Pro tip: If you're venturing through Idaho's rugged landscapes, it's essential to be well-versed in driving techniques. Our instructional resources on manual gear operation and effective parallel parking will elevate your skills. Discover the correct procedures for maneuvering into parking spaces and three-point turns. Ensuring your mirrors are properly adjusted is crucial for visibility and safety. Our Online Driving Simulator provides realistic practice scenarios, and for international visitors, familiarize with Idaho's international driver's license requirements.
I’m 17+ (First Timers, Instructional Permit or Underage License Holders)You must verify the following:
Use the interactive Add the Star tool to choose the correct documentation easily.
If you have legally changed your name so that it no longer matches that on your documentation, you must also have the Social Security Administration update your name before you go and bring the legal proof of your new name (e.g., a certified marriage certificate, certified divorce decree, etc.).
Prove that you are enrolled in or have graduated from secondary school or the equivalent. Provide one of the following:
The Class D underage driver's license is the second stage of Idaho's Graduated Driver's License (GDL) program. An underage driver's license allows you to drive unsupervised but with some restrictions:
For the first six months, you may not carry more than one passenger younger than 17 years of age who is not a member of your family. This restriction will last until you turn 17.
If you are younger than 16 years of age, you may drive unsupervised only during daylight hours. At all other times, you must be accompanied by a licensed driver who is at least 21 years of age and is sitting next to you in the front seat. No passengers other than this supervising driver are allowed in the front seat.
Hold your instruction permit for at least 6 months
Note that you mustn’t have any moving traffic violations during this time.Complete a state approved driver’s ed course
You can take one at a secondary school (you don't have to be enrolled in that school to take a course) or choose a commercial driving school. The course must include at least 30 hours of classroom instruction, 6 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction, and 6 hours in-car observation.
If you've already taken a comparable Driver's Ed course in another state, the Idaho DMV may give you credit for it if you provide the DMV with the certificate of completion.
Apply in person
You can apply at a driver's licensing office close to you. Use this map to locate DMV offices. Not all offices offer driver license services, so check before you go.
Certify 50 hours (10 at night) of practised driving
The responsible adult (parent, guardian, or spouse) who gave written consent to your driving must now also certify in writing that you have practiced driving for at least 50 hours, including 10 hours at night. He or she must also grant permission to the DMV to issue you a driver's license.
Provide documentation required
You must verify the following:
Use the interactive Add the Star tool to choose the correct documentation easily.
Pass a skills test
The DMV office will give you a list of available certified skills testers when you submit your application for the license. You can also see the list of testers here. Some skills testers only test commercial drivers, so choose a nearby skills tester carefully and make an appointment.
Provide your own vehicle in good working order, complete with license plate, registration, and proof of liability insurance, a photo ID and the receipt for the county portion of the skills test fee.
Pay the fees
There are two fees required: $6.50 (county fee paid in advance) + $17.50 (skills tester fee).
Surrender your instruction permit
The DMV office will issue you a temporary underage driver's license. Your plastic license should be mailed to you within about three weeks.
When you turn 17, all restrictions on your unsupervised driving will be lifted, and your underage driver's license will provide you the same driving privileges as a full unrestricted driver's license.
Your underage driver's license will expire five days after your 18th birthday. You will have to renew it during those five days (which doesn't give you much time). When you do so, you will be issued a full unrestricted Class D driver's license.
To apply for a Class D full (unrestricted) driver's license, you must pass a vision test, a written knowledge test, and a skills (road) test. If you are older than 17, you can apply for an Idaho class D driver's license without holding a supervised instruction permit first. However, you can still choose to apply for the permit if you want to get some supervised driving practice.
First timer? Start with Step 1.
Got an instruction permit? Start with Step 7.
Got an underage driver's license? It will expire 5 days after your 18th birthday. You will have to renew it during those five days (which doesn't give you much time) at a DMV office. When you do so, you will be issued a full driver's license, valid for 3 years.
You must verify the following:
Use the interactive Add the Star tool to choose the correct documentation easily.
If you have legally changed your name so that it no longer matches that on your documentation, you must also have the Social Security Administration update your name before you go and bring the legal proof of your new name (e.g., a certified marriage certificate, certified divorce decree, etc.).
Prove that you are enrolled in or have graduated from secondary school or the equivalent. Provide one of the following:
Your parent, guardian or spouse (of at least 18 years of age) must accompany you to the DMV office and sign their consent. If this person is not your birth parent, also provide documentation verifying your relationship (such as adoption records, court guardianship documents, or a marriage certificate).
The forms are not available online, instead, you must get it at the DMV office.
The DMV office will give you a list of available certified skills testers when you submit your application for the license. You can also see the list of testers here. Some skills testers only test commercial drivers, so choose a nearby skills tester carefully and make an appointment.
Provide your own vehicle in good working order, complete with license plate, registration, and proof of liability insurance, a photo ID and the receipt for the county portion of the skills test fee ($6.50).
The skills test fee paid to the skill tester is $17.50.
Here you will:
The license fee varies depending on the period of validity of the license:
The skills test lasts about 30 minutes and consists of 2 parts: the pre-drive check and the road test.
DMV offices do not provide skills tests. You must make an appointment with one of certified skills testers. You can find skills testers' locations and phone numbers here. You will have to make an appointment by phone. Please don't call before 8 a.m. and after 9 p.m. Speak clearly and include your phone number when leaving a message. If you find a more convenient appointment than the one you first scheduled, be sure to cancel any other appointment(s) you have made with another tester(s).
Bring the following:
You will also have to pay the fee of $17.50 to the skills tester.
Note several basic rules:
Your examiner will ask you to identify, locate, and demonstrate that the following items are in good working order:
You may be asked to demonstrate arm signaling for turning and stopping as well.
Listen carefully to the examiner's instructions and follow them. The tester will not ask you to perform an illegal or unsafe maneuver during the test. Your job is to show that you can safely operate the vehicle and obey traffic laws. The tester will be making various marks on the score sheet, but do not be distracted by it as she/he will be marking both good and bad points of your driving.
The tester may ask you to demonstrate the following:
To pass the test, you should make 15 or fewer errors.
However, you will fail the test immediately if you:
Your tester will explain your mistakes and inform you whether you pass or fail. If you pass, you will receive the sealed envelope with the results to return to the driver's license office.
If you do not pass the skills test, you may reschedule. You will be required to wait for 3 days and obtain another receipt for $6.50 and pay another skills test fee of $17.50.
Idaho defines a resident of the state as either of the following:
However, you can legally declare your residency in Idaho earlier than 90 days by submitting a Certificate of Idaho Residency along with supporting documentation to the Idaho DMV.
If you hold a noncommercial driver's license issued by another US state or Washington, DC, you will be required to convert it to Idaho driver’s license by submitting documentation, passing a vision and knowledge test and paying the appropriate fees.
Use the interactive Add the Star tool to choose the correct documentation easily.
The written test fee is $3.
The license fee varies depending on the period of validity of the license:
If your out-of-state driver's license has been expired for more than a year, you will most probably have to take a skills (road test) as well.
Your Class D full driver's license will normally be valid for four years and expires on your birthday. However, you may request an eight-year license instead as long as you pay the appropriate fee.
If you hold a valid driver's license from Taiwan, Germany or South Korea, the procedure of transferring your driver's license is the same as transferring an out-of-state driver's license. However, if you choose not to surrender your license from Taiwan, Germany or South Korea, or your foreign license expired more than one year ago, you will also have to pass a skills (road) test.
If you hold a driver's license from another country, you won't be required to surrender it, but the procedure of transferring your foreign license will be similar to applying for a new license.
