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Idaho Driver's Licenses
and
Identification Cards
FACT SHEET
Who needs a driver’s license?
Anyone who operates a motor vehicle on the public roads in Idaho is required
to have a valid driver’s license.
When moving to Idaho you will need to apply for an Idaho driver’s license
within 90 days of residing in Idaho, whether your out-of-state license has expired
or not. If you have a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), you are required
to be licensed in Idaho within 30 days of residing in Idaho.
Students attending a college or university in Idaho and members of the U.S.
Military on active duty and their dependents who hold a valid driver’s
license from another state or country and who claim residency in that state
or country, are not required to obtain an Idaho driver’s license.
Who cannot be issued an Idaho driver's license?
An Idaho driver's license cannot be issued to anyone who:
- Is not a resident of the state of Idaho
- Is not lawfully present in the United States
- Is under the age of 15
- Is under the age of 17 and has not completed the requirements of
Idaho's graduated driver's license program
- Is under the age of 18 and is not enrolled in school or has not completed school as required
in Section 49-303A, Idaho Code
- Has a suspended, revoked, or canceled status in Idaho or any other jurisdiction
- Has been adjudged as an habitual drunkard or addicted to the use of narcotics
- Has been adjudged as suffering from mental incompetence that would affect a person's
ability to safely operate a motor vehicle and who at the time of application has not
been restored to competency
- May be afflicted with any physical or mental condition which brings about momentary
or prolonged lapses of consciousness or control
- Is required to take an examination and has not passed the examination
Where do I get a driver’s license
or Identification Card?
Idaho driver’s licenses, instruction permits, or identification cards
are issued through the county sheriff’s offices. You may apply at the
sheriff’s office most convenient to you.
What do I need to bring with me?
Proof of Idaho Residency—You must reside inside Idaho’s
borders to be issued an Idaho driver’s license or ID card. Proof of residency
can be shown with documents such as lease or rental agreements, utility bills,
employment records containing your physical Idaho address, school enrollment records, etc.
Your home address (where you live) cannot be your workplace, vacation residence, a part-time residence,
P.O. Box, mail drop, or general delivery (that have been mailed to the applicant.) Please check with your local office to determine the acceptability of your documents.
Proof of Age and Identity—Driver’s
license examiners are required by law to verify your identity and age
before issuing you a driver’s license or ID card. If you have a valid,
state-issued driver’s license or a state-issued ID card to surrender
that meets the conditions of a primary document stated below, you do
not need to provide any additional identity documents.
Note: If you do not
have an acceptable driver’s license or ID card to surrender, you will
be required to present a certified original birth certificate and an
acceptable photo identity document (see primary and secondary document
lists below).
If the documents described above cannot be obtained, the examiner will
require a combination of documents from the primary and secondary
document lists that provide proof of your legal name, date of birth,
and identity (including a picture.)
Primary documents verify your age and identity, and must contain your full legal
name and date of birth. These documents must be verifiable as authentic (the
examiner must be able to contact the issuing agency to determine authenticity).
The following are examples of primary documents:
- Out of state driver’s license or ID card (with a photo) not expired
for five years or more.
- Idaho driver’s license or ID card not expired for five years or more.
- Original naturalization/citizenship document.
- Certified original birth certificate or certified abstract.
- Valid Immigration and Naturalization card from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
- U.S. military photo identification card.
- U.S. passport or passport card
- Valid Foreign passport with a valid U.S. VISA.
- Idaho concealed weapons permit not expired for one year or more.
- Pilot’s license (with photo) not expired for one year or more.
- Veteran’s Universal Access Card with photo.
- Native American ID card with photo.
Secondary documents will assist in confirming your identity, and must contain
your name and enough information to establish proof of all or part of what is
contained on the primary document. The following are examples of secondary documents:
- Out-of-state issued driver’s license or ID card (with photo) expired
for five years or more.
- U.S. military discharge paper (form # DD214).
- Certified marriage certificate (meeting Idaho standards) with seal and document
number showing that it was recorded.
- Certified divorce document from a court or state vital statistics office.
- Guardianship or custody documents, notarized or court certified.
- Certified court name-change document.
- Junior or senior high school (not college or university) photo activity
card.
- Junior or senior high school, college, or military yearbook/annual.
- Idaho Automobile dealer/salesman photo ID card.
- Idaho Department of Corrections photo ID card.
- Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections photo ID card.
Either the primary or secondary document must contain a photo of you.
NOTE: ALL DOCUMENTS SUBMITTED MUST BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE EXAMINER OR THE IDAHO
TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.
Social Security Card—Bring your social security number
or the original card issued by the Social Security Administration. Your social
security number will be verified. It will not be printed on your Idaho driver’s
license or ID card.
If you do not have a Social Security Number, you may still apply for a driver’s
license or ID card if you provide a letter from the Social Security Administration
stating that you do not have a Social Security Number. You will be required to provide proof of lawful presence in the United States if you do not have a social security number.
Lawful Presence -- You will also be required to provide proof of lawful presence if you are not a citizen or national of the United States. Acceptable lawful presence documents include:
Certified original U.S. Birth Certificate Certification of Birth Abroad Original Certificate of Naturalization/Citizenship Permanent Resident card or Resident Alien card Employment Authorization card Valid Foreign passport with valid U.S. VISA and I-94 (Arrival/Departure record)
Physical Certification—If your ability to operate a
motor vehicle is affected by any physical or mental condition which
brings about momentary or prolonged lapses of consciousness or control
(examples: epilepsy or seizures, crippling arthritis, paralysis,
Parkinson’s, heart trouble, insulin-dependent diabetes, Alzheimer’s,
strokes, multiple sclerosis) you will be denied a license/permit until
you provide a written certification from a physician that you can
safely operate a motor vehicle.
Liability Signer—If you are under 18 years old, you need
to have a birth parent (listed on birth certificate) or legal guardian with you to sign consent for you to be licensed.
The identity of the liability signer will be verified.
School Enrollment or Completion—If you are under 18 years
old, you will need to provide acceptable proof of enrollment and attendance
in or graduation from a recognized high school or equivalent program.
Driver Training Completion—If you are under 17 years
old, you must provide proof that you have completed an approved driver training
program and met the requirements of the Supervised Instruction Permit under
Idaho’s Graduated Driver’s License Program.
One License Law—When applying for an Idaho Class D driver’s
license, you must surrender any driver’s license or ID card issued to
you from another state, U. S. Territory, Puerto Rico, or the District of Columbia.
You do not need to surrender a driver’s license issued in a foreign country.
However, once you are issued an Idaho driver’s license, you are not allowed
to use or show your foreign license for the purpose of operating a motor vehicle.
If you are applying for an Idaho Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), you
must surrender any license(s) issued to you by any jurisdiction(s).
What tests will I need to take?
Vision Screening—Your vision will be tested and you must
meet a minimum standard of 20/40 vision in at least one eye, with or without
corrective lenses. If you wear glasses or contacts during the screening, a lens
restriction will be placed on your driver’s license. If the lens restriction
is placed on your driver’s license, you must always wear your glasses
or contacts when operating a vehicle or you could be cited and lose your driving
privileges for a period of time.
Written Knowledge Test—If you are a new applicant
for an Idaho driver’s license or
your Idaho driver’s license has been expired for more than one year, you
will be tested on your knowledge of Idaho traffic laws, highway signs by shape
and symbol, traffic signals, pavement marking, and equipment required on motor
vehicles.
Skills Test—A skills test is required for any applicant:
- who has never been licensed before,
- who has completed driver’s training and the supervised instruction period,
- whose license has been expired for one year or more,
- who presents or surrenders a driver’s license issued by a foreign country (except Germany),
- whose most-recent driver’s license was issued by a foreign country,
or
- whose vision does not meet minimum standards.
A skills test may also be required for any applicant:
- having any mental or physical impairment that might affect the safe operation
of a motor vehicle,
- when an examiner has concerns about the applicant’s ability to safely
operate a motor vehicle, regardless of prior license, experience, or age.
What if I want to use a name other than
the one appearing on my current driver’s license, ID card, or on other
documents that I present for identity purposes?
You will need to provide one or more of the following certified documents, dated
after the current record, as acceptable proof of a legal name change:
- Certified marriage certificate(s) meeting Idaho standards
- Certified divorce document(s)
- Adoption record
- Court name-change documents(s)
When can I renew my license?
If you are 21 or older, you may renew your Idaho driver’s license in person
up to 364 days before the expiration date. A renewal is valid for either four
years or eight years. If you are between the ages of 21 and 62, you may choose
the eight-year renewal. Your vision will be checked, and if the examiner thinks
it is necessary, a skills test, visual examination, and/or medical examination
may be requested. If your driver’s license has been expired for one year
or more, you will be required to take the written knowledge test and the skills
test. If your CDL is expired for one year or more and you wish to retain CDL
privileges, you will need to take the written knowledge test for class D, all
written tests pertinent to the CDL, and a skills test in the class of vehicle
that matches the class of CDL you are applying for.
What else should I know?
DONOR DESIGNATION—If you are 18 years of age or older, you may request
to have the “DONOR” designation appear on your license or ID card.
The designation identifies your wish to donate your organs and/or tissues upon
your death to those waiting for transplants. If you are 16 or 17 years of age, you may have “DONOR” added with parental or legal guardian permission.
Organ donors are required to sign a Document of Gift before the license or ID
card can display the donor designation. The Idaho Transportation Department
will submit the Document of Gift to the donor registry.
Selective Service Registration—Federal law requires all
males who are 18 to 25 years of age to register with the Selective Services
System. Eligible males will have the opportunity to register when they apply
for a driver’s license or ID card.
Additionally, the Selective Service System receives notification of all applicants
who decline the opportunity to register.
Address Change:
Idaho law requires you to notify the DMV of any address change no more than
30 days after the move. Keeping your address current with the department helps assure
that you will receive notifications to renew your driver's license by mail (if you qualify)
and also receive any other important correspondence, such as notices of suspension.
It also allows law enforcement personnel to notify you or your family if there is an emergency.
This brochure does not discuss
all of the eligibility requirements. For further information, please consult
the Idaho Driver’s Manual.
This brochure paraphrases the language of the Idaho Motor Vehicle Code
and the Idaho Driver’s Manual. Courts go by the actual language
of the Code, not this text.
If you have any questions,
contact your local County Sheriff’s (driver’s license) office
or the Idaho Transportation Department / Driver Services at
PO Box 7129,
Boise, ID 83707-1129 |
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