Connecticut - Apply for Driver's License

Advertisement

Procedure

• Adult Learner's permit testing is offered by appointment only at DMV Hub Offices.
• The adult learners permit must be held for at least 90 days before you may take the on-the-road skills test and is required to practice driving on the road. Individuals exempt from this 90-day requirement are:
  • Active duty military - stationed out-of-state - must provide orders and military ID card.
  • Any teen permit holder that held a Learner Permit for more than 90 days that expired on their 18th birthday and now is applying for an adult Learner Permit.
  • Any customer that held a driver's license in the past. This includes individuals who have held an out-of-state driver's license, US territory or out-of-country license. Must provide expired license or abstract from previous state or country.
• You can then make an appointment to take the road test by calling the DMV Phone Center - 860-263-5700 (Within Hartford area or outside of Connecticut)800-842-8222 (Elsewhere in Connecticut). Road testing is only offered at DMV Hub offices.

Study the Connecticut Driver's Manual and read the Guide to Passing Your Driving Test (Z-17) prior to taking the knowledge and road tests.

Once you are prepared for your knowledge test:

• Please visit a DMV Hub Office with your required paperwork.
• When you arrive at DMV your first stop will be at the information desk where you will be instructed to enter your information into the self-service photo kiosk and receive a receipt. You will then be directed to the testing area.

Once at the testing area, be prepared to provide:

• Your receipt from the self-service photo kiosk.
• Your required documents for acceptable forms of identification.
• Your proof of attending an 8-hour course on Safe Driving Practices (Form CS-1).
• Submit the completed Application for a Non-Commercial Drivers License (Form R-229).
• Pay your payment for $40 as testing fee.
• Pass a written knowledge test, a road test and a vision screening test.

Advertisement

Required Documents

IDENTITY: You must present two (2) forms of identification; at least one of the documents must be from the Primary document list.

PRIMARY document list

• US Birth Certificate or Registration of Birth (Government Issued; Hospital issued are not acceptable)
• US Passport or Passport Card
• Foreign Passport w/ supporting documents
• Certificate of Naturalization
• Certificate of Citizenship
• Permanent Resident Card
• Consular Report of Birth Abroad

FULL LEGAL NAME

• By law, the full name shown on the Primary document is your legal name and will be printed on your card. If your name is different than the Primary document.

SECONDARY document list

• Out of State US photo driver license
• US Territory or Canadian photo driver license
• Out of State US or Canadian issued photo learner permit
• Connecticut issued non-driver identification card, driver license or learner permit (Your driver license or ID may be required to be surrendered)
• US Military ID or dependent card with photo
• Connecticut State Permit to Carry Pistols or Revolvers
• Military discharge/separation papers (DD-214)
• Court Order: Must contain full name and date of birth (i.e. name change, adoption, marriage or civil union dissolution) Does not include abstract of criminal or civil conviction
• Marriage license or Civil Union Certificate (certified copy issued by town/city)
• Pilots license (issued by the US DOT Federal Aviation Administration)
• School record/transcript (must be certified; school photo ID not acceptable)
• Social Security Card (Not laminated or metal. 16 and older must sign)
• CT State Department of Social Services issued photo public assistance card
• CT Department of Corrections original certificate of identification (not available from DOC unless issued when discharged)
• Baptismal certificate or similar document
• State or Federal Employee Identification with signature and photo and/or physical description with or without date of birth

SOCIAL SECURITY: By law, you must present one of the following to prove your Social Security number. The 1099 or W-2 is only for proof of Social Security number, not identity.

• Social Security card (Not laminated or metal)
• W-2 form (issued within 5 years)
• 1099 (issued within 5 years)

Non-US Citizens not eligible for a Social Security number must present proof of ineligibility from the Social Security Administration.

CONNECTICUT RESIDENCY: You must provide two (2) different pieces of mail or electronic mail from two different sources to prove your home is located in Connecticut. The documents do not need to include a postmarked envelope and may have been sent to a P.O. Box or by email. Both documents must:

- Show your name and your Connecticut residence address - Be dated within 90 days (unless stated otherwise below) - Be computer generated (typed)

• Bill from a bank or mortgage company, utility company, credit card company, doctor or hospital
• Bank statement or bank transaction receipt showing the banks name and mailing address
• Pre-printed pay stub showing your employers name and address
• Property or excise tax bill, or Social Security Administration or other pension or retirement annual benefits summary statement and dated within the previous 12 months
• Medicaid or Medicare benefit statement
• Current valid homeowners, renters policy or motor vehicle insurance card or policy dated within the previous 12 months
• Current motor vehicle loan statement for a motor vehicle registered in your name
• Residential mortgage or similar loan contract, lease or rental contract showing signatures from all parties needed to execute the agreement and dated within the previous 12 months
• Postmarked mail (If postmarked, address may be handwritten)
• Connecticut voter registration card
• Change-of-address confirmation from the United States Postal Service showing your prior and current address (Form CNL107)
• Survey of your Connecticut property issued by a licensed surveyor
• Official school records showing enrollment
• Parents or legal guardian of minor may provide any two of the foregoing documents addressed to the parent residing at same address to prove minor residency, or use their own CT driver license or ID which shows the same address as one of the two required.

LEGAL PRESENCE: (non-U.S. Citizens) Legal status will be verified using Systematic Alien Verification of Eligibility (SAVE) which may take 10 business days or more.

• I-94 and US Visa
• I-551 Stamp in foreign passport
• Permanent Resident card or Resident Alien card
• Employment Authorization card
• Refugee Travel document
• B1/B2 requires Employment Authorization Card and verified Adjustment of Status Application
• F1 requires I-20 or Employment Authorization Card
• J1 requires DS2019

Non-US Citizens not eligible for a Social Security number must present proof of ineligibility from the Social Security Administration and are not qualified for a verified driver license or ID card.

If length of legal presence is unknown or expires before a full six (6) year term, the applicant is not qualified for a verified driver license or ID card.

Office Locations & Contacts

Department of Motor Vehicles
60 State Street
Wethersfield, CT 06161
Phone: 860-263-5700
Website

AAA License Renewal Locations http://www.ct.gov/dmv/cwp/view.asp?a=808&q=244578

Bridgeport - DMV Hub Office

Bridgeport Office

95 Sylvan Avenue

Eligibility

To obtain a Connecticut Driver's License, you must be 18 years of age and older.

Fees

• Learner's Permit: $19.00
• Testing Fee: $40.00 covers vision, knowledge and road tests.
• New Issue Regular (Non-Commercial): $72.00

Acceptable forms of payment in other DMV offices

Validity

An adult learner's permit is valid for two years.

New Issue Regular (Non-Commercial): Issued for 5 1/2 to 7 years to expire on operators birthday. Exact duration of first license depends on the date of issuance and the operators particular date of birth.

Documents to Use

• Application for a non-commercial learner permit and/or driver license

Sample Documents

Please attach sample completed documents which would help other people who would like to follow this procedure.    

Processing Time

Please explain the processing your application.    

Instructions

In order to obtain a driver's license, you must first obtain an Adult Learner's Permit.

For those who have a driver's license from another U.S. state or territory, Germany, Canada or France, you can transfer your license to Connecticut without getting an Adult Learner's Permit.

• Present your required documents for identification.
• Complete an Application for a Non-Commercial Drivers License (Form R-229).
• Show proof of attending an 8-hour course on Safe Driving Practices (Driver Education Certificate - Form-CS1). This course can be taken through a commercial or secondary driving school. The maximum fee for the course is $125.
• Pay the $40 testing fee.
• Pass a written knowledge test, a road test and a vision screening test.

NOTE: The on-the-road test is not administered the same day as the knowledge test. See walk-in testing hours. After you pass your knowledge test, you must schedule an appointment for the on-the road portion of the test.

Required Information

• Applicant Name
• Social Security Number
• Date of Birth
• Sex
• Height, Weight, Hair color, Eye color
• County
• Social Security Number
• Mailing address
• Residence address

Need for the Document

A driving license is an official document which states that a person may operate a motorized vehicle, such as a motorcycle, car, truck or a bus, on a public roadway.

Following are procedures on how you can apply for a driver's license.