDP officially translates your foreign driver’s license into 10 languages and is very good for a single year. You need to get an IDP in the country that issued your non-U.S. driver’s license prior to moving to the U.S.


When you establish residency in a U.S. state, you’ll want to get an official driver’s license. Eleven states — California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Vermont and Washington) — Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia presently concern driver’s licenses to immigrants regardless of their legal status. The specifications for acquiring a license in these states and territories include passing a driving test, displaying proof of residence and carrying auto insurance.


Some states have specific agreements with certain nations that make it easier for immigrants from that country to get a U.S. license. For instance, South Koreans are exempt from taking the written and road tests in Georgia as extended as they also have an IDP.


Under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Act, most states now allow men and women under age 31 who have lived in the U.S. for at least 5 years to obtain a legal driver’s license if they came to the U.S. ahead of they turned 16.  Arizona and Nebraska do not recognize immigrants impacted by this law and do not grant them driver’s licenses.


You are a U.S. citizen who has lately relocated to a new state.


Due to the fact U.S. driver’s licenses are issued by each and every state independently, you will need a new one if you move to a new state. Several states have a deadline to renew your vehicle registration and get a new license following you establish residency that state. It can be a few as 10 days in states such as California and as lengthy as 1 year, as is the case in Wyoming.


If you have a valid license from your prior state, you can transfer it and get your new license more easily at a license-issuing workplace near your new house. Just bring in your old license, Social Safety card, proof of residence and payment for the new card.


Your present driver’s license is lost or stolen.


If your license is missing for any cause, you will need to get a new one as quickly as attainable simply because it is illegal to drive with no 1. There are many methods to get a replacement license: All states situation them in-particular person at nearby license-issuing offices, and some states let you order by telephone, on-line or by mail. You will want to bring the right identification and payment to cover the replacement fee, which tends to be lower than initial license charge. For example, a Maine license charges $ 30 initially, but a replacement expenses only $ 5.


Some states have policies requiring drivers to report stolen licenses. The Illinois Secretary of State’s workplace recommends residents with lost or stolen licenses speak to the police. Washington drivers should file a report with the state’s License Integrity Unit, which investigates criminal activity related to licenses.


Your existing driver’s license is expired or about to expire.


Your driver’s license will expire following a pre-determined quantity of time, which can be anyplace from 2 to 8 years in most states. Arizona licenses are valid the longest: till drivers turn 65. Just before your license officially expires, you ought to obtain a renewal notice alerting you of the deadline. You can renew on the internet, by mail, by telephone or in-particular person at your local licensing office. In some states such as Ohio, you might want to take a driving test once again ahead of you can get a new valid license if your license has been expired for a specific quantity of time without renewal.


Driver’s license regulations are decided on a state-by-state basis, so be certain to check with your state’s license-issuing office for specifics. But by following these recommendations, you ought to have a good idea of how and when to get a new license so you can get in and out of the license office far more rapidly or stay away from going all collectively.


Driving student photo via Shutterstock.