I'm a new resident in Maryland: what do I do with my license?

Compare with the state you moved from

Choose the state you came from to see the main differences from Maryland. Every value comes from that state's official manual (with the page number) or from its license guide. Where a manual does not state a rule, we say so instead of guessing.

Key rules in Maryland

Each rule comes from the Maryland driver manual or from the license guide, with its source.

Licensing and paperwork

• Deadline to switch your license

  Within 60 days of becoming a Maryland resident.

  What the manual says

  • How soon to switch

    You must get your Maryland driver’s license, and your Maryland vehicle title and registration, within 60 days of becoming a Maryland resident. An out-of-state commercial driver’s license must be transferred within 30 days of moving to Maryland.

  Source: [1] [2]

• Tests when you transfer a license

  Vision screening (within 24 months) required; license expired over 12 months ago: knowledge, skills and vision tests.

  What the manual says

  • A license from another U.S. state

    You can exchange a valid out-of-state U.S. driver’s license for a Maryland license. You can also exchange a U.S. license that expired within the past 12 months. If you have been licensed for less than 18 months, you get a Maryland provisional license. You surrender your out-of-state license at your appointment. If you do not have the license card, bring a certified driving record from the licensing agency that is no more than 30 days old. A suspended out-of-state license cannot be exchanged. You must pass a vision screening (within the previous 24 months) to get a Maryland license. A license that expired more than 12 months ago means you take the knowledge test, the skills test and the vision test. An out-of-state learner’s permit cannot be exchanged for a Maryland learner’s permit.

  • A license from another U.S. state

    You can exchange a valid out-of-state U.S. driver’s license for a Maryland license. You can also exchange a U.S. license that expired within the past 12 months. If you have been licensed for less than 18 months, you get a Maryland provisional license. You surrender your out-of-state license at your appointment. If you do not have the license card, bring a certified driving record from the licensing agency that is no more than 30 days old. A suspended out-of-state license cannot be exchanged. You must pass a vision screening (within the previous 24 months) to get a Maryland license. A license that expired more than 12 months ago means you take the knowledge test, the skills test and the vision test. An out-of-state learner’s permit cannot be exchanged for a Maryland learner’s permit.

  Source: [2]

• Liability insurance

  Owners must carry personal injury and property damage liability insurance in legal amounts; carry a valid insurance card when driving.

  What the manual says

  • You must insure the vehicle for personal injury and property damage liability in amounts required by law.
  • You must always have a valid insurance identification card with you when driving a motor vehicle.

  Source: Maryland Driver’s Manual (October 2025 Edition (DL-002 10-25)), page 52

• Change of address

  Report a change of address within 30 days of moving.

  What the manual says

  • Changing your address

    Maryland law requires you to report a change of address within 30 days of moving. You can change your address online or at a self-service kiosk. The MVA will send a Change of Address card to your new address; carry it with your license or ID.

  Source: [3]

• How long the license lasts

  Typically renewed for 8 years.

  What the manual says

  • When and how to renew

    Maryland driver’s licenses are typically renewed for 8 years. You can renew up to 1 year before your license expires. The MVA sends renewal notices, and your notice explains how you are eligible to renew: online, by mail or in person. You may renew online or at a kiosk if your renewal notice says you are eligible, and you may renew by mail only if the MVA sends you a renewal-by-mail notice. You must visit an MVA office if your license is limited-term, if it has been expired for one year or longer, or if you are not eligible to renew online or by mail. If your license has been expired for one year or longer, you apply as a new applicant. Non-commercial drivers may renew up to 7 days before their 21st birthday. If you are 40 or older, a vision certification is required to renew.

  Source: [4]

Road rules

• Teen driving hours

  Under 18, provisional: no unsupervised driving midnight to 5 a.m., except job, volunteer, school or athletic trips.

  What the manual says

  • The manual says these driving restrictions apply to graduated license holders under 18 years old.
  • The nighttime restriction covers 12:00 midnight to 5:00 a.m., when unsupervised driving is allowed only for listed purposes.

  • Night driving

    If you are under 18, you may not drive between midnight and 5 a.m. unless a licensed, experienced driver (at least 21 years old with 3 years of driving) is with you, or you are driving to, from or during your job, to or from an organized volunteer program or an official school activity, or to or from an athletic event or related training session you take part in. If you break the nighttime restriction, your license will be suspended for 1 year.

  Source: Maryland Driver’s Manual (October 2025 Edition (DL-002 10-25)), page 47

  Source: [5] [6]

• Passengers for teen drivers

  Provisional license under 18: first 151 days, no unsupervised driving with passengers under 18 unless immediate family.

  What the manual says

  • Passengers

    If you have a provisional license and are under 18, for the first 151 days you may not drive unsupervised with passengers under 18 unless they are immediate family members. If you break the passenger restriction, your license will be suspended for 1 year.

  • The manual allows an unrelated passenger under 18 only if you have a qualified supervising driver with you.

  Source: Maryland Driver’s Manual (October 2025 Edition (DL-002 10-25)), page 47

  Source: [5] [6]

• Alcohol limit under 21

  Under 21, stopped after drinking: license suspended or revoked. Provisional holders aged 18 to 20: no measurable alcohol.

  What the manual says

  • Provisional license at 18 or older

    A provisional license is issued to new drivers who have never held a license, and it permits you to drive without supervision but with restrictions. If you are 18 or older and under 21, you may not drive with any measurable alcohol in your system. If you are 21 or older, you must follow Maryland’s impaired driving laws.

  • If you are under 21 and law enforcement stops you after drinking, your license will be suspended or revoked.

  Source: Maryland Driver’s Manual (October 2025 Edition (DL-002 10-25)), page 33

  Source: [5] [6]

• Refusing a chemical test

  If police certify you refused a drug or alcohol test, the MVA suspends your license.

  What the manual says

  • If a police officer submits a certified statement that you refused a test, the MVA will suspend your license.

  Source: Maryland Driver’s Manual (October 2025 Edition (DL-002 10-25)), page 48

• Seat belts

  The driver and all passengers must wear a safety belt or be buckled in a child safety seat.

  What the manual says

  • By law, the driver and all passengers of a motor vehicle must wear a safety belt or be buckled in a child safety seat.

  Source: Maryland Driver’s Manual (October 2025 Edition (DL-002 10-25)), page 52

• Child safety seats

  Under 8: child safety seat unless 4'9" or taller. Under 2: rear-facing seat. Under 13: rear seat advised.

  What the manual says

  • All children under age 8 must ride in a child safety seat, unless the child is 4’9” or taller.
  • Children younger than 2 must ride in a rear-facing child safety seat that meets federal guidelines.
  • Children under age 13 should ride buckled up in a rear seat in a child safety seat or with a seat belt.

  Source: Maryland Driver’s Manual (October 2025 Edition (DL-002 10-25)), page 52

• Phone use while driving

  Hand-held phone use, including texting, is illegal while driving; under 18, hands-free also banned except 911.

  What the manual says

  • It is illegal to use a hand-held cell phone, including texting, while driving.
  • The only exception is that a driver under 18 may use a cell phone to make a 911 emergency call.

  Source: Maryland Driver’s Manual (October 2025 Edition (DL-002 10-25)), page 35

• School buses

  Stop when a school bus stops with flashing red lights; no stop if across a physical barrier.

  What the manual says

  • If a school bus has stopped on the road with its flashing red lights on, you must stop as you approach it.
  • On a multiple lane road divided by a physical barrier, you do not stop if the bus is on the other side of the barrier.

  Source: Maryland Driver’s Manual (October 2025 Edition (DL-002 10-25)), page 38, 39

• Move Over law

  Move over for vehicles stopped with lights flashing; if unsafe or impossible, slow to a safe speed.

  What the manual says

  • In Maryland, you must move over when approaching any vehicles stopped, standing, or parked on a road with their lights flashing.
  • If it is not safe or possible to move over, you must slow down to a safe speed.

  Source: Maryland Driver’s Manual (October 2025 Edition (DL-002 10-25)), page 45

• Headlights

  Headlights on when you cannot clearly see 1,000 feet ahead, and when using wipers in inclement weather.

  What the manual says

  • The manual says you must turn on your headlights anytime there is not enough light to clearly see at least 1,000 feet in front of your vehicle.
  • The manual says Maryland law requires headlights on when you use your windshield wipers in inclement weather.

  Source: Maryland Driver’s Manual (October 2025 Edition (DL-002 10-25)), page 27

• Right turn on red

  Allowed after a complete stop unless a sign prohibits it; yield to pedestrians.

  What the manual says

  • Unless a sign prohibits turning on red, after a complete stop you may turn right or turn left from a one-way street to another one-way street.
  • Even when a turn on red is permitted after stopping, you must yield to pedestrians.

  Source: Maryland Driver’s Manual (October 2025 Edition (DL-002 10-25)), page 17, 37

• Left lane and keeping right

  On highways, if driving slower than traffic, you must use the right lane whenever possible.

  What the manual says

  • The manual says that if you are driving slower than the speed of traffic on the highway, you must drive in the right lane whenever possible.

  Source: Maryland Driver’s Manual (October 2025 Edition (DL-002 10-25)), page 32

• Points and suspension

  Points can lead to suspension or revocation. Provisional license: first time 5 or more points in 12 months, 6-month suspension.

  What the manual says

  • Points lead to your license being suspended or revoked.

  • Points and a clean record

    The first time you collect 5 or more points in a 12-month period, your provisional license will be suspended for 6 months. If you are convicted of a traffic offense or receive probation before judgment, your 18-month clean period toward a full license starts over. If a new driver under 18 is cited for a moving violation, the MVA will notify the adult who co-signed the application.

  Source: Maryland Driver’s Manual (October 2025 Edition (DL-002 10-25)), page 45

  Source: [7] [6]

Official steps for moving to Maryland

• How soon to switch

  You must get your Maryland driver’s license, and your Maryland vehicle title and registration, within 60 days of becoming a Maryland resident. An out-of-state commercial driver’s license must be transferred within 30 days of moving to Maryland.

  Source: [1] [2]

• Start with an appointment

  Make a “New to Maryland” appointment in myMVA and fill out the pre-application, which helps you gather the information and documents to bring. At your appointment you can take care of your driver’s license and your vehicle title and registration in one visit.

  Source: [1]

• A license from another U.S. state

  You can exchange a valid out-of-state U.S. driver’s license for a Maryland license. You can also exchange a U.S. license that expired within the past 12 months. If you have been licensed for less than 18 months, you get a Maryland provisional license. You surrender your out-of-state license at your appointment. If you do not have the license card, bring a certified driving record from the licensing agency that is no more than 30 days old. A suspended out-of-state license cannot be exchanged. You must pass a vision screening (within the previous 24 months) to get a Maryland license. A license that expired more than 12 months ago means you take the knowledge test, the skills test and the vision test. An out-of-state learner’s permit cannot be exchanged for a Maryland learner’s permit.

  Source: [2]

• A license from another country

  If your license is from another country, the MVA lists a vision screening, a knowledge test, a driving skills test and a three-hour roadway safety driving education program; you may need some or all of them, so check the MVA’s international movers page and its roadway safety driving education program page before you go. If you take the driving test, you must provide the vehicle. Someone who has never held a license must start with a learner’s permit, and someone licensed for less than 18 months gets a Maryland provisional license.

  Source: [5] [8] [9]

• Bring your foreign license and any translation

  Bring your out-of-country license (it may be valid or expired), proof of age, identity and residency, and your vision screening results. If your license is not in English, it must come with an international driver’s license or be translated into English by a translator on the MVA’s approved list. If you do not have your license, you must present a driving record from the country’s license issuing authority, accompanied by an apostille or a letter from the country’s embassy verifying the record.

  Source: [5] [8]

Sources

1. New Maryland Residents (mva.maryland.gov) — Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration (MDOT MVA)
2. Get a Maryland Driver’s License or ID Card (new residents) (mva.maryland.gov) — Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration (MDOT MVA)
3. Update Name, Address or Other Info on your Maryland Driver’s License (mva.maryland.gov) — Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration (MDOT MVA)
4. Renew a License or ID (mva.maryland.gov) — Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration (MDOT MVA)
5. Maryland Driver’s Manual (DL-002, October 2025 Edition) (mva.maryland.gov) — Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration (MDOT MVA)
6. Provisional Driver’s License (mva.maryland.gov) — Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration (MDOT MVA)
7. Learner’s Permit (mva.maryland.gov) — Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration (MDOT MVA)
8. International Movers (mva.maryland.gov) — Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration (MDOT MVA)
9. Roadway Safety Driving Education Program (mva.maryland.gov) — Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration (MDOT MVA)