NYS DMV - Younger Driver - Graduated License Law

Before You Schedule

How to Schedule

The Day of Your Test

After Your Road Test

What You Need for Your Road Test

If your road test was cancelled due to weather

Applicants Under Age 18

Important changes to the NYS Graduated Driver License Law for junior drivers took effect February 22, 2010.

These changes affect:

The number of passengers outside your family who can ride with you, and
The amount of time required between the date your permit is issued and the date you can take your road test.

Read about the important changes to the NYS Graduated Driver License Law.

Before You Schedule Your Road Test

It normally takes several weeks from the date that you make your appointment to the date of the test. Make sure that you are ready for your road test before the date of your test.

Make sure you meet all of the requirements below before you schedule your road test online or by telephone. To make your road test appointment, you must have:

A valid NYS learner permit:

Your permit must be valid on the date that you make your appointment, and
Your permit must be valid on the date that you take your road test.

A valid form MV-278 pre-licensing course certificate or a valid form MV-285 driver education certificate.

The 5-hour pre-licensing course for the MV-278 certificate is offered as an adult education course through most commercial driving schools and by other providers licensed by the DMV. Look in the telephone directory under "Driving Instruction."
A form MV-285 driver education certificate is available only if you complete a high school or college driver education course.
Your MV-278 or MV-285 certificate must be valid on the date that you make your appointment, but can be expired on the date of your road test.
An MV-278 certificate is valid for one year from the date it is issued. If your MV-278 certificate expires, you must complete another pre-licensing course to receive a valid certificate and to schedule a road test. An MV-285 certificate is valid for two years after the date it is issued.
If you have a valid NYS driver license in another license class, you do not need a form MV-278 pre-licensing course certificate or an MV-285 driver education certificate.
To apply for a CDL or a non-commercial Class C license, you must first pay a $40.00 fee online, by telephone at 1-518-402-2100, or at a local DMV office. If you pay the CDL test fee at a local DMV office, you will receive a receipt. You must enter the receipt number when you schedule the CDL test appointment by telephone or online.

License Applicants Under Age 18 (Class DJ or MJ)

If you are under age 18, you must have six months of valid permit status from the date your permit is issued to the date of your road test. This is not required if you are age 17, you have completed driver education, and you have a form MV-285 driver education certificate.

You must also have the required number of hours of supervised driving practice.

If you are under age 18:

You must have a minimum of 50 hours of supervised practice driving before your road test with at least 15 hours at night (after sunset).
You must bring to the road test Form MV-262 (Certification of Supervised Driving) completed by your parent or guardian to certify that you have had the required hours of supervised practice driving.

The DMV recommends that all learners have a minimum of 50 hours of supervised practice driving before they take their road tests, with at least 15 hours at night (after sunset). It is also recommended that at least 10 hours of supervised practice driving be in moderate to heavy traffic.

Read about important changes to the NYS Graduated Driver License Law for junior drivers that have taken effect.

What You Need for Your Road Test

How to Schedule Your Road Test Appointment

Type of Road Test

The online or telephone road test schedule system (RTSS) requires you to select the type of test based on the class of your learner permit:

Automobile: An automobile road test is for a car or small truck and is for applicants with Class D, DJ or E permits.
Commercial or CDL: A commercial driver license (CDL) or non-CDL class C road test is for a large truck, tractor trailer or bus and is for applicants with Class A, B, C or non-CDL C permits. See the Important information for first-time CDL applicants.
Motorcycle: A motorcycle road test is motorcycles with two or three wheels and is for applicants for a class M or MJ license. Read more about motorcycle licenses and safety.

Requirements to Schedule

When you go online or call by phone to schedule your road test, you must:

Have your learner permit. You must provide the Client ID number that appears on your permit
Have your form MV-278 pre-licensing course certificate or form MV-285 driver education certificate. You must indicate the type of certificate you have and enter the certificate number. The certificate number is printed in red. You will not need to enter a certificate number if you already have another class of NYS driver license, for example you have a Class D license and you schedule a road test to add the motorcycle class (Class M).
To apply for a CDL or a non-commercial Class C license, you must first pay a $40.00 fee online, by telephone at 1-518-402-2100, or at a local DMV office. If you pay the CDL test fee at a local DMV office, you will receive a receipt. You must enter the receipt number when you schedule the CDL test appointment by telephone or online.
Know the ZIP Code of the location where you plan to take the road test. You can schedule your road test for any available site. You are not required to take the road test in your home county or the county where your permit was issued. Not all types of road tests are available at all locations. The ZIP Codes, directions to the sites, and the types of tests that are given at each site are listed on the DMV web site.
Have paper and a pen if you schedule by phone to write information about the site, the date, the time and the directions to your road test. You can call the same phone number later if you need to confirm information about your appointment. If you schedule your road test online, use your computer printer to print this information. Get directions to your road test site.
Read the DMV brochure, Road Test Tips, for information about how to prepare for your road test. This brochure tells you what you need the day of the test and what the road test includes. If you take a CDL road test, read the CDL Manual for information about the CDL road test.
If you must cancel a road test for a CDL or a non-commercial Class C license, use the online system or the telephone system to cancel or to make a different appointment. You must cancel at least three (3) business days before the time of the test or you must pay another fee of $40 to make a new appointment.
Schedule your road test online or schedule by phone at 1-518-402-2100. You can select the site, the date, and the time of your road test. You will receive directions to your road test site, which you can also get on the DMV web site. You will not receive any confirmation of your road test appointment in the mail.
Use the online or telephone system to cancel or to confirm your appointment or to make a different appointment. You must cancel your current appointment before you can make a new appointment.

What You Need for Your Road Test

On the Day of Your Road Test

If conditions and time allow, the DMV will post on its web site information about road test cancellations that occur due to weather or other conditions. You should also call the telephone system at 1-518-402-2100. See the DMV closings, cancellations and delays page the day of, and the day after, your test for information and instructions.

Be on time. Plan to be at the road test post 30 minutes prior to your scheduled time. If you are late or you fail to appear for your test, your test can be canceled. You must schedule another appointment, and you receive no preference for an earlier appointment than other applicants.

Bring your photo learner permit. If you have an interim or temporary learner permit without a photo, you must also show a NYS photo driver license or a NYS non-driver photo ID card. Photo documents from other states are not acceptable.

Bring your MV-278 pre-licensing course certificate or MV-285 driver education certificate.

You must bring form MV-262 (Certification of Supervised Driving) if you under age 18 and have a class DJ or MJ learner permit. The form is completed by your parent, guardian, driver education teacher or driving school instructor and certifies you have had the required hours of supervised practice driving.

Remember that if you drive to the road test site, the driver who supervises you must be age 21 or older and license to drive the vehicle that you operate.

You cannot drive in a road test area except during the road test.

Confirm that the vehicle you bring for the test has a current registration, a valid inspection, and operates properly. Check the seat belts, headlights, doors and other equipment to confirm that they operate properly.

Get more advice about your road test in the DMV brochure, Road Test Tips.

Additional requirements and information for motorcycle license applicants:

If you qualify and complete an approved Motorcycle Safety Foundation course, the DMV can waive your motorcycle road test.
In addition to the motorcycle you will drive during the test, you must bring a properly registered and inspected car or truck and a licensed driver of the car or truck to transport the DMV license examiner during your test.
NYS law defines a motorcycle as a motor vehicle that has no more than three wheels in contact with the ground. The examiner will not conduct the test if the test vehicle has more than three wheels in contact with the ground.

Additional requirements for commercial driver license (CDL) applicants:

For CDL skills test conducted on or after October 13, 2010, the DMV will issue a 10-day temporary license to applicants who pass a CDL skills test and who meet the medical certification requirement described below and all other requirements. The other requirements include checks of the National Driver Registry (NDR) and Commercial Driver License Information System (CDLIS).

For commercial driver license (CDL) road tests conducted on and after October 13, 2010 the applicant must present a valid Medical Examiner's Certificate to the DMV license examiner at the time of the skills test if the driver:

takes a skills test for a Class A, B or C driver license, and
is required to meet the federal medical requirements in 49 CFR Part 391. This requirement applies to you if your document does not have an A3 restriction, or, if you are over age 21, a K restriction.

Note: You are still required to visit a Department of Motor Vehicle issuing office to receive a permanent, amended license.

What You Need for Your Road Test

After Your Road Test

If you passed your road test:

The license examiner normally gives you an interim driver license that is valid for 90 days. Keep the interim driver license with your learner permit as proof that you have a driver license.
If the license examiner cannot confirm your eligibility for a driver license, the examiner gives you a receipt that you passed your road test. The receipt is not a driver license. Follow the instructions below to get your photo driver license.
If you received a non-commercial learner permit that was valid for more than one year when it was issued, the DMV will send your photo driver license in the mail. Your photo driver license is mailed to you in approximately two weeks. Do not go to a DMV office. The DMV office cannot give you a photo driver license.
If you received a non-commercial learner permit that was valid for one year when it was issued, you must apply for your photo driver license at a DMV office. Wait at least five days after the date of your road test to apply at a DMV office. Bring your interim driver license and proof of identity to the DMV office, pay the driver license fees, and have your photo taken. The DMV office issues a new interim driver license without a photo that is valid for 90 days. Your photo driver license is mailed to you in approximately two weeks.
For CDL skills tests conducted on or after October 13, 2010, the DMV will issue a 10-day temporary license to applicants who pass a CDL skills test and who meet the medical certification requirement and all other requirements. The other requirements include checks of the National Driver Registry (NDR) and Commercial Driver License Information System (CDLIS). If the CDL applicant does not meet all the requirements, the applicant receives a receipt only and must apply for the CDL at a DMV office seven or more days after the date of the road test
If you are age 17, you have a junior license (Class DJ or MJ) and you completed driver education read the instructions to change your driver license to class D or M.
Probationary Period for New Drivers - Each new driver has a six-month probationary period that begins on the date of the successful road test. You do not receive a probationary period if you held a valid NYS driver license and passed the road test to add or change your license class (for example, a CDL skills test).The DMV will suspend your driver license if you commit specific violations during your probationary period. For more information about the probationary period, read the DMV brochure, "Suppose Your License Was Taken Away".

If you did not pass your road test:

Your first application for a Class D, Class DJ, Class E, Class M or Class MJ learner permit allows you to take a maximum of two road tests. If you fail your first road test, you can schedule your second test.
You must wait until the day after your first road test to schedule your second road test. Your learner permit is valid until the expiration date printed on the document. If your learner permit expires before your next road test, you must get a new learner permit. Learn how to renew your photo document.
If this is the second road test that you failed, go to a DMV office or go online and pay a fee of $10 and take two more road tests. You can continue to pay a fee of $10 and take two more road tests until you pass a road test. If you pay the fee of $10 and pass the first road test, you do not receive a refund of $5.
If you have a commercial (CDL) or non-commercial Class C learner permit and you failed a road test, you must go to a DMV office, or go online to pay a fee of $40 before you can schedule another road test. Your learner permit is valid until the expiration date printed on the document. If your learner permit expires before your next road test, you must get a new learner permit. Learn how to renew your photo document.