How Long will my New York Driver's License be Good for?

Driver’s License Expiration Date

Your New York State driver’s license will be good in most cases for 8 years.

More precisely, your driver’s license will normally be good from the date that you renew it until 8 years later on your birthday, at which point it will be time to renew your driver’s license again. That means that if you renew your license slightly before its expiration date, it will likely be good for slightly more than 8 years; if you renew it slightly after its expiration date (meaning you would be renewing an expired license), it will likely be good for slightly less than 8 years.

You can renew your driver’s license up to a year before it expires. Whenever you apply for or renew a driver’s license, the DMV requires that you pass a vision test that confirms that you meet the mininum requirements to drive in the state of New York. If you’re renewing online, you can take your have your vision exam done online by booking a virtual appointment with Cleared to Drive.

Renewing your First License

There are certain situations where the 8 year driver’s license expiration length doesn’t apply. For example, in most cases the number of years after which your first New York driver’s license will expire is less than 5. This is because your NY learner’s permit is valid for 5 years, and when you pass your road test and convert that learner’s permit to a driver’s license the expiration date does not change. This means that if you wait almost 5 years to pass your road test and get your first license after getting your permit you will find yourself having to renew that first license shortly after you get it.