You must have a NYS driver license or a valid driver license from another US state or from Canada to drive in NYS. In most cases, you can drive in NYS if you have a valid driver license from another country. The minimum driving age in NYS is 16.

If you become a resident of NYS, you must get a NYS driver license within 30 days and surrender your out-of-state driver license. Normally, you cannot have a NYS driver license and a driver license from another state, but there are exceptions. It is a violation of Federal law to hold more than one commercial driver license (CDL).

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.
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. 

TYPES OF LICENSES

New York State issues six types of non-commercial licenses. The information in this chapter applies primarily to passenger car and motorcycle licenses. To drive most other types of vehicles, you need a commercial driver license (CDL). For information about commercial driver licenses, refer to the Commercial Driver's Manual (CDL-10) available from the DMV Internet Office, by request from a DMV Call Center, or at any motor vehicle office. You must have a CDL if you drive any vehicle that:

  • Has a manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of more than 26,000 lbs. (11,794 kg); or,

  • Pulls a trailer that has a GVWR of more than 10,000 lbs. (4,536 kg) and the GCWR of the hauling vehicle plus the trailer is more than 26,000 lbs. (11,794 kg); or,

  • Is designed or used to carry 15 or more persons, not counting the driver; or,

  • Regardless of seating capacity, is defined as a bus by Article 19-A of the Vehicle and Traffic Law (including vehicles carrying school children or disabled people); or,

  • Carries hazardous materials required by federal law to be placarded.

The non-commercial licenses reviewed in this manual are:

Operator, Class D - Minimum age is 18, or age 17 with driver education. Allows you to drive a vehicle with a manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 26,000 lbs. (11,794 kg) 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. (4,536 kg) or less. A Class D driver can tow a vehicle with a GVWR of more than 10,000 lbs. (4,536 kg) only if the combined weight rating of the two vehicles is 26,000 lbs. (11,794 kg) or less. You may also operate Class B and C mopeds with this license.

Junior Operator, Class DJ - Minimum age is 16. A Class DJ license allows you to drive passenger cars and trucks with an unladen weight or a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 10,000 lbs. or less. A class DJ driver can drive a vehicle that tows another vehicle (for example a trailer) with a GVWR of 3,000 lbs. or less.

Taxi/Livery, Class E - Minimum age is 18. Allows you to drive the same vehicles as a Class D license, plus transport passengers for hire in a vehicle designed or used to carry 14 or fewer passengers. However, if the vehicle is defined as a bus under Article 19-A of the Vehicle and Traffic Law (e.g., a school car or a van used to transport physically or mentally disabled people), regardless of seating capacity, you must have a CDL.

Motorcycle, Class M - Minimum age is 18, or age 17 with driver education. Allows you to drive motorcycles and mopeds.

Limited Junior Motorcycle/Junior Motorcycle, Class MJ - Minimum age is 16. Allows you to drive the same vehicles as a Class M license with certain restrictions.

Note: If you have a motorcycle license and another type of license, both classes will be listed on one document (e.g., "Class DM").

Driver Education (To Change Your Class DJ or MJ License to Class D or M) - You may apply to change your junior license to a full license at age 17 if you have received a Student Certificate of Completion (MV-285) from an approved driver education course. Apply at any motor vehicle office. Otherwise, your junior license will automatically become a full license when you become 18 years old and you do not need to apply for a license change.

Recreational Vehicle or "R" endorsement - Recreational vehicles, with or without air brakes, are not defined as commercial vehicles. You may apply for an "R" endorsement for your Class D or Class E driver license to allow you to operate a recreational vehicle (RV) with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of over 26,001 lbs. (11,794 kg) or more.

To obtain an "R" endorsement, you must: submit a completed Application for Driver License or ID Card (MV-44), indicating a license amendment, to any state or county motor vehicle office; pay a permit fee, which is valid for up to two road tests; and pass a road test in the size and type of vehicle you will be driving. No written test is required. To take the road test, you must be accompanied by a licensed driver at least 21 years old who has a license valid for the type of vehicle you will be driving during the test (e.g., a driver license with an "R" endorsement or the appropriate Commercial Driver License). The road test will be about 15 minutes in length and will include turns, intersections and backing the vehicle to the curb. Upon passing the road test, you must go to a motor vehicle office and pay the required fee to complete the license amendment process.
Direct source: From DMV web site.