NY to NJ Driver's License Renewal? archived

It's the equivalent to moving to the state. Pretty straightforward - just bring all your forms of ID with you and be sure to get the new license BEFORE the old one expires.

http://www.state.nj.us/mvc/Vehicle/moving_to_nj/index.htm

If you have recently moved to New Jersey, you must transfer your out-of-state license within 60 days of your move or before your current license expires, whichever occurs first.

To transfer your out-of-state license

1. Visit any MVC Agency with your current driver license (Basic Auto / Motorcycle) and the proper legal documents to pass 6 Point ID and Address Verification
2. A vision test is required. The knowledge and road test are waived as long as you have a valid, non-provisional driver license issued by any of the 50 states or District of Columbia
3. Once you pass the vision test (if needed) you will be issued a four-year basic New Jersey license and will be required to surrender your out-of-state license

I transferred my not-yet-expired NY drivers license to NJ almost 9 years ago. They made me take the written test again. Boy, was I shocked!!!!!! I barely passed too...

Maybe things have changed since then?

FWIW, I (finally) changed to a NJ license last year and I don't recall having to do a vision test. Seems like they just transferred my vision restriction based on my NY license. But otherwise, just as njguy99 said, pretty straightforward. Just DON'T let your NYlicense expire.

njguy99, that's what i'm nervous about. i moved to maplewood from nys almost 5 years ago and didn't transfer my license within 60 days because i thought it was ok since i had years to go before expiration. am i in big trouble??

Nah. They probably won't say a word if you don't!

cool...thanks all !!

They got rid of the requirement for a written test (I had to take one when I moved to NJ but my FIL who moved a few years later did not). I thought there was still a vision test but I could be wrong.

But other than the possible vision test it is the same as a renewal. But if you have never been through it in NJ before study the 6 point requirement carefully because you could have way more than 6 points worth of ID and still not meet the requirement if you fail to have at least one item from the "primary" list and one from the "secondary" list.

You do not need to worry if the NY license expires. You have a fairly long time before they make you retake the road test. My wife's expired for like 6 months before she went to get the NJ one (she rarely drives) and there was no problem.

i plan on going this saturday morning which is a couple weeks before the expiration so i should be ok. thanks again, guys.

I transferred licenses back in 2002 when moving out here and had to take the written test, which was quite difficult. I prepped from a huge manual and I remember wrongly answering the question about "flashing red lights". These are the lights like those at the intersection of Maplewood Avenue and Jefferson.

Oldstone - I was the same way ... in NJ for 4 1/2 years before switching. The irony was that my NY license expired in Feb 2004, just after we closed on the house but before I had enough proof of residency. So I arrived in NJ with my freshly renewed 8-yr NY license and wasn't particularly motivated to deal with switching. But two years after becoming a SAHM and spending all my time driving around NJ, I figured I'd get busted eventually. I was nervous too that somehow they'd know how long I'd lived here.

They didn't ask, so I didn't tell. :smile:

Honestly, I can't believe your insurance company has not asked you to get a NJ license...your NY one is listed on your policy, but they know you are covered here in NJ and live here. Weird...they are usually pretty strict about it...even threaten to cancel if you don't do it in a certain time frame.

Check the MVC hours before you go...and I recommend Springfield. I was in and out of there in under 30 minutes with renewal and tags. Saturdays are the worst days...

Posted By: mammabearand I recommend Springfield.

Springfield is awesome. Wayne was not so awesome -- stay away from the big centers at all costs!

Posted By: mschweberYou do not need to worry if the NY license expires. You have a fairly long time before they make you retake the road test.

You don't have to worry as long as you're not using the license.

If you get pulled over and can only show an expired license with a non-current address, they're not going to be so happy with you. And if they're not happy, then you're not happy.

Also, if you need to show it to get on an airplane, I'm pretty sure it has to be unexpired as well.

Posted By: mschweberThey got rid of the requirement for a written test (I had to take one when I moved to NJ but my FIL who moved a few years later did not).

Oh, brother.

I had to take the written test twice, in 1992 and then in 2002. (I've moved from NY to NJ twice. So far.) It was quite annoying. I'm glad they did away with the requirement.

Pay a lot of attention to these requirements (http://www.state.nj.us/mvc/Licenses/6PointID.htm). The boys and girls at the MVC will not cut you a break on this at all.

The NJ written test always was full of stuff about penalties for DUI, requirements for young operators, etc. It was tough to just walk in and take the test.

Technically in New Jersey and most other states if you move into the state your old license from another state is only valid for 60 days. If you are pulled over you can be arrested for driving without a license. When we first moved to New Jersey I was slow in getting a new license. I got pulled in at a speed trap in Massachusetts and was in the process of being arrested when a Sergeant intervened and decided that Massachusetts didn't have jurisdiction. As soon as I got back to New Jersey I got my new license.

Posted By: bobkTechnically in New Jersey and most other states if you move into the state your old license from another state is only valid for 60 days. If you are pulled over you can be arrested for driving without a license.

Good point Bob..hence the insurance companies mandating you make the change when you move. As soon as you update your address or provide a new company with an out-of-state license, they are usually all over you.

well, i wonder why they haven't then, if you are correct. i guess i'm lucky that i've never been pulled over.

Don't know how it will be on a Saturday but on 3/31 (the day my license was expiring) I was in and out of the Springfield office in less than 15 minutes (but I did reuse my existing picture).

Definitely don't go to the Wayne office. There's a very thick layer of grime on everything in that place and it's S.L.O.W.

Posted By: Oldstonewell, i wonder why they haven't then, if you are correct.

Yes, I wonder as well...because I know what the laws are...I'm in the business. Count yourself lucky for sure. Who is your auto ins carrier BTW??

mercury insurance

Definitely go to Springfield!

What bobk said. Err on the side of caution and bring as many of the different types of documents with you as you can. This may not apply to you, but the first time I went for the new photo license my trip to the DMV was wasted because I did not have the documentation -- my marriage certificate -- which indicated why my birth certificate surname had been changed. It didn't matter that I had a Jersey license with my current name. A good i.d. to bring is a passport. But be sure to review the list of the documents that are required.

got it...springfield, a million docs including passport, license, tax bill and atm card with my name and signature on it. thank you.

Not sure about the ATM card, but I know that a bank statement with name and address is a good secondary. (Utility bill probably serves also, but I don't have the list in front of me.)

My kid recently took her drivers test and the driving school told her to bring a report card for that. However, I noticed that her report card didn't have her address on it, so I told her to take her bank statement also and she said that saved her!

OS, check the list of primary and secondary forms of ID they accept. I seem to recall we had a hell of a time with that when we moved here. My husband has always had trouble keeping track of things like his passport, birth certificate, and so on, so we were really scrambling to find the right combination of documents in time, before his license expired. We barely made it. The list is rather bizarre and very specific, as I recall.