Get a driver’s license

Getting a Connecticut state driver’s license is a simple and straightforward process, whether you are new to driving or an experienced driver who is new to Connecticut. Our aim is to make the process as easy as possible for you—please see below for specific steps.

  1. Apply for a learner’s permit. To get your permit, you must pass a vision and written knowledge test in person at the DMV. You can watch this video to learn how to prepare for the knowledge test, which is based on the Connecticut driver’s manual. Note: Out-of-state learner’s permits are not transferable.
  2. You will need to hold your permit for a specific amount of time and fulfill certain training requirements before you take your road test (or “driving test”). You need to pass an eight-hour Drug and Alcohol Safety Program (D.A.S.P.), and/or complete additional behind-the-wheel driver training.
  3. Pass your road test (or “driving test”) and receive your new license in the mail.

Note: Your non-commercial driver’s license is valid for six-and-half to eight-and-a-half years and expires on your birthday. The exact timeframe of your license depends on when it was issued and your date of birth.

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Requirements for naturalized and non-U.S. citizens

Eligibility requirements:

IMPORTANT: Documented individuals arriving in the U.S. with an I-94 stamp in your passport must visit the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website to obtain a hard copy of your I-94 document. Present this document to the DMV along with all other required documents. Please see below for acceptable forms of identification for non-U.S. citizens.

To be eligible, you’re required to prove:

Identity: Please refer to the document checklist (English version (PDF) | Spanish version (PDF) for acceptable forms of identification.

Legal presence in the United States: If you were not born in the U.S. and you don’t provide the DMV with a valid U.S. passport, then your immigration status will be verified through the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlement Program (SAVE). This includes applicants with certificates of citizenship and naturalization. Verification of legal status with USCIS may take 10 days or more, and applicants may be asked to return to the same DMV office when the immigration results have been approved.

Connecticut Residence: Please refer to Section 3 of the document checklist (English version (PDF) | (Spanish version (PDF) for required forms of proof of Connecticut residency.

NEW PROCESS:

Non-U.S. citizens seeking a first-time Connecticut learner's permit or driver's license must go to a DMV hub office.

Note that you will not receive a permanent driver’s license or ID card while at a DMV location. It will arrive in the mail. You will keep your expiring driver’s license/ID and receive a temporary paper card. For more details, please see Central Issuance.

Applying for a commercial learner’s permit (CLP) or new hazmat endorsement

Note: Non-U.S. citizens must show proof of legal presence in the United States and present a valid employment authorization document to be eligible for a CDL or CLP. If you are not a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, you will be issued a non-domicile CDL or CLP.

Applying for a drive-only license

You may be eligible for a drive-only license if you have the formal documents required by the drive-only license document checklist (English version (PDF) | Spanish version (PDF) and can’t establish legal presence in the United States or don't have a Social Security Number.

If you would like to apply for a drive-only license (for undocumented individuals), please review the process for getting a drive-only license.

Note: U.S. citizens, documented immigrants, and non-immigrants, including B1/B2, waiver-tourist (WT), or waiver-business (WB) visitor status with unexpired U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) documents, are not eligible to apply for a drive-only license.

Federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA or DREAM ACT)

Please review federal eligibility for this program. Applicants who present an I-94 or a valid Employee Authorization Card (EAC) with the category of C-33, but do not have a valid passport or other primary document as outlined in the identification document checklist (English version (PDF) | Spanish version (PDF) may be eligible to receive a regular, non-verified (i.e., not considered a REAL ID) driver's license or non-driver ID card. The I-94 or the EAC will serve as a primary form of identification. Applicants must provide a valid, signed Social Security card along with two different pieces of address verification dated within 90 days. Issuance is contingent on valid results of the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlement Program (SAVE).

Diplomats

Diplomats must obtain a license from the U.S. Department of State, Office of Foreign Missions located at:

OFM New York
799 United Nations Plaza, 8th floor
New York, NY 10017

For more information, please call the Office of Foreign Missions at (646) 282-2825 or e-mail OFMNewYork@state.gov.

Office of Foreign Missions - FAQs - United States Department of State

Requirements for driver’s license holders from U.S. territories, Canada, Germany, France, or Puerto Rico

Non-U.S. citizens who want to get a first-time Connecticut learner's permit or driver's license must go to a DMV hub office to apply in person. Locate your closest DMV hub office.

U.S. territories:

Licenses from American Samoa, Guam, or the U.S. Virgin Islands are considered an out-of-state license. However, you must obtain an history of your driver record, known as an abstract, from your home territory prior to transferring your license to Connecticut.

The DMV will waive the requirement for an applicant to present his or her driving history when transferring a non-CDL license from Guam for active-duty military personnel and their family members. The applicant's military identification or the family member's dependent identification is required.

Note: The Marshall Islands are no longer a territory of the U.S. Residents of the Marshall Islands must provide proper immigration documents to be eligible for a Connecticut DMV-issued license.

Puerto Rico:

A driver’s license from Puerto Rico is also considered an out-of-state license. However, the DMV office you visit will verify your Puerto Rico license with your home territory prior to transferring your Puerto Rico license to Connecticut. The DMV will notify you via mail of your Puerto Rico license status. The letter that you receive from the DMV will provide you with information on how to proceed with the licensing transaction.

Canada, Germany, or France:

A valid driver’s license from Canada, Germany, or France countries can also be transferred to Connecticut using the same process as an out-of-state license.

Note: If you are from another country not listed here, you are not able to transfer a driver’s license from your country to Connecticut. You’ll need to get an adult learner’s permit prior to getting a Connecticut driver’s license.

Getting an international driver permit

An international driver permit (or IDP) is essentially an English translation of a foreign-language license that was issued by a country outside of the U.S. An international driver permit can only be obtained in the country that issued the actual license.

An IDP alone is not considered a valid license; it must accompany the valid foreign license.

Students and visitors to Connecticut:

Connecticut permits a student or visitor to operate a motor vehicle in Connecticut for up to one year with a foreign license. If the license is in a language other than English or Spanish, the license must be accompanied by an IDP, which serves as an English translation of the foreign license.

Note: Out-of-country licenses are not acceptable as a form of identification.

Connecticut residents traveling abroad:

If you hold a Connecticut driver's license and will be traveling abroad for an extended stay in a non-English speaking country and you plan to operate a motor vehicle there, you can obtain an IDP by contacting your local Automobile Association of America (AAA).

Acceptable forms of identification for naturalized and non-U.S. citizens

If you are not a U.S.-born citizen, you will be required to show proof of your legal status in this country. The DMV will verify your legal status with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Note: Verification of legal status with USCIS may take ten days or more and applicants may be asked to return to the same DMV office when the immigration results have been approved.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services document(s) below must be presented to the DMV along with all other requirements as outlined in the document checklist: English version (PDF) | Spanish version (PDF)

Required U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services documents (must be valid and unexpired):

* Citizens with older certificates may have to wait several weeks to be verified through USCIS. Please visit a DMV hub office as soon as you receive your renewal notice. If you can provide a valid U.S. passport, you will not need to be verified through USCIS.

** Individuals arriving in the U.S. with an I-94 stamp in your passport must visit the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website to obtain a hard copy of your I-94 document.

Other Requirements:

Getting a driver’s license for the first time if you’re 18 years of age or older

Adults 18 years of age and older who want to get a Connecticut driver's license are required to first get an adult learner's permit. Learn more about how to get an adult learner’s permit, including required training and fees, as well as when you’re able to make an appointment online to take the on-the-road skills test.

Note: Road testing is only offered at DMV hub offices. Learn more about the on-the-road-skills test, including what you need to bring and what the test will evaluate.

Download the Guide to Passing Your Driving Test (Document Z-17) prior to your road test appointment for additional information.

Overview: Types of Connecticut licenses and how to get them

Please review the different Connecticut license options below for more information:

Getting a driver’s license

1. Verified driver's license:

2. Drive-only license:

Transferring your license to Connecticut

Getting a motorcycle license

Note: You must possess a valid Connecticut driver’s license before you can get a motorcycle license. Additional fees are required.

Getting a commercial driver's license

How much does it cost to get a driver’s license in CT?

There are different fees for getting a driver’s license. Review fees for getting a driver’s license, as well as the acceptable forms of payment.

How can I pay for my license?

Many DMV transactions require that you pay a fee. Acceptable forms of payment vary by location. Please see below for details:

Note: Nutmeg State Financial Credit Union may charge a convenience fee up to $8 per DMV transaction.

Important: Checks drawn on foreign banks and third-party checks are not accepted at any location.

How can I verify that I have a driver’s license?

If you’ve moved out of state and have misplaced your driver’s license or vehicle registration, the DMV can provide you with verification so that you’re able to apply for a license or registration in your new home state.

Note: Connecticut cannot require another state to honor verification documents.

Verification documents are issued only to verify that you held a valid license and/or registration in the state of Connecticut and are not intended to be used in lieu of a valid license and/or registration.

  1. Complete the Copy Records Request Form (Form J-23)
  2. The fee for verification is $20. Include a personal or bank check or money order made payable to DMV with your request form.
  3. Include two acceptable forms of identification* with your request form. Please refer to the document checklist (English version (PDF) | Spanish version (PDF)) for acceptable forms of identification.
    *Do not send original documents by mail.
  4. Mail completed form, identification documents, and fee(s) to:

Department of Motor Vehicles
Copy Records Unit
60 State Street
Wethersfield, CT 06161

What documents do I need to bring to the DMV?

Reminder: Documents need to be valid/unexpired original documents, or certified copies.

If you have questions regarding acceptable documents, please call the DMV call center at 860-263-5700.

Document requirements for getting a CT driver’s license:

Refer to the following list of acceptable documents and to the document checklist (English version (PDF) | Spanish version (PDF). Documents from categories 1, 2, and 3 from the checklist and the list below are required, and documents from categories 4 and 5 may be required if applicable:

You’ll need to present two forms of identification, and at least one of the identification documents must be from the primary document list below.

By law, the full name shown on your primary document is considered your legal name and will be printed on your learner’s permit, driver’s license, or non-driver ID. If your name is different than what’s shown on your primary document, please see category 5 below: name change documents)

Primary document list

* Subject to verification using Systematic Alien Verification of Eligibility (SAVE). For more information, please see category 4 below: Legal Presence in the United States, non-U.S. born.

Secondary document list

2. Social security number:

By law, you must present one of the following to prove your Social Security Number (SSN). Forms 1099 or W-2 need to show your full SSN and is only for proof of SSN, not proof of identity.

Note: Non-U.S. citizens not eligible for a Social Security Number must present proof of ineligibility from the Social Security Administration.

3. Connecticut residency:

You must provide two different pieces of mail from two different sources to prove you reside in the state of Connecticut. (People with dual residency in another state are permitted to get a Connecticut driver’s license.) The documents don’t need to include a postmarked envelope. Both documents must:

Acceptable documents include:

Note: Parents or legal guardian of minor (person under the age of 18) may provide any two of the aforementioned documents addressed to the parent residing at same address to prove minor residency or use their own Connecticut driver’s license or ID that shows the same address as one of the two documents required.

4. Legal presence in the united states (Non-U.S. born):

Legal status will be verified using Systematic Alien Verification of Eligibility (SAVE), which may take 10 business days or more, unless you present a U.S. passport or passport card in which case SAVE verification is not necessary.

Acceptable documents to prove immigration status:

*B1/B2 visitor status is not eligible to obtain a Connecticut credential (e.g., driver’s license)

Note: Non-U.S. citizens who are not eligible for a Social Security Number must present proof of ineligibility from the Social Security Administration. Only U.S. citizens and permanent residents are eligible for a REAL ID driver’s license or ID card (verified by a gold star on your credential).

5. Name change documents, if applicable:

Your new name must be verified with the Social Security Administration (SSA). Visit the SSA first to change your name and allow at least 48 hours for SSA to update.

Acceptable documents include:

Note: If there have been multiple name changes, you must provide documentation to prove the continuity of the names.