Can I Renew a New York Temporary Visitor Driver's License?

What is a Temporary Visitor?

A temporary visitor is someone who is not permanently living in the United States, such as a foreign student or temporary worker. A temporary visitor’s driver’s license or non-driver ID will read “Temporary Visitor” on it and that status will have a separate expiration date from your ID. Temporary visitors have documents provided by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that supports their legal status. The second expiration date is actually the expiration date of the documents from DHS and is different from your driver’s license’s expiration date.

Temporary Visitor Driver’s License Renewal

Temporary visitors are allowed to drive in New York with a valid driver’s license. If your temporary visitor status expires before your license does, you will need to visit the DMV with your updated paperwork to prove to them that your temporary visitor status has been extended. If your driver’s license expires after your temporary visitor status, you may still legally drive in New York until the license expiration date, however, you won’t be able to renew your license until you bring the updated paperwork to the DMV. Once you update this information, you’ll be able to renew your driver’s license and your new license will have the updated temporary visitor expiration date.

If you’re renewing a temporary visitor driver’s license, the New York DMV requires you to pass a vision test that determines whether you meet the minimum vision requirements to be able to drive with or without a correction, such as glasses or corrective lenses. You can renew your temporary visitor driver’s license at the DMV’s website after you take an online vision test, or you can do it in person if you schedule an appointment first at a DMV office.