Getting your first driver’s license is exciting, but it can also be a nerve-wracking experience. For many people, waiting until age 18 to apply for a license makes sense. For example, if you live in an urban area like New York City or Buffalo, you may have access to public transportation that makes it fairly easy to get around without a license as a teen. The longer you wait to get a license, the more you’re likely to save on car insurance, too.
So if you’ve waited until you turned 18 to get a New York driver's license, you’re not alone. Here’s your step-by-step guide to getting your first license in New York State as a young adult.
1. Study for the Written Test
As in most states, New York drivers must pass a written exam to show that they understand the fundamentals of driving and traffic laws. To be prepared, you’ll need to study the New York State Driver’s Manual to familiarize yourself with the rules.
2. Take a Practice Test
To make sure that you’ve learned all the information, it’s important to take a practice test. This will help you prepare for the types of questions you’ll face and give you confidence that you know what to do when you arrive in person for the real thing.
3. Gather Your Documents
When you arrive at the DMV, you’ll need to provide proof of identity and residency. These generally include:
Your Social Security card
Your birth certificate
A utility or tuition bill, income tax return, or other approved document that proves residency
Additional documentation with your exact name
New York has a points system that assigns values to different documents. To prove your identity, you must bring enough documents to earn six points in the system. Use the New York DMV guide to see what combination of paperwork will work best for you.
4. Apply for Your Learner’s Permit at the DMV
At the DMV, you will fill out an application and pay the appropriate fees with cash, personal check, or a credit card. Fees vary depending on your age; check the fee schedule ahead of time to know what you owe.
5. Take the Written Permit Test
Once you pay, you’ll be able to take the written test at the DMV. If you pass, you’ll get a temporary learner’s permit right away and a permanent one in the mail in a few weeks. Your learner’s permit is valid for five years.
If you fail the written exam, you can retake it as many times as needed for free.
6. Complete the Five-hour Pre-licensing Course
Even if you’re over 18, you’ll still need to take this course.
"New York is one of the few states that requires you to take a driver's ed or pre-licensing course when you get your license for the first time, regardless of age," says Megan Shepherd, insurance expert at Finder.
This course is available through local high schools, colleges, and DMV-approved driving schools. If you’re over 18, you’re also eligible to take the course online. Once you pass, you’ll be issued a certificate of completion valid for one year.
7. Practice Driving Under Supervision
You’ll need to practice driving until you feel confident that you can handle your car in all types of conditions and circumstances. Your learner’s permit allows you to drive only with a licensed driver over the age of 21, so you’ll need to schedule time to do this. Once you’re over 18, there is no minimum requirement for the number of practice hours.
8. Schedule Your Road Test
When you feel ready, schedule your road test at a location that works for you. When you arrive, you’ll need to have:
Your learner’s permit
Your certificate of completion for the pre-licensing course
A licensed driver over age 21 with you
A properly registered and inspected vehicle to drive during the test
Your glasses or contact lenses, if applicable
If you pass your road test, you’ll get an interim license on the spot. Your regular license will arrive in the mail in a few weeks. If you don’t pass, you get one free retake, though you can also pay an additional fee for more retakes if necessary.
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In New York State, the driver learner permit test is now available online. The permit test is for class D (passenger vehicles) and class M (motorcycles and mopeds), along with the application, are now available online. Although online testing does prevent a trip to the DMV, once you pass the test, you must still go to the DMV office to obtain the physical permit. However, the time spent at the DMV is seriously reduced.
During the application process, you will need to upload the necessary identification documents before taking the test. Once those documents are reviewed by the DMV, if acceptable, the applicant may then take the online permit test. Although the test is online, all of the previous requirements are still in place. You must have proof of age, identity, and residence. You must be at least 16 years old in order to apply.
The online test format is the same online as it was in-person. Applicants should still review the driver manual and take practice tests before sitting for the real test. Practice tests are available online on the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) website. As before, the online learners permit test takes approximately 30 to 40 minutes. All test takers must take the test without any assistance from other people and without any materials. However, for 16- and 17-year-old applicants, the test must be supervised by a parent or guardian.
To pass the test, you must answer at least 80% of the overall questions correctly, and 50% of the questions relating to road signs. Scores are computed automatically and are displayed immediately on the applicant’s screen. Perhaps the biggest convenience about the online test is that you may take the test again six hours later if you fail.
Once you pass the test, you may then make a reservation to appear at the DMV to have your picture taken and complete the application process. A parent or guardian must be present for applicants under 18 years old. The learner driver permit will still be valid for approximately five years, depending on your date of birth and when you apply.
On Long Island, while you have your learner permit, you may only drive under the supervision (read: sitting in the car with you while you drive) of a parent, guardian or driving schoolteacher. A parent may give written consent to another person to supervise a learner-permit driver, but that person must have a full valid license for the vehicle being driven and be over the age of 21 years old. You may only drive between the hours of 5 AM and 9 PM. You may not drive after 9 PM through 5 AM.
After having been practicing driving while supervised, you still must take a driver education course before you take your road test. You can enroll in your own driver education course, or you can complete a state-approved course at a high school or college. If you are under the age of 18, even once you take the driver education course, there must be six months between the date you receive your permit and when you schedule your road test. You must take your road test before your learner permit expires. If in the even your permit expires, you must retake the learner permit test, as you cannot renew a learner’s permit.
For more information on the process and requirements of obtaining your New York State learners permit visit //dmv.ny.gov/driver-license/get-learner-permit.
Law Offices of Jennifer G. Tocci, P.C. 353 Veterans Memorial Highway, Suite 200, Commack, New York 11725 (631) 33-7676 Toccilaw.com