3. Show proof of your date of birth. The DMV will accept the original or certified copy of any one of these
documents from the issuing agency:
Birth Certificate
U.S. Military Photo Identification Card
U.S. Passport
Foreign Passport (with INS documentation) or Immigration Documents
4. Provide your original social security card. If you are ineligible for a Social Security Card, you must present
a letter from the Social Security Administration (SSA) issued within 30 days of your application confirming your
ineligibility. You must also show the INS documentation that the SSA used to determine that you are not eligible.
5. Pass a vision test. Eye tests can be taken at any Motor Vehicles office or you can bring in Form MV-619 (Eye
Test Report) completed by a medical doctor, physician’s assistant, registered nurse, optometrist or optician
based on an eye exam you have had within the last 6 or 12 months.
6. Turn in your out-of-state license to get a New York license. If your out-of-state license has been valid for
less than six months or had expired more than one year ago, you must also pass the written and road tests and
complete the Five Hour Safe Driving Course available through a school (like Fresh Green Light).
Are you a new resident licensed in a country other than Canada?
If you are a new resident licensed in a country other than Canada, you must apply for a New York State driver license within 30 days after establishing residency. Here are the steps you need to take:
2. Show proof of your name. Documents that prove your name are assigned a point value; you must present
identification that totals six points or more. At least one of the proofs must have your signature. A few examples
of common proofs and their point values are listed below.
Non-Resident Drivers
Are you a resident of another state or country?
If you are a resident of another state or country and hold a valid driver license there, you may legally drive in New York State and should not apply for a New York license. Apply for a New York license only after you become a resident of this state.
Are you a new teenage driver who needs to get a license?
New York has a Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) policy in place which temporarily restricts high-risk driving conditions for young drivers as a way of reducing teen accidents and deaths. GDL is a good thing because it saves lives; the number of accidents decreased by over 60% in the first year the GDL program went into effect in the state.
Here is the process a new teenage driver should follow to get their Driver Permit and License.
Proof of your name. Documents that prove your name are assigned a point value; you must present identification that totals six points or more. At least one of the proofs must have your signature.
A few examples of common proofs and their point values are listed below.
Learner Permit
Senior License
Junior License
Minimum Age
DMV Requirements
Restrictions
16
16.5 years
18 years
Pass written test.
Must be accompanied by
parent/guardian, certified
driving instructor or other
designated adult driver at
all times
1. 50 Hours of Behind-the-
Wheel Practice with a
Parent or Professional
Driving Instructor
2. 5 Hour Pre-licensing Class
3. Pass the DMV Road Test
1. No driving without a
parent/guardian between
9:00 PM and 5:00 AM
2. No more than one
passenger younger than
21 years old
None.
License automatically
issued by the DMV.
No restrictions
Learner Permit
3. Take your child to a DMV office to conduct a written test and hand-in paperwork. In Westchester County, only the
Peekskill and Yonkers DMV Offices process Learner Permits. (The White Plains office does not.)
US Birth Certificate or US DOS Consular Report of Birth Abroad – 4 Points
US Passport – 4 Points
DMV form MV-45 Affidavit by a parent or legal guardian, signed in the presence of a DMV representative. – 4 Points
Foreign Passport with a valid I-551 stamp or with a statement on the Visa. (Passport must be in English or translated by an embassy.) – 3 Points
Foreign Passport with a Visa and a valid I-94 issued by INS/DHS. Passport must be in English or translated by an embassy. (If your I-94 status code is - F1 (student), you must also show the original stamped INS/DHS form I-20, with any subsequent I-20 and “notice of approval” (if appropriate).) – 3 Points
Certificate of Citizenship – 3 Points
Certificate of Naturalization – 3 Points.
Permanent Resident Card - 3 Points
Reentry Permit – 3 Points
US High School ID Card with Report Card – 2 Points
US Health Insurance Card/Prescription Card – 1 Point
Valid US Credit Card or Cash Card with name imprinted and signature – 1 Point
Social Security Card. If you are ineligible for a Social Security Card, 6 points of proof of name (above) plus a letter of ineligibility from the Social Security Administration (SSA) issued within 30 days of your application to the DMV, which confirms your ineligibility, along with the INS/DHS documentation that the SSA used to determine that you are ineligible.
What are the steps for getting a Junior License?
1. In order to get a Junior License, your child must first complete:
Fifty hours of behind-the-wheel practice/instruction with a certified driving instructor, a parent or another designation driver over the age of 21, with at least 15 hours at night (after sunset) and at least 10 hours in moderate to heavy traffic. This practice time must be recorded on theCertification of Supervised Driving (MV-262).
2. Schedule a DMV Road Test appointment. In order to make an appointment, your child must have:
a Learner Permit for at least six months, is valid on the date that the appointment is made, and is valid on the date of the road test, and
the Pre-licensing Course Completion Certificate (MV-278) in hand.
Click here to schedule your road test using the DMV's online scheduler.
3. Take the DMV Road Test. Be sure to:
Have a licensed driver over the age of 21 accompany your child to the road test location.
Bring a valid learner permit, Form MV-262 (Certification of Supervised Driving), and a Pre-licensing Course Completion Certificate (MV-278).
Bring a vehicle to drive during the road test. The vehicle must be properly registered, inspected, insured and in good working order.
Peekskill Office
NYS-DMV
Address:
1045 Park Street
Peekskill, NY 10566
Hours:
M, T, W & F 8:30 - 4:00 PM
Thursday 10:00 - 6:00 PM
Phone:
(718)477-4820
Yonkers Office
NYS-DMV
Address:
1 Larkin Plaza
Yonkers, NY 10701
Hours:
M, T, W & F 8:30 - 4:00 PM
Thursday 10:00 - 6:00 PM
Phone:
(718)477-4820
The road test is available at a number of locations throughout Westchester County.
DMV Road Test Locations
New Rochelle
Locaton:
Sickles Avenue & Guion Place
Directions:
Take the Hutchinson Pkway to E Lincoln Ave. Exit. Go 3 miles to Prince St. Make right onto Prince. Go the end of Prince and make a left onto Sickles. Go to end of Sickles and make a left onto Guion Place.
Peekskill
Location:
Orchard St. Facing N. Division Street
Directions:
Take Park Street West to Division St. Right onto Division Street. After 5 blocks there will be a fork in the road, take the left fork. At the end of the park is Orchard Street. Right onto Orchard Street
White Plains
Location:
S. Kensico Avenue between Oakley Ave. and Minerva Ave. (facing south)
Directions:
Cross Westchester Expressway (287), East, to Exit 8 (Westchester Ave) right turn exit. Right turn onto Westchester Ave. First traffic light left turn onto So. Kensico Ave. Go straight ahead to Minerva and Oakley Avenues. Road test line on left side of avenue.
Yonkers
Location:
Vredenburgh Avenue & Veltri Place facing Kimball Avenue
Directions:
Take Yonkers Avenue. Go across Central Avenue. Make first left onto Trenchard Street. Proceed to Vredenburgh Avenue. Site is 1000 feet on right of Vredenburgh.
Yorktown
Location:
Commerce Street facing north towards Firehouse
Directions:
Take Route 118 South to Underhill Avenue. Make a left onto Underhill Avenue. At intersection Underhill becomes Commerce Street. Road test site is approximately 1/4 mile down on the right side.
Once your child passes their road test, they receive their Junior License which allows them to drive alone or with others, with the following restrictions:
No driving between 9:00 PM and 5:00 AM without a parent or guardian in the car.
No more than one (1) passenger in the car who is younger than 21 years old.
These restrictions are designed to eliminate the two most dangerous situations that exponentially increase your child’s risk of being killed in a car accident: driving late at night and driving with more than one friend in the car.
At age 18, the driving restrictions are lifted and your child automatically receives a full license.
Why do some teenagers get a full license with no restrictions at age 17?
Despite the fact that the number of accidents dropped 61% after New York adopted a GDL policy that places restrictions on drivers under the age of 18, some teenagers are still getting a full, unrestricted license early. If a teenager takes Driver Education through a public or private high school, rather than a commercial program, they become fully licensed at age 17.
Why is there an exception to the GDL law if it has been shown to reduce accidents and deaths?
The Department of Motor Vehicles only has jurisdiction over commercial driving schools. It does not have jurisdiction over the curriculum that’s offered through the high school. The Department of Education does. Keeping Driver’s Ed in high schools keeps Driver’s Education teachers employed.
What’s wrong with High School Driver Education?
The Driver Education program that is offered thru any private or public high school is made up of 24 hours of classroom instruction, 18 hours of backseat “observation” while another inexperienced student is driving, and only six hours of supervised behind-the-wheel practice.
This approach was created as a national standard in 1948 and has been proven to have virtually no impact on reducing teen car accidents and deaths. That’s why less than 30% of high schools in the U.S. offer driver education anymore.
Is the curriculum that’s offered through a commercial program different from what’s offered in High School?
Yes. If a teenager gets a license through a commercial driving school, they need to complete 50 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction with a parent or instructor and attend a five-hour pre-licensing course.
Is New York’s GDL loophole unusual?
Yes. New York State is ranked in the lowest 10% of states when it comes to the efficacy of its teen driving laws. The federal government is trying to enforce a mandatory nationwide licensing law that would move the threshold for unrestricted driver licensing to the age of 18. For more information on this effort, go to www.saferoads4teens.org/summary-standup-act.
New Resident Drivers
Are you establishing residency in New York State?
If so, you must apply for a New York State driver license within 30 days after establishing residency.
Do you hold a license from another state or Canada?
If you are a new resident with a valid license issued by a U.S. state, territory or possession, or a Canadian province or territory, you must:
before you schedule your appointment. Click here to schedule your road test using the DMV's online scheduler.
You must bring a vehicle to drive during the road test. The vehicle must be properly registered, inspected, insured and in
good working order.
Peekskill Office
NYS-DMV
Address:
1045 Park Street
Peekskill, NY 10566
Hours:
M, T, W & F 8:30 - 4:00 PM
Thursday 10:00 - 6:00 PM
Phone:
(718)477-4820
Yonkers Office
NYS-DMV
Address:
1 Larkin Plaza
Yonkers, NY 10701
Hours:
M, T, W & F 8:30 - 4:00 PM
Thursday 10:00 - 6:00 PM
Phone:
(718)477-4820
The road test is available at a number of locations throughout Westchester County.
DMV Road Test Locations
New Rochelle
Locaton:
Sickles Avenue & Guion Place
Directions:
Take the Hutchinson Pkway to E Lincoln Ave. Exit. Go 3 miles to Prince St. Make right onto Prince. Go the end of Prince and make a left onto Sickles. Go to end of Sickles and make a left onto Guion Place.
Peekskill
Location:
Orchard St. Facing N. Division Street
Directions:
Take Park Street West to Division St. Right onto Division Street. After 5 blocks there will be a fork in the road, take the left fork. At the end of the park is Orchard Street. Right onto Orchard Street
White Plains
Location:
S. Kensico Avenue between Oakley Ave. and Minerva Ave. (facing south)
Directions:
Cross Westchester Expressway (287), East, to Exit 8 (Westchester Ave) right turn exit. Right turn onto Westchester Ave. First traffic light left turn onto So. Kensico Ave. Go straight ahead to Minerva and Oakley Avenues. Road test line on left side of avenue.
Yonkers
Location:
Vredenburgh Avenue & Veltri Place facing Kimball Avenue
Directions:
Take Yonkers Avenue. Go across Central Avenue. Make first left onto Trenchard Street. Proceed to Vredenburgh Avenue. Site is 1000 feet on right of Vredenburgh.
Yorktown
Location:
Commerce Street facing north towards Firehouse
Directions:
Take Route 118 South to Underhill Avenue. Make a left onto Underhill Avenue. At intersection Underhill becomes Commerce Street. Road test site is approximately 1/4 mile down on the right side.
The road test is available at a number of locations throughout Westchester County.
DMV Road Test Locations
New Rochelle
Locaton:
Sickles Avenue & Guion Place
Directions:
Take the Hutchinson Pkway to E Lincoln Ave. Exit. Go 3 miles to Prince St. Make right onto Prince. Go the end of Prince and make a left onto Sickles. Go to end of Sickles and make a left onto Guion Place.
Peekskill
Location:
Orchard St. Facing N. Division Street
Directions:
Take Park Street West to Division St. Right onto Division Street. After 5 blocks there will be a fork in the road, take the left fork. At the end of the park is Orchard Street. Right onto Orchard Street
White Plains
Location:
S. Kensico Avenue between Oakley Ave. and Minerva Ave. (facing south)
Directions:
Cross Westchester Expressway (287), East, to Exit 8 (Westchester Ave) right turn exit. Right turn onto Westchester Ave. First traffic light left turn onto So. Kensico Ave. Go straight ahead to Minerva and Oakley Avenues. Road test line on left side of avenue.
Yonkers
Location:
Vredenburgh Avenue & Veltri Place facing Kimball Avenue
Directions:
Take Yonkers Avenue. Go across Central Avenue. Make first left onto Trenchard Street. Proceed to Vredenburgh Avenue. Site is 1000 feet on right of Vredenburgh.
Yorktown
Location:
Commerce Street facing north towards Firehouse
Directions:
Take Route 118 South to Underhill Avenue. Make a left onto Underhill Avenue. At intersection Underhill becomes Commerce Street. Road test site is approximately 1/4 mile down on the right side.
How to get a New York Driver License
Step-by-step instructions and all the DMV forms you need to get a New York Driver License
