New York – Out of State Restrictions
Learner Permits and Junior Licenses From Another State
NYS restricts driving privileges if:
you are under the age of 18 and have an out-of-state driver license, or
you are any age and you have an out-of-state learner permit.
You must obey the restrictions of both your home state and the NYS restrictions for learner permits or junior licenses in NYS. Read the DMV brochure, Learner Permits and Junior Licenses.
You cannot drive in NYS if you are under the age of 16. If you have a learner permit or a driver license from another state, you are not exempt from this rule.
Make sure that your out-of-state learner permit is valid outside the state that issued the permit. If it is valid only in the issuing state, you cannot use the permit to drive in NYS.
You cannot exchange an out-of-state permit for a NYS permit. You must apply for a NYS learner permit and driver license. Read the information about the application process for new drivers.
The NYS driver license classes include:
Operator, Class D: Issued to drivers age 18 or over, or to drivers age 17 with Driver Education. Valid for passenger cars and trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 26,000 lbs. or less.
A Class D driver can drive a vehicle that tows another vehicle (for example a trailer) that has a maximum gross weight of 10,000 lbs. or less. A Class D driver can tow a vehicle with a GVWR of more than 10,000 lbs only if the combined weight rating of the two vehicles is 26,000 lbs. or less. See the important information about changes for Class D drivers that result from a law that eliminates the Non-CDL Class C license.
Taxi and Livery, Class E: Issued to drivers age 18 or over. Valid for the same vehicles that a class D driver can drive, plus for-hire vehicles that carry 14 passengers or less.
New York Drivers Education
The state of New York is one of many states in the United States that, after reviewing the statistics concerning teen drivers and teen automobile accidents, has implemented a graduated licensing program. This program was set in motion to show that only by a gradual earning of privileges can teens fully grasp the weight of the situations they are facing when behind the wheel of a car. They are responsible for not only their own lives, but also their passengers’ lives and the lives of those near them in other vehicles.
With the exception of immediate family members, a licensed driver who is at least 21 years old in the front passenger seat may only accompany those with a learner’s permit. If there are more than two passengers in the vehicle under the age of 21, a parent, legal guardian, or driving instructor must be in the front passenger seat at all times. You must be at least 16 years old to apply for a learner’s permit in the state of New York.
Teens should be prepared to complete a minimum of at least 20 hours of supervised driving before they apply for a learner’s permit. While driver’s education is not required in order to apply for a learner’s permit, it is a required part of the graduated licensing program and will have to be completed before teens can receive their first restricted driver’s license.
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