Get Your Out-of-State License Exchanged

If you have a driver license that was issued in the U.S. or Canada, you can exchange it for a New York State driver license as long as it:

• has your photograph
• is valid or has expired within in the past 24 months
• shows the date it was issued and was issued at least 6 months before you apply for the New York State driver license
• is not suspended or revoked
• is not lost or stolen
• is not a hardship or an “employment only driver license”
• is not marked “non-renewable” or “non-transferable”

The fee for your license depends on your age and type of license. Beginning on October 1, 2020, the federal government will require your driver license, permit or ID card to be REAL ID compliant if you wish to use it as identification to board a domestic flight (within the U.S.), or enter military bases and certain federal facilities. There is no additional cost to get a REAL ID. All normal transaction fees still apply.

Residents of Bronx, Kings (Brooklyn) New York (Manhattan) Queens, Richmond (Staten Island), Dutchess, Nassau, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk and Westchester counties must pay an additional Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District (MCTD) fee. The fee is $1.00 for every six months the driver license will be in effect.

Find more information on different types of licenses and fees.

You must go to a DMV office to exchange your driver license or apply for a new one.

Find a DMV Office

You will need to

• Pass a vision test at the DMV or bring a completed Eye Test Report (pdf) (MV-619)
• Surrender your out-of-state license
• Bring proof of identity

Find your proofs