New York Driver’s Licenses - General Information (for New Jersey residents click here)

You must have a valid driver’s license to drive a car in the United States.   The International Convention on Road Traffic of 1949 allows for individuals on non-immigrant visas, whose home countries are signatories of the convention, to drive for up to one year from their date of first entry with a driver’s license issued by their home country.  (Please see attached “1949 Road Acts Convention” information sheet at the end of this section.)  If your driver’s license is not in English, you should obtain and carry with you an International Driving Permit or a suitable translation of your license.  However, New York (NY) state law requires all residents to obtain a NY driver’s license within 30 days of their arrival. 

Therefore, even if you are eligible to drive in the United States with a license issued in your home country, if you anticipate a stay beyond one year, you should apply for a NY driver’s license within the first 30 days of your initial arrival.

If you plan to purchase a car, insurance companies usually require a state license.   If you have a NY driver’s license and you move, you must notify the Registry of Motor Vehicles within 30 days of the move.  A driver’s license or an Identification Card (ID) is the most commonly requested form of identification for writing checks, entering bars, etc.  Please DO NOT drink alcohol and drive.  It is unsafe and against the law.

Learner’s Permits and Driver’s Licenses

 Identification:   When you go to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) you will need to provide 6 points of Identification ( see "How to Prove 6 Points of Identification" below) including Proof of Date of Birth in order to apply for a NY Driver's license. 

Owning a car in NY is expensive.   Car-related expenses can far exceed the price you actually pay for the car.  If you buy a car, you will have to purchase car insurance, register your car in NY, and have your car inspected.  Before buying a used car, have a mechanic examine the car.  Be sure the car you want to buy has a “title” (certificate of ownership).  To legally transfer ownership of the car over to you, the previous owner must sign the title and give it to you.

Insurance:   NY law requires that all cars have insurance.  Therefore, you will need to purchase car insurance.  The price of car insurance is influenced by many factors including the age of your car, how many years you have been driving, your place of residence, and the type of coverage requested.  The average annual cost of insuring a car in NY ranges from $800 to $1,500 per year or higher.  To purchase insurance, present the title of the car and your driver’s license to any insurance agency.   There are many companies to choose from listed in the Yellow Pages under “Insurance.”  Often, for a small additional fee, the insurance agent will register your car and get the license plates for you at the DMV.

Registering Your Vehicle:   If you choose to register the car by yourself, you must do so by the end of the month in which you purchased car insurance.  The DMV will require proof of car insurance, the bill of sale, proof of payment of sales tax and the certificate of ownership (the “title”).  Registration costs about $70.  You may also have to pay an additional fee for a New York title.  You must also pay New York sales tax if you have not already paid it on either the price you paid for the car or the “NADA” trade-in value of your vehicle (whichever is greater).

Inspection:   Finally, you must have your car inspected within 10 days of registering it.  Certain gas stations can inspect your car for the required safety features.  The insurance agent can give you a list of garages which will inspect your car.  Inspection costs about $19.

Remember, many car expenses will be annual expenses.   Each year you will have to insure your car, have your car inspected, and possibly pay an “excise tax” on the value of your car.  The town in which you keep your car will notify you of the amount of excise tax you owe each year.

Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Addresses
Downtown Manhattan DMV 11 Greenwich Street New York, NY 10013 (Bowling-Green Station, Subway #4 or 5, near Battery Park)	Harlem Division DMV 2110 Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Blvd. New York, NY, 10027 (Cross street is 126th street)

BRONX DMV
696 East Fordham Road (across the Bronx Zoo @ Crotona Ave.)
Bronx, NY 10458
1949 Road Acts Convention