Driver's license deadlines for new residents, by state
When you move to a new state, a clock starts: you have a set time to get a local driver's license. Here is that deadline for the 18 states we cover, in each state's own words, with the official page it comes from.
Each deadline was checked against the official source when its state guide was last verified, between and .
At a glance
- No grace period
- Arizona, Massachusetts, Michigan
- 10 days
- California
- 30 days
- Colorado, Florida, Georgia, New York, Ohio, Washington
- 60 days
- Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia
- 90 days
- Illinois, Texas
Deadline in each state
| State | Deadline | What the state says | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | No grace period | Immediately once you count as a resident; there is no grace period. | Arizona Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division (ADOT MVD) |
| Massachusetts | No grace period | As soon as you become a resident; "there is no grace period". | Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) |
| Michigan | No grace period | As soon as you establish residency; there is no grace period. | Michigan Department of State (Secretary of State) |
| California | 10 days | Within 10 days of becoming a California resident. | California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) |
| Colorado | 30 days | Within 30 days of becoming a Colorado resident.Colorado counts you as a resident once you work or own a business in the state, or after 90 days in a row. | Colorado Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) |
| Florida | 30 days | Within 30 days of establishing Florida residency. | Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) |
| Georgia | 30 days | Within 30 days of becoming a Georgia resident. | Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) |
| New York | 30 days | Within 30 days of becoming a New York State resident. | New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) |
| Ohio | 30 days | Within 30 days of establishing Ohio residency.Ohio counts you as a resident once you take a job, sign a lease, buy a home or enroll children in school. | Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) |
| Washington | 30 days | Within 30 days of moving to Washington. | Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) |
| Maryland | 60 days | Within 60 days of moving to Maryland.Written for licenses from another U.S. state. | Maryland Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) |
| Minnesota | 60 days | Within 60 days of becoming a Minnesota resident.30 days for commercial drivers. | Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) |
| New Jersey | 60 days | Within 60 days of your move, or before your current license expires, whichever comes first.Written for licenses from another U.S. state. | New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) |
| North Carolina | 60 days | Within 60 days of establishing a permanent residence, if you plan to drive. | North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV), N.C. Department of Transportation |
| Pennsylvania | 60 days | Within 60 days of establishing Pennsylvania residency. | Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Driver and Vehicle Services |
| Virginia | 60 days | Within 60 days of moving to Virginia.30 days with a commercial driver's license (CDL). | Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) |
| Illinois | 90 days | Within 90 days, or before your current license expires, whichever comes first. | Illinois Secretary of State |
| Texas | 90 days | Within 90 days of becoming a Texas resident. | Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) |
Before you rely on this
- The clock starts when the state counts you as a resident. Each state decides that in its own way; Colorado and Ohio spell it out in the table above.
- Most of these deadlines are written for people with a license from another U.S. state. If your license is from another country, the rules for driving on it and swapping it are different. Our guide for each state explains them: open the state's name in the table.
- Commercial licenses can have a shorter deadline, as in Minnesota and Virginia.
- Your car has its own deadlines for title and registration. They are in each state guide.
- This page is general information, not legal advice. Always check the official page linked in the table before you act. How we verify information