Photo: Kej605, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
If you move to Delaware with a valid license from another state, you have 60 days after becoming a resident to swap it for a Delaware license. Adults usually just need documents and an eye screening, because the written and road tests are normally waived. Drivers under 18 must meet Delaware’s driver education rule and pass DMV tests. Licenses from other countries usually mean both tests, unless you hold one from Germany, Taiwan or France. This guide covers each case, plus exchange students and registering your car.
Key facts (Delaware DMV, checked November 2026)
- Deadline: apply within 60 days of becoming a Delaware resident.
- Fee: $50 for an 8-year Class D license (from October 10, 2025).
- Adults from another state: eye screening; written and road tests normally waived if your license is valid.
- Under 18: approved driver education, plus written, road and eye tests at the DMV and a sponsor signature.
- Other countries: knowledge and road tests, except Germany, Taiwan and France (Class D only).
- Cars: title and register within 60 days too.
Transferring a license to Delaware at 18 or older
What to bring
- Your out-of-state license, which you surrender. If you don’t have it, bring a current certified copy of your driving record.
- Proof of citizenship or legal presence, such as a certified birth certificate or passport.
- Proof of Social Security number.
- Two proofs of Delaware residency from separate sources, showing your physical address and postmarked within the last 60 days.
- Name change documents if your name differs across documents.
What happens at the DMV
- Apply in person in Delaware City, Dover, Georgetown or Wilmington.
- Sign the application and a surrender agreement.
- Pass the eye screening (20/40 minimum).
- The DMV may give written and road tests, but normally waives them for a valid license.
- Pay the fee. With the right documents you get a federally compliant (REAL ID) license.
Suspended, revoked or restricted licenses can’t be transferred until the outstanding actions are cleared. Motorcycle endorsements transfer for an extra fee. Taxi and limousine endorsements don’t transfer.
Transferring a license to Delaware under 18
If you are 16 or 17 with a license from another state, you still have 60 days to get a Delaware license. The steps:
- Get your driver education approved. The Delaware Department of Education checks that your out-of-state course matches Delaware’s. Send your documents to the Department of Education driver education office in Dover (telephone 302-857-3320) and bring the approval to the DMV.
- Bring a sponsor, usually a parent, to sign the application.
- Pass the DMV’s written test, road test and eye screening.
| How long you’ve held your out-of-state license | What you can get |
|---|---|
| Less than 12 months | A Delaware Level One Learner’s Permit, with GDL rules applying |
| Over 12 months | Possibly a Class D license after meeting all testing requirements |
The live DMV under-18 page also says “over 18 months” in one line. Confirm your case with the DMV before you go. If you end up on the Level One permit, see Delaware GDL rules. For tests: Delaware knowledge test and Delaware road test.
Moving to Delaware from another country
- Visitors over 16 can drive in Delaware on a valid home-country or U.S. territory license kept with them.
- Once you become a resident, you have 60 days to apply for a Delaware license.
- You must pass both the knowledge and road exams.
- Exception: Delaware’s reciprocity agreements exempt license holders from Germany, Taiwan (Republic of China) and France from both tests, for a Class D license only. Endorsements are not included.
- You may keep your foreign license.
- Non-citizens must bring immigration documents the DMV can verify electronically. Your license can’t last longer than your authorized stay.
More on foreign licenses in the US: driving in the US on a foreign license.
Exchange students in Delaware
After completing approved driver education, an exchange student can apply for a Level One Learner’s Permit. Bring:
- a typed, notarized statement from a parent giving permission
- if under 18, the host family’s signature on the application; they take on liability for the driver
- a certified birth certificate in English and proof of legal presence
- a Social Security number, if eligible
- the driver education certificate, if under 18
The DMV page also says an exchange student on an active IEP can apply over 18 but under 22. The fee is listed as $40 on that page. The October 2025 fee change set the license fee at $50.
Military members and families
Active-duty U.S. military members and their dependents with a valid license from their home state don’t need a Delaware license. The DMV’s new-resident guide says they have until 60 days after leaving the service to get a Delaware license and registration.
Registering your car in Delaware after a move
- Insurance: buy a Delaware policy with at least $25,000/$50,000 bodily injury, $10,000 property damage, and Personal Injury Protection of $15,000/$30,000.
- Inspection: at a DMV location, free for residents.
- Title and register within 60 days. Surrender your out-of-state title. If there’s a lien, the DMV gives you a form for the lienholder.
- Document fee: 5.25% of the value (from October 1, 2025), unless you show you paid a sales or similar tax to another state within 90 days before registering.
Penalty for not switching in time
Delaware law fines new residents who don’t get a Delaware license within 60 days: $25 to $100 for a first offense. Later offenses carry $50 to $200 or 10 to 30 days in jail, or both.
Common questions
How long do I have to get a Delaware license after moving?
60 days after you become a resident. The same deadline applies to titling and registering your vehicle.
Do I have to retake the driving test in Delaware?
Usually not, if you are 18 or older with a valid license from another state. The DMV can still give tests. Under 18s and most foreign license holders must test.
Can I keep my old license?
Not a license from another state: you surrender it. A license from another country you may keep.
I have a learner’s permit from another state. Can I use it in Delaware?
Delaware’s transfer pages cover licenses, not permits. Ask the DMV, and see driving with a learner’s permit in another state.
What if my old license is suspended?
You can’t transfer it until the suspension or revocation is cleared.
National overview: moving to a new state. Documents: REAL ID explained. Back to the Delaware learner driver guide.
Sources
- Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles, “New Resident Transfer License (Over 18)” (dmv.de.gov)
- Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles, “New Resident Transfer License (Under 18)” (dmv.de.gov)
- Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles, “Licenses for Exchange Students” (dmv.de.gov)
- Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles, “Guidelines for New Residents” (dmv.de.gov)
- Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles, “Delaware Driver Manual (July 2026)” (dmv.de.gov)
- State of Delaware News, “DMV Fees Increase in October 2025” (news.delaware.gov)
- Delaware General Assembly, “Delaware Code Title 21, Sections 2704 to 2706” (delcode.delaware.gov)