Driver license laws tend to be confusing for many people. This is largely because the U.S. consists of l states that
regulate driving differently, not to mention ii bordering countries in Canada and United mexican states. With that in mind, if y'all
ever motion to New York from out of country – or out of the country – and intend to operate a motor vehicle, we strongly
recommend that yous take the necessary steps to earn a New York commuter license. With that said, one of the near mutual
inquiries that we receive in our defensive driving course NY is whether or not you're legally immune to drive in the
state with a foreign driver license. Nosotros explain here:

Foreign Driver License Rules

The good news for New Yorkers that hold valid foreign driver licenses is that, with them, you're legally immune to
operate a vehicle in New York without any kind of supervision. There are no restrictions to where you tin operate a
vehicle, except for restricted areas and DMV test areas, so y'all're totally in your right to legally apply a car to get
around town or to and from work.

Even so, it's worth noting that if your license is in a linguistic communication other than English, you lot must also possess an
International Driving Allow or translation of your license.

According to the New York Section of Motor Vehicles, this translation must be certified by an official U.S.
Agency, such as the Department of State, and include information such as name, birth date, foreign license
expiration engagement and vehicles you're permitted to drive with the license. Depending on the country your license was
issued in, information technology can be a piffling bit of work to get everything properly squared away, simply with a little bit of try,
it's not too much of a hassle.

Say you're new to the country and only accept a learner permit. If y'all don't as well have a valid foreign license, you lot're
not legally allowed to operate whatsoever vehicle without supervision. A qualified supervising private must be at least
21 years one-time and take a valid license.

What if Yous Want to Get a New York Driver License?

The good news most earning a New York driver license is that you lot don't need to become a U.S. citizen to exercise it. All you
need is documentation from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that proves you're a legal citizen of a foreign
state. Any legal status adamant by Homeland Security will then be transferred over to your New York permit or
license. As we'll cover in the side by side department, if y'all plan to exist in New York for the long term, we'd advise y'all take the
steps to go a state driver license.

In Conclusion

Certainly, if you programme to spend whatever significant corporeality of time in New York, it would behoove you to go through the
process to acquire a New York driver license. This is benign for both y'all and the state, as it eliminates a lot of
the obstacles that residents demand to go through when driving with a foreign license. But for those who are new to the
country and who are concerned with how they're going to get around one time they're settled in New York, it can offer some
peace of listen to know that they're not breaking any laws to drive with a valid license that's been issued past another
state.

Nosotros cover this data and more than in our NY defensive driving courses.