Photo: Diogo Miranda, Pexels
To get a driver’s license in New York, you apply for a learner permit at 16 or older, pass a vision test and a 20-question written test, complete a 5-hour Pre-Licensing Course (or high school or college driver education), practice with a supervising driver, then pass a road test. If you are under 18, you must hold your permit for at least six months and log 50 hours of practice, including 15 after sunset, before the road test. This guide walks through every step and every chapter of the New York State Driver’s Manual (MV-21), with links to the detailed guides.
Key facts for New York learners
- Minimum age for a learner permit: 16.
- Written test: 20 questions. You need 14 correct, including at least 2 of the 4 road sign questions.
- Vision: 20/40 in at least one eye, with or without glasses or contacts.
- Pre-Licensing Course: about 5 hours. Needed before you can book a road test unless you completed driver education.
- Under 18: permit held at least six months, plus a signed Certification of Supervised Driving (MV-262) for 50 hours, 15 after sunset.
- Supervising driver: at least 21 with a license valid for the vehicle.
- Fail the road test: wait at least 14 days before the next one.
- Every new driver, any age, serves a six-month probation after passing.
How to get a driver’s license in New York, step by step
- Study the manual. The New York State Driver’s Manual (MV-21) is free online, with practice quizzes for Chapters 4 to 11 and road signs.
- Take the permit test. Bring an Application for Permit, Driver License or Non-Driver ID Card (MV-44), proofs of identity, age and residence, and the fee to a DMV office. Under-18s can take the permit test online first. See the New York permit test guide.
- Practice under the permit rules. Learner permit holders cannot drive in DMV road test areas, on New York City park streets, on Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority bridges and tunnels, or on four Westchester parkways. See New York learner permit rules.
- Complete the 5-hour course. Classroom, live virtual classroom (16 and older) or online (18 and older only). See the 5-hour Pre-Licensing Course guide.
- Log supervised hours (under 18). See the MV-262 checklist.
- Book and take the road test online or by phone at 1-518-402-2100. See what is on the New York road test.
- Drive under junior or probation rules. Under 18, you get a junior license (Class DJ) with regional limits. See New York junior license rules.
New York license types for new drivers
| Class |
Minimum age |
Notes |
| Junior Operator (DJ) |
16 |
Limits on where, when and with whom you drive |
| Operator (D) |
18, or 17 with a driver education certificate |
The standard car license |
| Junior Motorcycle (MJ) |
16 |
Same junior limits |
| Motorcycle (M) |
18, or 17 with driver education |
Motorcycles and mopeds |
A 17-year-old with a junior license who finished an approved high school or college driver education course can switch to a senior Class D license. See getting a New York senior license at 17.
What does a New York permit and license cost?
The fee covers the permit and your first license and depends on your age and whether you live in the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District (MCTD: the five NYC boroughs plus Dutchess, Nassau, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk and Westchester counties). Class D or DJ totals, as of November 2026:
| Age when you apply |
Outside MCTD |
Inside MCTD |
| 16 to 16.5 |
$80.00 |
$90.00 |
| 16.5 to 17 |
$76.75 |
$85.75 |
| 17 to 17.5 |
$92.50 |
$102.50 |
| 17.5 to 18 |
$89.25 |
$98.25 |
| 18 to 18.5 |
$80.00 |
$90.00 |
| 18.5 to 21 |
$76.75 to $80.00 |
$85.75 to $90.00 |
| 21 and older |
$64.25 to $67.50 |
$73.25 to $77.50 |
An Enhanced license or permit costs $30 more. Course fees are set by each school, and extra road tests cost more after two fails, so check current prices with the provider and the DMV.
The New York Driver’s Manual, chapter by chapter
Chapter 1: Driver licenses
Permits, tests, junior rules and new residents. New residents must get a New York license within 30 days of becoming a resident. See moving to New York and exchanging a license.
- Nobody under 16 may drive in New York, even with a license from elsewhere, and you normally cannot hold a New York license and another state’s at the same time.
- Your first license is issued for up to 5 years and expires on your birthday. You can renew up to one year early; renewing by mail or online needs a recent vision test result (form MV-619).
- Tell the DMV about a change of address within 10 days (form MV-232 or online), and write the new address on the back of your license.
- Altering or forging a license is a crime.
Chapter 2: How to keep your license
Junior drivers lose their permit or license for 60 days after one serious violation (3 or more points) or two other violations, and for 120 days after a phone or texting conviction. Adults who get 11 points within 24 months face suspension. See New York probation and the point system and the New York phone and texting law.
- Answer every ticket by following the plea instructions on it. Ignore it and your license is suspended indefinitely, and you can be convicted by default. Tickets for non-criminal moving violations in the five boroughs go to the DMV Traffic Violations Bureau; elsewhere the local court handles them.
- If someone dies in a crash you were involved in, the DMV can suspend or revoke your license after a hearing even if you were not charged.
Chapter 3: Owning a vehicle
Registration, title, insurance cards and inspection. Most vehicles sold in New York must be inspected within 30 days of sale, then by the expiry date on each inspection sticker. Your road test vehicle must be registered, inspected and insured. For minimum cover, see car insurance for new drivers.
- You must be 16 to register a vehicle (any age can hold a title). New residents register within 30 days, using form MV-82 with proof of ownership, insurance, sales tax and 6 points of identity.
- Bought from a private seller? Pay sales tax using form DTF-802, check the title for liens, make sure the odometer and damage statements are completed, and get the car inspected within 10 days of registering it.
- Most registrations last two years. Keep one of your two insurance ID cards in the car, keep cover in force while the car is registered, and remove the plates and windshield sticker when you sell or trade in.
- After the first inspection, renew it at a licensed station before the sticker expires. Many gasoline vehicles get an emissions check at the same visit.
Chapter 4: Traffic control
Signs, signals, pavement markings and officers. You may turn right on a steady red after a full stop unless a sign forbids it, but not in New York City unless a sign allows it. See right on red in the US, US traffic signals and US pavement markings.
- A left turn on red is allowed only from a one-way road into another one-way road, after a full stop and yielding. No turn on red at a red arrow.
- If the traffic lights are out or not working, stop as you would at a STOP sign, then follow the right-of-way rules.
- Lane-use lights over the road: red X, do not use the lane; steady yellow X, move out of it; flashing yellow X, left turns only; green arrow, you may use it.
- Do not drive across the solid edge line unless an officer or sign allows it. A diamond marks a bus, HOV or other reserved lane. A traffic officer’s signals override lights, signs and markings; that includes fire police, flag persons, school crossing guards and school bus drivers.
Chapter 5: Intersections and turns
Right-of-way, emergency vehicles, the Move Over Law, turns, U-turns and the three-point turn you may be asked to do on the road test. See New York school bus and move over laws and four-way stops.
- Signal at least 100 feet before a turn or lane change. On a right turn, keep as far right as you can and turn into the right lane. On a left turn from a two-way road, approach from the right half of the road nearest the center and keep to the right of the center line of the road you enter.
- Waiting to turn left at a green light, you may move into the intersection but keep your wheels straight. Left turns yield to oncoming traffic, including into driveways and parking lots. At an uncontrolled intersection, or when two drivers stop at right-angle STOP signs together, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right.
- Do not enter an intersection unless you can get all the way through. Traffic entering a traffic circle yields to traffic already in it.
- U-turns: only from the left part of the lane nearest the center line. Never on a limited access expressway, in a school zone, in New York City business districts, where a NO U-TURN sign is posted, or where other drivers cannot see you from 500 feet away.
Chapter 6: Passing
Passing on the left and right, being passed, and school buses. When a stopped school bus flashes red lights, traffic from both directions must stop, even on the opposite side of a divided highway. Full details: New York school bus law.
- You may not pass on the left where your side has a solid yellow center line, where you cannot get back before an oncoming vehicle is within 200 feet, near a curve or hilltop you cannot see past, or within 100 feet of a railroad crossing (or of a bridge, tunnel or viaduct with your view blocked) on a two-way road. Never exceed the speed limit to pass.
- Pass on the right only when the vehicle ahead is turning left or the road has room for two or more lanes your way, and never on the shoulder. Never pass a vehicle stopped at a crosswalk.
- Give a motorcycle a full lane. Pass a bicyclist on the left at a safe distance. When you are being passed, ease off slightly and stay centered in your lane.
Chapter 7: Parallel parking
Parallel parking is part of every New York road test. Your wheels must end up no more than one foot from the curb. See the New York parallel parking guide.
Chapter 8: Defensive driving
Distractions, road rage, speed, following distance, seat belts and child seats, work zones, roundabouts, drowsy driving and phones. See how to drive a roundabout and seat belt and car seat laws.
- Speed: 55 mph wherever no limit is posted, and 25 mph in New York City unless signs say otherwise. Speeding fines double in work zones even when no workers are present.
- Space: the manual teaches a two-second rule, rising to at least three or four seconds in bad weather or behind a large truck.
- Seat belts: the driver and every passenger 16 or older must be belted, one person per belt, or face a fine of up to $50. The driver is responsible for passengers under 16 (fine of $25 to $100 and 3 points per violation).
- Children: under 4 in a federally approved child safety seat, rear-facing until age 2 or the seat’s limit; ages 4 to 7 in a booster seat used with a lap and shoulder belt; ages 8 to 15 in a seat belt. Never put a rear-facing seat in front of a passenger air bag, and sit at least 10 inches from the steering wheel air bag.
- Your car must be inspected at least once a year, and tires need at least 2/32 inch of tread with no cuts to the cords, bumps or bulges.
Chapter 9: Alcohol and other drugs
A BAC of .08 or more is evidence of intoxication, more than .05 is evidence of impairment, and drivers under 21 break the Zero Tolerance law with a BAC of .02 to .07. See New York DWI, Zero Tolerance and Leandra’s Law.
Chapter 10: Special driving conditions
Railroad crossings, expressways, night driving, rain, fog, snow, winter and deer. See freeway driving for new drivers and driving in snow, fog and rain.
- Headlights: on from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise, whenever you can see less than 1,000 feet, and whenever your wipers are needed for rain, snow, sleet or fog. Daytime running lights do not count. Dip to low beam within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle and within 200 feet of a vehicle ahead.
- Railroad crossings: stop at least 15 feet from the tracks for flashing lights, gates or a bell, and cross only when there is room on the other side. School buses, buses with passengers and vehicles carrying explosives or flammable cargo must stop at every crossing.
- Expressways: usually 55 mph, up to 65 mph on some rural ones. Miss your exit and you go on to the next one; never back up on a ramp. Signal at least 100 feet before the exit ramp.
- Studded tires are legal only from October 16 to April 30, and fog lights must be an approved type.
Chapter 11: Sharing the road
Pedestrians, bicyclists, skaters, motorcyclists, mopeds, trucks and their blind spots, slow vehicles and horse riders. See sharing the road and pedestrians and crosswalks.
- A blind pedestrian with a guide dog or a white or metal cane always has the right-of-way at a crosswalk, even against the signals.
- Mopeds: Class B and C mopeds keep to the right lane or shoulder; Class A mopeds may use any lane. Mopeds are not allowed on expressways unless signs permit them. Two motorcycles may ride side by side in one lane, but you may never share a lane with one.
- All-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles may cross many roads after stopping, at a right angle. Slow-moving vehicles carry an orange triangle.
- Horses: pass at a safe speed and distance, and never sound your horn near a horse being ridden or walked.
Chapter 12: If you are in a traffic crash
You must report a crash to the DMV within 10 days if anyone was hurt or killed, or if property damage to any one person is $1,000 or more, using form MV-104 or online. Telling your insurer does not count. See New York insurance and crash reporting and what to do after a crash.
Chapter 13: Advanced Driver Assistance Systems
Backup cameras, parking sensors and lane keeping assist are allowed on the road test. Adaptive cruise control and automatic parallel parking are not.
Road signs you must know
Two of the four sign questions on the written test must be right, so learn the shapes and colors. See US road signs by shape and color.
Common questions
How old do you have to be to get a permit in New York?
16. Students who are at least 15 and 11 months may take the written test early through a participating high school’s Online Knowledge Test Application (OKTA) program, then apply for the permit at 16.
Can I drive in New York City with a junior license?
No. A Class DJ junior license does not allow driving in the five boroughs at any time. A 17-year-old with a senior Class D license can drive anywhere in the state.
Do adults need the 5-hour course?
Yes. All new drivers must complete it before the road test unless they finished a 48-hour driver education program. Adults 18 and older can take it online.
Do adults need 50 hours of practice?
The MV-262 certification is required only for junior permit holders. The DMV still advises every learner to have at least 50 hours, including 15 after sunset.
How long until I get my license after passing?
An interim license is available online, and the photo license arrives by mail in about two weeks.
Can I drive in other states with a New York permit?
Only if the other state allows it, and you must follow its rules. See driving with a permit in another state.
For how New York compares with other states, see how to get a driver’s license in the US and GDL laws by state.
Sources
- New York State DMV, “New York State Driver’s Manual and Practice Tests” (dmv.ny.gov)
- New York State DMV, “New York State Driver’s Manual (MV-21)” (dmv.ny.gov)
- New York State DMV, “Get Your Learner Permit and Driver License” (dmv.ny.gov)
- New York State DMV, “Prepare For and Take Your Permit Test” (dmv.ny.gov)
- New York State DMV, “Driver License and Learner Permit Fees and Refunds” (dmv.ny.gov)
- New York State DMV, “Schedule and Take a Road Test” (dmv.ny.gov)
- New York State DMV, “The Driver Pre-Licensing Course” (dmv.ny.gov)
- New York State DMV, “The Graduated License Law and Restrictions for Drivers Under 18” (dmv.ny.gov)
- New York State DMV, “The New York State Driver Point System” (dmv.ny.gov)
