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Maryland driver's license

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

How it goes

  1. 1
    You arriveYou have moved to Maryland 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

You pay at the MVA office during your in-person visit, not online in advance. At that visit you also bring your documents, take any required tests, and have your photo taken.

  • $88

You pay this when you apply.

If you just arrived in the US

Foreign documents with no expiry date

If you have temporary lawful status and your document carries no expiration date, your license cannot be issued for longer than 1 year.

Documents you need

  • Documents that are still validTo prove age, name and identity you present an unexpired U.S. passport, Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551), foreign passport with a valid U.S. visa and approved I-94, or employment authorization document (Form I-766 or I-688B); documents with no expiration date — a birth certificate, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, a Certificate of Naturalization, or a Certificate of Citizenship — are also accepted. If you cannot produce any of these, the MVA can accept a U.S. passport that has been expired for less than 5 years.
    • A U.S. passport or Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551) must be valid and unexpired, with one exception: a U.S. passport expired less than 5 years is accepted only when you can produce no other qualifying document. Documents that carry no expiration date — a birth certificate, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, a Certificate of Naturalization, a Certificate of Citizenship — are accepted no matter how old they are.

Your Social Security Number

Giving your number, and who may see it

In these rules, "state" means any U.S. state, possession or territory, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or a Canadian province or territory — no other foreign country is included.

  • You give either a valid Social Security number or proof that you are not eligible for one; both satisfy the requirement, so having no SSN does not disqualify you.

Tests you take

Eye test

You can pass the vision screening in person, submit a completed vision screening form (DL-043 or DL-043A), or have an authorized online vision provider send your results electronically to the MVA.

  • You need binocular vision, visual acuity of at least 20/40 in each eye, and a continuous field of vision of at least 140 degrees. The MVA or your eye doctor can do the screening.

  • The screening can be done at the MVA or by your own eye doctor.

  • You complete a vision screening at your appointment.

  • To qualify, you must have binocular vision, visual acuity of at least 20/40 in each eye, and a continuous field of vision of at least 140 degrees.

  • You must have passed a vision screening within the previous 24 months.

Drive test

Parallel parking is no longer required.

  • You must be able to perform pull-in parking, back-in parking, and a three-point turn.

  • You must show that you can exercise reasonable control of a motor vehicle.

Tries you get on the written test

If you fail, you can retake it the next day. Each failure is recorded.

  • If you fail two or more times, you must wait at least seven calendar days before taking it again.

  • You can retest the next business day after a first failure, if an appointment is available.

  • You can retest the next business day after a first failure, if an appointment is available. If you fail two or more times, you must wait at least seven calendar days before retesting — this applies to all noncommercial and commercial knowledge tests.

Practice questions for the written test

Study the Maryland Driver's Manual, and take practice tests with the Maryland Online Driver Test Tutorial.

  • The MVA's Online Driver Test Tutorial has practice questions; you can find it at mva.maryland.gov/drivers.

Practising with your permit

Who can sit with you while you practise

Your supervising driver must be at least 21 years old, currently licensed for at least three years to drive the same class of vehicle, and seated beside you.

  • For vehicles other than motorcycles, your supervising driver must be at least 21 years old, licensed for at least three years for that class of vehicle, and seated beside you.

  • A qualified supervising driver who is at least 21 years old and has held a license for at least three years must be with you at all times, seated in the front passenger seat; no other front-seat passengers are allowed.

  • Your supervising driver must be at least 21 years old, licensed for at least 3 years in Maryland or another state for the class of vehicle you are driving, and seated beside you unless the vehicle is a motorcycle.

What to bring to the drive test

Who comes with you

A qualified supervising driver must come with you to the driving test and must have their driver's license with them.

  • A qualified supervising driver must come with you to the driving test. Anyone licensed to drive the class of vehicle being tested can drive you to the test station, and that person must carry a valid driver's license.

  • A supervising driver must come with you to the test site. During the test itself, only you and the examiner are allowed in the vehicle, plus an MVA-approved interpreter if you need one.

The car and its insurance

The vehicle must have up-to-date license plates and registration, and you must bring proof that it is insured.

  • You must provide the vehicle for your driving test yourself.

  • The vehicle you bring must be of a type appropriate for the license class you are applying for.

  • You bring the vehicle yourself — the MVA does not provide one — and it must have up-to-date license plates and registration, plus proof of insurance.

  • The vehicle needs up-to-date license plates and registration, proof of insurance, at least half a tank of gas, and no windshield cracks or obstructions that affect your view, and it must be safe to drive.

  • The examiner checks the vehicle's condition: it must be safe to drive, have no cracks or anything on the windshield that could affect your ability to see, and have at least a half tank of gas.

Where to go

Who gives the tests

The MDOT Motor Vehicle Administration. If you have a foreign license that is not suspended or revoked, you present that license and complete the 3-Hour Roadway Safety Driving Education Program to take the driving skills test.

Booking an appointment

You can book an appointment at mymva.maryland.gov/go/web/AddAppointment.

  • You can book a driver's license appointment at mymva.maryland.gov/go/web/DriversLicenseAppointment.

  • You can book an appointment at mymva.maryland.gov/go/web/AddAppointment.

Office locations

You can find MVA branch offices and kiosks at mva.maryland.gov/appointments-online-services/visit-branch-office-or-kiosk.

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Every source, quoted39 sources

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

Applying for a driver's license in Maryland?

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

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