Driving is the most popular and often the easiest option for getting around in the US. However, you will only be allowed to do so for a limited time with your foreign driving permit. In this guide, you will find all you need to know about getting a US driving license. Visitors to the United States. The minimum age to obtain a restricted driver's license in the United States varies from 14 years, three months in South Dakota to as high as 17 in New Jersey.In most states, with the exception of South Dakota, a graduated licensing law applies to newly licensed teenage drivers, going by names such as Provisional Driver, Junior Operator, Probationary Driver, or Intermediate License.

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In the United States, driver's licenses are issued by each individual state, territory, and the District of Columbia rather than by the federal government because of the concept of federalism. Drivers are normally required to obtain a license from their state of residence and all states recognize each other's licenses for non-resident age requirements. A state may also suspend an individual's driving privilege within its borders for traffic violations. Many states share a common system of license classes, with some exceptions, e.g. commercial license classes are standardized by federal regulation at 49 C.F.R.383.^[1]

3Commercial Driver's Licenses (CDL)
5Drivers licensing laws
7Use as identification and proof of age

History[edit]

As the number of motor vehicles reached tens of thousands, state and local governments assumed a new power: authorizing vehicles and drivers. In 1901, New York became the first state to register automobiles; by 1918 all states required license plates.^[2] States were slower to require licenses for drivers. Only 39 states issued them by 1935 and few required a test, despite widespread concern about incompetent drivers.^[2] Early motorists were taught to drive by automobile salesmen, family and friends, or organizations like the YMCA. By the 1930s, many high schools offered driver education.^[2]

Massachusetts and Missouri were the first states to require a driver's license in 1903, but there was no test associated with the license.^[3] “In 1908, Henry Ford launched the Model T, the first affordable automobile for many middle-class Americans. (In 1919, when Ford’s native state of Michigan started issuing driver’s licenses, he got his first one at age 56.) The same year the Model T debuted, Rhode Island became the first state to require both a license and a driver’s exam (Massachusetts instituted a chauffeur exam in 1907 and started requiring tests for all other drivers in 1920). California, now known for its car culture, started requiring licenses in 1913 and exams in 1927.”^[3] It was not until 1959 that all the states required a license for the driver.^[3]

Standard and special licenses[edit]

Unrestricted Licenses are driver's licenses that most American drivers have in order to drive. Various states differ on what class they utilize to distinguish between a typical driver's license and special licenses, such as restricted, chauffeur, or motorcycle licenses. For instance, Tennessee designates Class D as a regular driver's license, while Class M is a motorcycle license and Class H is a hardship license (see below).
Hardship licenses for minors are driver's licenses that are restricted to drivers between 14 and 15 (sometimes up to 18) years old who need to drive to and from home and school due to serious hardships, e.g. the driver's family has financial or medical problems; the driver needs to get to work or school and has no other practical way of getting to work or school. A hardship license for minors is distinct from hardship licenses granted for drivers with revoked or suspended licenses.^[4] The table below includes states that provide hardship licenses for minors.
Provisional Licenses are functionally the same as a driver's license, but are typically issued to new drivers under the age of 18, i.e. 14–17 years old. Almost all states, with the exception of South Dakota, have some form of a graduated licensing provision; however, the actual restrictions and the length of time a new driver must adhere to them vary widely by state. Restrictions frequently include:
- A curfew, after which night driving is not permitted (unless 18 years of age, or if the individual has completed an online course) without an adult present (typically 11 p.m., like Pennsylvania, or 1 a.m., like Wisconsin). However, some states (e.g. North Carolina) have curfews as early as 9 p.m. Some states such as New York provide exceptions for special situations, such as driving home from work or school functions, picking up family members, or for medical appointments, while others such as Massachusetts do not.
- Restrictions on the number of passengers under a specific age present in the vehicle. For example, in California, minors may not transport people under age 20 for the first 365 days of licensure unless said passengers are family members (brother, sister, cousin, niece, nephew, or anyone who is 21 or had their license for 1 year or longer etc.).
Chauffeur Licenses are functionally the same as a passenger car license, but also allow the holder to drive a taxi, limo, or other livery vehicle for hire. Livery licensing in the United States is somewhat complicated. In the United States, chauffeur licenses are not considered commercial or professional driver's licenses, and (assuming the driver already holds a regular passenger license) a road test is usually not required to convert it to a chauffeur license; however, some states do require a short written exam on taxi-specific driving laws or a background check, and require the driver to be at least 18 years of age (although many taxi companies will not hire drivers under 25 for insurance reasons). This type of license is typically, though not universally, called 'Class E'. Some states simply add an endorsement to a regular license, while others require no special permission at the state level to drive a taxi or limo. Florida once issued chauffeur licenses through its Class D licenses, a designation that was eliminated in 2006. Regardless of whether and how the state handles chauffeur licensing, a permit or license must always be obtained from the city, town, or county the driver will be operating in.
Motorcycle Licenses covers motorcycles only; frequently combined with a regular driver's license. In some states this does not include some types of mopeds, scooters, or motorized bicycles, but with a wide variety of different state-by-state definitions for these vehicles. A common but not universal criterion is an engine displacement of 250 cc (15 cu in) or less, but also wheel size, type of transmission, and more are sometimes used in the legal codes to distinguish mopeds and scooters from motorcycles. These vehicles sometimes do not require a motorcycle license, or in some states any license at all, as well as in some states avoiding insurance and registration requirements. Unlike EU states, no US state differentiates between low and full powered motorcycles for the purposes of licensing. Some states require an additional motorcycle license to operate a sidecar rig.^[5]
Enhanced Licenses are issued to U.S. citizens in Washington, Vermont, Michigan, California, Minnesota, and New York, and establish nationality in addition to driving privileges. An EDL is a WHTI compliant document, acceptable for re-entering the United States via land and sea crossings from Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean. A U.S. Passport, birth certificate, or another document proving citizenship is required to apply for this type of license. Motorcycle and commercial driver's licenses (see above and below) usually can also be issued as enhanced.
Handicap Permits are issued to persons who meet the proper guidelines for requiring handicap driving and parking access. They are granted special access to improve their quality of life as a driver. In certain states, namely Texas, a handicapped person's drivers license can be revoked based on their disability.^[6]

Some states also have additional classifications. Hawaii, for example, has a separate license category for

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