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Alaska driver's license

Get your first license in Alaska after moving to the US.

How it goes

  1. 1
    You arriveYou have moved to Alaska and you want to drive here.
  2. 2
    Your permitYou practice on the road with a learner permit.
  3. 3
    The written testYou take the written test.
  4. 4
    Behind the wheelYou take the drive test behind the wheel.
  5. Your licenseYou pass the tests, and the license is yours.

What it costs

A first license

$20

  • $20 for a standard driver or motorcycle license (Class D, M1, M2, or M3), or $40 for the REAL-ID version.

  • At first issue, a regular driver license costs $20 standard or $40 federally compliant, and an instruction permit costs $15 or $35. A motorcycle license costs $20 or $40, and a commercial license $100 or $120.

You pay this when you apply.

If you just arrived in the US

Foreign documents with no expiry date

A temporary or limited-term license runs no longer than your authorized stay in the United States — or no longer than one year if your documents show no expiration date. It also cannot outlast the normal maximum term of a license.

If you have no license to transfer

You apply for an original license: proof of lawful status in the United States, the vision test, and the knowledge test are required. A road test is also required unless you qualify for a waiver.

Your Social Security Number

Giving your number, and who may see it

The application asks for your Social Security number and has a box to mark if you have none.

  • The number goes on the application only if you have been issued one, and it never appears on the license itself. The DMV verifies it against Social Security records and, on request, gives it to Alaska's or another state's child-support agency for legally authorized child-support purposes.

  • A Social Security number is required for every permit and license.

Tests you take

Eye test

You qualify with at least 20/40 vision in each eye or with both eyes together.

  • 20/40 or better in each eye or with both eyes together, without lenses, means a license with no corrective-lens restriction; 20/40 only with lenses means the license requires you to wear them. Corrected vision between 20/50 and 20/100 calls for a specialist referral, 20/100 with both eyes together is the lowest accepted for Class D, and a driver with one good eye that meets the standards can still qualify for Class D.

  • Results are recorded separately for your left eye, your right eye, and both eyes together.

  • A tele-binocular device checks your vision. If you normally wear corrective lenses, bring them when you apply.

  • Every license or permit — original, renewal, or duplicate — comes with a vision check for at least 20/40 in each eye or with both eyes together; lenses you need to qualify must be worn while driving, and until you qualify no license or permit is issued. Instead of the DMV's check, you can submit a certified statement from a licensed physician or optometrist that your vision meets or exceeds the department's standards.

Tries you get on the written test

If you fail, you can take it again the following day.

  • A failed test can be retaken the following day.

Practising with your permit

Who can sit with you while you practise

A licensed driver at least 21 years old, with at least one year of licensed experience in the same type or class of vehicle, must sit in the seat beside you.

What to bring to the drive test

Who comes with you

Only you and the examiner are allowed in the car during the driving test.

The car and its insurance

No light that comes on while the car is on the road can be labeled "for off-road use only".

  • If the car has a license-plate light, it must be white and make the rear plate numbers readable from at least 50 feet.

  • The car's design or accessories, such as mud flaps or fenders, must reduce the spray its wheels throw to the rear.

  • Two working brake lights are required, and they must come on only when the foot brake is pressed.

  • A left-side mirror plus an inside or right-side mirror are required, adjusted so you can see behind the car. A vehicle with a blocked view through the rear window, or a bus, needs mirrors on both the left and right sides.

  • The emergency or parking brake must hold the car still on any grade. Two lights, front and rear, are also required.

  • In a rental car, you must be listed on the rental agreement as an authorized driver. Bring current insurance naming the car and its VIN, the printed registration, and — if the car is on a temporary permit — the Application for Title and Registration.

  • All glass, original or replacement, must be safety glass.

  • Every seating position should have a safety or seat belt.

  • At least two working red taillights on the rear.

  • Working turn signals are required.

  • The car is checked for its required equipment, which must work and be properly adjusted. The driving test can be refused or delayed until mechanical defects are corrected.

  • A windshield is required, and the windshield and all windows must be safety glass and give a clear view. Tinting cannot be darker than the law allows.

  • Windshield wipers and a defroster are required to clear rain and snow from the windshield.

  • You must provide a currently registered vehicle with proof of insurance for the test.

  • At least two headlights, one on each side of the front.

  • The horn must be audible under normal conditions from at least 200 feet, and no device can make an unusually loud sound or whistle.

  • A single license plate with month and year tabs must be displayed on the rear of the car.

  • The foot brake must stop a passenger car within 25 feet from 20 miles per hour.

Where to go

Booking an appointment

Road-test signup is one of the Alaska DMV's online services.

  • You can schedule your road test online at dmv.alaska.gov/credentialservices/road-test.

Office locations

Alaska DMV offices and closures are listed at dmv.alaska.gov/locations/locations.

Other states

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Every source, quoted38 sources

Every fact on this page is quoted from the page that publishes it, in the words it uses.

  • “Driver or Motorcycle License (Non-Commercial) $20 $40 Class: D, M1, M2, M3”

    dmv.alaska.gov/credential-services/license-fees

    Checked July 28, 2026

  • “LICENSE STANDARD REAL-ID NOTES Driver or Motorcycle License (Non-Commercial) $20 $40 Class: D, M1, M2, M3”

    dmv.alaska.gov/credential-services/license-fees

    Checked August 4, 2026

  • “FEES: The following fees are charged upon initial issue of a license or permit: License Type Non-Commercial Driver License Commercial Driver License Motorcycle License Instruction Permit Standard $20 $100 $20 $15 Federally Compliant $40 $120 $40 $35”

    dmv.alaska.gov/media/t5ef5vi2/dlman.pdf

    Checked August 4, 2026

  • “The department may not issue a temporary or limited-term driver's license or identification card to an applicant for (1) a period beyond the expiration date of the applicant's authorized stay in the United States, or, if there is no expiration date, for a period longer than one year; and (2) longer than the maximum term of a driver's license or identification card.”

    akleg.gov/basis/aac.asp

    Checked August 14, 2026

  • “An applicant for an original license, or renewal of a license that has expired for more than one year, must furnish documentary proof of lawful status in the United States and must take the vision and knowledge tests. ... Unless the applicant is eligible for a waiver under (j), (l), or (n) of this section, a road test must be taken by an applicant for an original license”

    akleg.gov/basis/aac.asp

    Checked August 1, 2026

  • “SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER  None”

    dmv.alaska.gov/media/tskk4urs/d1.pdf

    Checked August 4, 2026

  • “contain the applicant's social security number; the requirement of this paragraph only applies to an applicant who has been issued a social security number”

    akleg.gov/basis/statutes.asp

    Checked August 1, 2026

  • “Social Security Numbers are mandatory for all permits and licenses.”

    dmv.alaska.gov/media/t5ef5vi2/dlman.pdf

    Checked August 4, 2026

  • “To qualify you must have, in each eye or with both eyes together, at least 20/40 vision.”

    dmv.alaska.gov/media/t5ef5vi2/dlman.pdf

    Checked August 4, 2026

  • “a person with vision of 20/40 or better in each eye or both eyes together will receive a driver's license without restrictions in regard to corrective lenses”

    akleg.gov/basis/aac.asp

    Checked August 3, 2026

  • “Left: 20/____ Both: 20/____ Right: 20/_____”

    dmv.alaska.gov/media/tskk4urs/d1.pdf

    Checked August 4, 2026

  • “A tele binocular device is used to check vision. If you normally wear corrective lenses, bring them with you when you apply for any type of license.”

    dmv.alaska.gov/media/t5ef5vi2/dlman.pdf

    Checked August 4, 2026

  • “VISION: A test is required of each driver to determine visual acuity before any license or permit is issued. This includes original, renewal, and duplicate licenses. A tele binocular device is used to check vision. If you normally wear corrective lenses, bring them with you when you apply for any type of license. In lieu of the vision test, you may submit a certified statement from a licensed physician or optometrist stating that your vision meets or exceeds the department’s standards. The standards are as follows: ... To qualify you must have, in each eye or with both eyes together, at least 20/40 vision. If you need corrective lenses to qualify, you must wear them while driving. If you fail to qualify because you are unable to see well, you will be denied a license or permit until you are able to qualify.”

    dmv.alaska.gov/media/t5ef5vi2/dlman.pdf

    Checked August 11, 2026

  • “If failed, the test may be retaken the following day.”

    dmv.alaska.gov/media/t5ef5vi2/dlman.pdf

    Checked August 4, 2026

  • “the department may conduct the first road test when the applicant satisfactorily meets all other requirements; a second road test will be conducted at least two business days after the first test if the department determines it is necessary”

    akleg.gov/basis/aac.asp

    Checked August 1, 2026

  • “No one is allowed to accompany you and the examiner during the driving test.”

    dmv.alaska.gov/media/t5ef5vi2/dlman.pdf

    Checked July 28, 2026

  • “Note: No lights illuminated while the vehicle is on the roadway (including those listed above) should be labeled “for off-road use only”.”

    dmv.alaska.gov/media/t5ef5vi2/dlman.pdf

    Checked August 4, 2026

  • “License plate light. A white light must illuminate the rear license plate so that numbers are visible for at least 50 ft., if equipped.”

    dmv.alaska.gov/media/t5ef5vi2/dlman.pdf

    Checked August 4, 2026

  • “Anti-spray devices(mud flaps or fenders) The vehicle design or accessories must effectively reduce wheel spray to the rear.”

    dmv.alaska.gov/media/t5ef5vi2/dlman.pdf

    Checked August 4, 2026

  • “Brake lights. Two which shall only work when foot brake is applied. (Both must be working).”

    dmv.alaska.gov/media/t5ef5vi2/dlman.pdf

    Checked August 4, 2026

  • “Mirror. Left side and inside or right mirror required. Vehicles with obstructed driver’s view through rear window and buses are required to have mirrors on left and right side. Mirrors must be adjusted to afford driver a view to the rear of the vehicle.”

    dmv.alaska.gov/media/t5ef5vi2/dlman.pdf

    Checked August 4, 2026

  • “Emergency or parking brake and lights. Adequate to hold vehicle stationary on any grade. Two lights, front, and rear.”

    dmv.alaska.gov/media/t5ef5vi2/dlman.pdf

    Checked August 4, 2026

  • “If using a rental car, you must be listed on the Rental Agreement as an authorized driver. Current Insurance - can be printed or accessible on device Must include description of vehicle being used and Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) Current vehicle registration certificate - printed If the vehicle has a temporary permit, please provide the Application for Title and Registration.”

    dmv.alaska.gov/credential-services/road-test

    Checked August 4, 2026

  • “Safety glass. All original and replacement glass must be safety glass.”

    dmv.alaska.gov/media/t5ef5vi2/dlman.pdf

    Checked August 4, 2026

  • “Safety/Seat belts. All seating positions should have safety/seat belts.”

    dmv.alaska.gov/media/t5ef5vi2/dlman.pdf

    Checked August 4, 2026

  • “Taillights. At least two red lights on the rear. (Both must be working).”

    dmv.alaska.gov/media/t5ef5vi2/dlman.pdf

    Checked August 4, 2026

  • “Turn signals. All vehicles must be equipped with directional signals, and they must be in working order.”

    dmv.alaska.gov/media/t5ef5vi2/dlman.pdf

    Checked August 4, 2026

  • “The vehicle will be checked for required equipment, which must be in good working condition and properly adjusted. The driving test may be refused or delayed until mechanical defects are corrected.”

    dmv.alaska.gov/media/t5ef5vi2/dlman.pdf

    Checked August 4, 2026

  • “Windshield and windows. Windshield required. Windshield, side wings, side, and rear windows must be safety glass and afford driver clear vision. Tinting may not exceed the percent allowed by law.”

    dmv.alaska.gov/media/t5ef5vi2/dlman.pdf

    Checked August 4, 2026

  • “Windshield wipers and defroster. Required devices for cleaning rain, snow, etc., from windshield.”

    dmv.alaska.gov/media/t5ef5vi2/dlman.pdf

    Checked August 4, 2026

  • “You must furnish a currently registered vehicle with proof of insurance for the test.”

    dmv.alaska.gov/media/t5ef5vi2/dlman.pdf

    Checked August 4, 2026

  • “Headlights. At least two, one on each side on the front.”

    dmv.alaska.gov/media/t5ef5vi2/dlman.pdf

    Checked August 4, 2026

  • “Horn. Capable of emitting sound audible under normal conditions from not less than 200 feet. No device shall emit an unusually loud sound or whistle.”

    dmv.alaska.gov/media/t5ef5vi2/dlman.pdf

    Checked August 4, 2026

  • “License plate. Must have a single license plate with month and year tabs displayed on rear of vehicle.”

    dmv.alaska.gov/media/t5ef5vi2/dlman.pdf

    Checked August 4, 2026

  • “Foot brake. Adequate to stop passenger vehicle within 25 feet at a speed of 20 miles per hour.”

    dmv.alaska.gov/media/t5ef5vi2/dlman.pdf

    Checked August 4, 2026

  • “Sign up for Road Test”

    dmv.alaska.gov/media/t5ef5vi2/dlman.pdf

    Checked August 4, 2026

  • “https://dmv.alaska.gov/credentialservices/road-test/”

    dmv.alaska.gov/media/t5ef5vi2/dlman.pdf

    Checked August 4, 2026

  • “FINAL-URL: https://dmv.alaska.gov/locations/locations/”

    dmv.alaska.gov/locations/locations

    Checked August 4, 2026

Applying for a driver's license in Alaska?

Answer a few questions and see the steps that apply to you.

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