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Moving to a new state, do you have to retake the written test?

Written by Vikas. Figures last confirmed 2026-09-25.

Welcome to Florida sign beside eastbound Interstate 10 at the Alabama state line
The Florida welcome sign on eastbound Interstate 10 in Escambia County, Florida.Photo: Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

It depends on the state, and on whether the old card is still valid. Florida may waive both the knowledge test and the driving test when you surrender a valid license from another state, a Canadian province, or the US Armed Forces for a Florida license of an equal or lesser class. Texas waives both exams at 18 or older. California still requires the knowledge test of people new to the state, and its statute only lets DMV waive the driving test. New York may waive both for an eligible photo license. New residents have 30 days to exchange their license.

How long can you keep driving on the old license?

The clocks start on different events. Florida counts from the day you become a resident, and a new job or public school enrollment is enough to do that. Texas counts from the day you enter. California counts from the day you establish residence, and gives no window at all for driving that is part of a job. New York also counts from residency, and Vehicle and Traffic Law section 250(2) caps that window at 30 days no matter which event started it.

Published deadlines, in days
Florida registration10 days
After residency begins, such as a job or school enrollment
California license10 days
After residence. Zero days for driving for a job
California registration20 days
After a job is accepted or residence, whichever is first
Florida license30 days
After residency begins, if you drive
New York license (exchange)30 days
After becoming a resident, capped by VAT 250(2)
Texas registration30 days
From the move
Texas license90 days
From the day you enter Texas
Florida: sections 320.38 and 322.031 and the FLHSMV new-resident page. Texas: Transportation Code section 521.029 and the TxDMV new-to-Texas page. California: Vehicle Code sections 12505(c) and 6700. New York: Vehicle and Traffic Law section 250 and the DMV exchange-out-of-state-license page.

Florida

Section 322.031 applies when a nonresident accepts a job or engages in a trade, profession, or occupation in Florida, or enters children in a Florida public school. If that person will drive, the Florida driver license is due within 30 days after the job or the schooling begins, not after the offer is accepted. A spouse or dependent child who will drive has the same 30 days. Section 320.38 uses the same triggers and gives 10 days from the start of the job or schooling to register a vehicle that will be driven on Florida roads.

FLHSMV's new-resident page counts both windows from the day you establish residency, and it lists five events that can do that: starting work, enrolling children in public school, registering to vote, filing for a homestead exemption, or living in Florida for more than six consecutive months. The last three, plus a statement of domicile, make up the definition of resident in section 322.01. Registering to vote in your first week can start both counts before any job does.

Active duty service members, a spouse, and a dependent living with them do not need a Florida license if they carry a valid military ID and either a valid license or learner's permit from another state or a valid military driving permit. Someone who lives in another state and commutes in to work on a valid license from that state, and a nonresident full-time college student, are also exempt. Section 322.04 lets a nonresident who is at least 16 drive on a valid license from a home state or country until section 322.031 applies.

Texas

Section 521.029 lets a new resident drive for no more than 90 days after the date of entering Texas, if the person is 16 or older and has a license from the state or country of previous residence. The statute does not say that license must be unexpired. If you are prosecuted for driving without a Texas license, the state alleges more than 90 days of residence, and you claim this window, the burden is on you to show you have not lived in Texas that long.

The DPS moving page is narrower: up to 90 days after moving, on a valid, unexpired license from another US state, a US territory, a Canadian province, or a qualifying country. TxDMV tells new residents to get the Texas license within 90 days of moving. Treat the statute as the outer limit and the DPS page as what the office will expect.

California

Section 12505(c) allows up to 10 days of driving after you establish residence, for a person who had an exemption under section 12502, 12503, or 12504. The same sentence bars driving for employment after residency until DMV licenses you. Registering to vote, paying resident tuition, or filing a homeowner's property tax exemption is prima facie evidence of residency. Under section 12505(b) you can rebut it with proof that your primary residence is still in another state.

Driving for work in California gets no 10 days

Once you have established residency, section 12505(c) requires a California license before you drive for employment. The 10 days cover other driving. The statute does not define driving for employment, but a delivery route or a company vehicle is plainly inside it, so do not plan a first week of work driving on the old card.

New York

New York ties the clock to residency. Vehicle and Traffic Law section 250(2) lets a new resident drive on a valid out-of-state license for no more than 30 days, and the exchange page repeats that deadline. Section 250(5) treats keeping a place of abode in New York for at least 90 days as presumptive evidence you already live here, so the 30 days can start before you decide you have moved. The exchange itself is an in-person DMV transaction: you surrender the old card, pass a vision test, and DMV issues a temporary document while the New York license comes by mail in about two weeks. A learner permit from another state cannot be exchanged at all.

Florida, when a new job is the first residency event
  1. Day 0
    The job or public school enrollment begins

    Sections 322.031 and 320.38 both count from this date. On the new-resident page, registering to vote, a homestead filing, or more than 6 consecutive months in Florida would also start the clocks.

  2. Within 10 days
    Florida insurance, then title and plates

    The new-resident page requires a policy from an agent licensed to sell insurance in Florida before you title and register a vehicle, vessel, or mobile home.

  3. Within 30 days
    Florida license, if you drive

    Apply in person and take the vision test. The written test and the road test may be waived if you surrender a valid license for an equal or lesser class.

Count both windows from the first residency event, not from the day the old license expires.

Who skips the written test, and who still takes the road test?

What happens to the two exams
StateKnowledge testRoad testThe condition
FloridaMay be waivedMay be waivedSurrender a valid license from another state, a Canadian province, or the US Armed Forces, for an equal or lesser class. Vision is not waived.
Texas, 18 or olderWaivedWaivedSurrender a valid license from another US state, a US territory, or Canada. At 18 or older the moving page also accepts a license expired no more than 2 years.
Texas, under 18Waived if the card is validRequiredValid license or learner license from a US state, US territory, or Canadian province. Every applicant under 18 takes the skills exam.
California, another US stateRequiredNot in DMV's stepsDMV's steps for a license from another state list vision and the knowledge test, with no drive test. Section 12804.9 lets DMV waive the drive test after a record check.
California, another countryRequiredRequiredThe same steps plus a driving test. With a valid foreign license, you need an accompanying driver to and from that test.
New York, US state, territory, or CanadaMay be waivedMay be waivedSurrender a photo license that is valid or expired less than 24 months. It must have been issued at least 6 months before you apply, or you need a certified driving record showing a longer licensing history. Includes Washington, D.C. Under 18 also needs a parent or guardian's consent. Vision is not waived.
New York, another countryUsually requiredUsually requiredThe usual route requires the written test, the 5-hour Pre-Licensing Course, and a road test. Form ID-44 says tests may be waived for a license from a select foreign jurisdiction. A non-Canadian foreign license cannot be exchanged under 18.

Florida: section 322.12(1) and the FLHSMV what-to-bring FAQ. Texas: the DPS moving page. California: the driver licenses page, the September 30, 2024 news release, and Vehicle Code section 12804.9. New York: the exchange-out-of-state-driver-license page, form ID-44 (2/26), and Vehicle and Traffic Law section 250.

Section 322.12(1) says the department may waive the knowledge, endorsement, and skills tests. The what-to-bring FAQ is firmer. Asked whether a valid out-of-state license means retaking either test, it answers "No" and says the license is accepted in exchange for the written and driving exams. Every out-of-state driver still takes the vision test. Hearing is not in the waiver list, and section 322.12(3) makes a hearing test part of the Class E exam. The FAQ also keeps other testing open when something suggests you may not be able to drive safely.

An original Class E license is $48 under section 322.21(1)(b). At a tax collector office, section 322.135(1)(c) adds a $6.25 service fee, charged no more than once per visit, and veterans with the listed proof are exempt. Section 322.095 requires a traffic law and substance abuse course of applicants 18 or older, unless they have been licensed in another jurisdiction or finished a Department of Education driver education course. A transfer skips the course. A first license does not.

The Texas rows come from the DPS moving page. For applicants 18 or older it also drops Impact Texas Driver and adult driver education when the license is valid or has not been expired more than 2 years. Section 521.165(d), which says the driving test may not be waived for anyone under 18, sits in the section on testing by outside entities. For new residents, the moving page states the same result directly.

DMV's over-18 instructions allow 3 attempts at each required knowledge test, and a third fail of the same test ends the application. The application and fee are good for 12 months. Section 12804.9 allows the drive test to be waived only after a national driver record check shows no stops, holds, or other impediments, and only for a license from a US state, territory, or possession, the District of Columbia, or Puerto Rico.

Form ID-44 says the written and road tests may be waived for an eligible photo license. The exchange page requires a license that is valid or expired less than 24 months and was issued at least 6 months before you apply. If it was issued more recently, bring a certified driving record showing a longer licensing history. New York does not exchange a learner permit from any state; its holder must apply for a New York permit and take the written test. The live exchange page uses an expiration limit of less than 24 months, although the Driver's Manual still prints an older one-year limit.

Worked example

Rachel Adams, 34, Georgia license, a job in Jacksonville

  1. 1Her Georgia license is valid through March 18, 2028. She has not registered to vote or filed for a homestead exemption in Florida. She starts work in Jacksonville on October 5, 2026, so that is her first residency event.
  2. 2Before she registers the car, she buys a policy from an agent licensed in Florida. Registration needs proof of personal injury protection ($10,000 in medical and disability benefits and a $5,000 death benefit) and at least $10,000 of property damage liability. Bodily injury liability is not part of that minimum.
  3. 3Ten days after October 5, 2026 is October 15, 2026. She owns the car outright, so she brings the Georgia title, the Florida insurance proof, identity for every owner, form 82040 signed by every owner, and a VIN inspection recorded on form 82040 or 82042.
  4. 4Thirty days after October 5 is November 4, 2026. She applies in person, surrenders the Georgia card, takes the vision test, and pays the $48 original Class E fee, plus $6.25 if the office is a tax collector. She was licensed in Georgia, so section 322.095 does not require the substance abuse course.

Outcome. If the office follows the FAQ, Rachel sits neither the written test nor the road test. She is late if the car still has Georgia plates on October 16, 2026, or if she is still driving on the Georgia license on November 5, 2026. The waiver does not move either date.

What if the old license is already expired?

Florida's waiver says valid, in the statute and in the FAQ, and neither names a period of expiration the department will still accept. An expired card is outside that sentence. Plan on vision, hearing, the knowledge exam, and the driving test unless the office tells you otherwise. Section 322.095 exempts anyone who has been licensed in another jurisdiction, so the substance abuse course still does not apply.

The moving page exempts an applicant 18 or older from both exams, Impact Texas Driver, and adult driver education if the license is valid or has not been expired more than 2 years. The apply page waives the 6 hour adult course, required at 18 through 24 for a first Texas license, only for a valid, unexpired card, and requires no driver education at 25 or older. If you are 18 to 24 and the card expired less than 2 years ago, the two pages disagree about the course, so ask the office before you pay for one. The exam waiver on the moving page does not depend on the course.

California's steps for a license from another state are written for a valid license. The 2024 release says people new to California take a knowledge test with no condition on the old card, so that part does not change. DMV does not publish how long an out-of-state license can be expired and still count for the drive-test waiver, and section 12804.9 turns on submitting a license and a clean record check.

New York's exchange conditions depend on the card's validity and issue date. Form ID-44 says the written and road tests may be waived. The exchange page requires a photo license that is valid or expired less than 24 months and was issued at least 6 months before you apply; for a more recently issued card, bring a certified driving record showing a longer licensing history. A license expired 24 months or more falls outside the exchange page's conditions. The Driver's Manual (MV-21, 5/23) still prints an older one-year cutoff; the live exchange page says less than 24 months.

Worked example

Noah Fischer, 17, valid Ohio license, moving to Fort Worth

  1. 1Noah turned 17 on June 2, 2026. His Ohio license, issued June 16, 2025, is valid. He enters Texas with his parents on September 8, 2026, and they settle in Fort Worth, in Tarrant County.
  2. 2Section 521.029 lets him drive on the Ohio card for 90 days from entry, through December 7, 2026. The card is valid and unexpired, so the narrower DPS wording covers him too.
  3. 3He owns no vehicle. Section 521.144 accepts an affidavit that he owns none in place of Texas registration, and the apply page accepts a statement in place of insurance. His parents still have 30 days from the move, through October 8, 2026, to register the family car, and in Tarrant County that needs a passing emissions inspection first.
  4. 4He is under 18 with a valid Ohio license, so the knowledge exam is waived and the skills exam is not. He needs an Impact Texas Driver certificate dated within 90 days of the driving test. DL-7 says a 16 or 17 year old with a valid out-of-state license gets a provisional license after passing the driving exam, and must meet the other requirements for a first-time applicant.
  5. 5The license fee under 18 is $16, and the card expires on his 18th birthday, June 2, 2027.

Outcome. Noah prepares for a road test, not a written test. On DL-7 and the moving page he is issued a provisional license, not a Texas learner license, so the six month learner hold would not apply. DPS's Graduated Driver License page disagrees: it says out-of-state transfers under 18 get a Texas learner license and serve the six months, or wait until 18, so he asks the office which rule it follows before he books. Neither DPS page says whether his Ohio driver education counts toward the other first-time requirements, so he brings those records. He should pass the driving test by December 7, 2026, when the 90 days on the Ohio card end.

What changes under 21, or if you only have a learner permit?

None of the four states prints a written-test rule that changes at 21 for an ordinary car license. The ages that matter for a transfer are 16, 18, and, for the Texas adult course, 25.

The section 322.12 waiver has no age limit. Since August 1, 2025, someone under 18 who has never held a license anywhere must finish the 6 hour Driver Education Traffic Safety course, and FLHSMV says that change does not affect an under-18 applicant transferring a valid out-of-state license. Under 18 you need a signed Parental Consent Form, and a step-parent may sign only after adopting the teen. A Florida learner license must be held 12 months or until age 18, with 50 hours of driving, 10 of them at night. The teen page does not say another state's permit time counts.

A valid, unexpired learner license from a US state, a US territory, Canada, France, South Korea, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, or Taiwan skips the Texas knowledge exam. You still complete Impact Texas Driver and pass the skills exam to move up to a provisional license. DL-7 says a new resident who is at least 15 and brings an out-of-state instruction permit and a VOE form gets a Texas learner license, and the six months run from the date Texas issues it. The same DPS page also says an applicant under 18 from any country other than the US or Canada takes the knowledge exam, which conflicts with its learner list for the five reciprocity countries, so ask the office.

California's handbook lets an under-18 applicant count an instruction permit from California or another state toward the 6 months needed before the drive test, or reach 18. It says another state, not another country. A 16 or 17 year old with a valid license from another country may drive in California for up to 10 days, and longer only with a nonresident minor's certificate from DMV, proof of financial responsibility on file, and all three documents in the car. The 2024 release does not limit the new-resident knowledge test to adults.

New York treats a learner permit differently from a license: none can be exchanged, from any state. Until you get your own, the old permit works on New York roads only at 16 or older, only if its home state lets it be used elsewhere, and only under both states' restrictions. To get a New York permit, you must apply and pass the 20-question written test; eligible applicants can take the test online before visiting an office. Transferring a full license under 18 needs a parent or guardian's consent when it comes from another US state, a US jurisdiction, or a Canadian province. A foreign license from anywhere except Canada cannot be transferred under 18.

Does a license from another country transfer the same way?

No. Each state accepts a short list of places, and a license from outside that list does not transfer.

  • Florida's waiver names another state, a Canadian province, and the US Armed Forces. A license from any other country is not on the list. Section 322.04 lets a nonresident drive on a home-country license only until section 322.031 applies. Since February 6, 2026, every Florida knowledge and skills exam is given in English only, with no interpreter.
  • Texas groups Canada with US states and territories: surrender a valid license and skip both exams. A valid, unexpired license from France, Germany, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, or Taiwan also skips both exams, unless you choose to keep the foreign license. A foreign license in a language other than English or Spanish needs a translation from a translation service or your consulate, done before you arrive in Texas. Any other country is on neither list.
  • California adds a driving test for a license from another country, and section 12804.9 does not waive it for a foreign license. Section 12505(f) lets a resident of a foreign country other than Canada who is over 16 drive on a valid license from there, unless DMV finds that country's standards fall short. That rule is for visitors, and the pages checked do not name any country DMV has found wanting.
  • New York puts Canada on the same list as a US state or territory, so a Canadian license can be exchanged under the same 6-month issue-date and less-than-24-month expiration conditions. For other countries, DMV's general route includes the written test, the 5-hour Pre-Licensing Course, and a road test, with the foreign license surrendered at the road test. If it is not in English, bring an International Driving Permit or a certified translation to the road test. Form ID-44 says written and road tests may be waived for a license from a select foreign jurisdiction, without naming the jurisdictions.
Welcome to Texas state line sign beside Interstate 30 at the Arkansas border
The Welcome to Texas sign beside Interstate 30 at the Arkansas line, photographed in 2008. For a new resident, crossing it starts the 90 day count in section 521.029. The sign is not the license and it is not the registration.Photo: ErgoSum88, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

What has to happen to the car and the insurance?

In Florida and Texas the car is on the shorter clock, and in Texas it has to be registered before the license appointment. California runs the other way: 20 days for the car and 10 for the license. In all four, an out-of-state insurance card is not automatically enough. To register a vehicle in New York, you need New York State insurance; the names on the insurance and registration must match exactly.

Texas, because the order is the trap
  1. 1
    Insurance at 30/60/25

    At least $30,000 for one injured person, $60,000 for everyone injured in one crash, and $25,000 for property damage. The January 2025 TxDMV checklist says some out-of-state policies may be acceptable, so ask your agent before the county visit.

  2. 2
    Emissions only in named counties

    Brazoria, Collin, Dallas, Denton, El Paso, Ellis, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Johnson, Kaufman, Montgomery, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant, Travis, and Williamson need a passing emissions inspection first. Non-commercial vehicles no longer take the old safety inspection. Commercial vehicles still do.

  3. 3
    Register within 30 days of the move

    At the county tax assessor-collector, with insurance and proof you own the vehicle. First-time registrants complete form 130-U. State registration is $51.75 before county fees, plus a new-resident sales tax fee of $90 or the difference between your old state's sales tax and the Texas rate. Active duty members and nonresident full-time students at a Texas college or university do not have to register or title.

  4. 4
    Then the license, registration in hand

    Proof of Texas registration applies only when you surrender an out-of-state license, and section 521.144 accepts an affidavit if you own no vehicle. Bring insurance for each vehicle you own or a statement that you own none. The new license is $16 under 18, $33 from 18 through 84, and $9 at 85 or older, each including the $1 administrative fee.

Florida wants the policy first, from an agent licensed to sell insurance in Florida, then title and registration inside the 10 days. With no lien, bring identity for every owner, the Florida insurance proof, the out-of-state title, form 82040 signed by every owner, and a VIN inspection by a law enforcement officer, a military police officer, a licensed Florida dealer, or a tax collector employee or compliance examiner. If a lienholder holds the title, you still register: a written refusal on its letterhead lets you apply for registration without the title. Section 320.02 tells the issuing agent to refuse registration without the insurance proof.

Section 6700 lets you drive on valid old plates until you accept a job in California or establish residency, whichever comes first, if you lived in the other state when the plates were issued. The application to register is due within 20 days. Under section 16056, a policy issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2025 must carry at least $30,000 for one person, $60,000 per accident, and $15,000 for property damage, and a policy on a car registered elsewhere counts only if the insurer is admitted in California or gives DMV a power of attorney to accept service.

Vehicle and Traffic Law section 250(1) lets a new resident keep driving a vehicle registered out of state for no more than 30 days after becoming a resident. To register it in New York, DMV requires New York State insurance; out-of-state coverage is not accepted for a New York registration, and the names on the insurance must match the registration exactly. The minimums are $25,000 and $50,000 bodily injury for one person and for two or more, $50,000 and $100,000 if someone dies, and $10,000 property damage per crash. Keep the policy in force while the New York registration is valid, whether or not you drive the car.

Worked example

Leah Kaplan, 29, Illinois license, a delivery job in Oakland

  1. 1Her Illinois license is valid through 2029. She moves into an Oakland apartment she means to keep on September 26, 2026, which establishes residence. On September 29 she accepts a delivery job that starts October 1.
  2. 2Residence came first, so section 6700 puts her registration application due 20 days later, by October 16, 2026. She buys a new California policy on September 28, 2026, so the $30,000, $60,000, and $15,000 minimums apply.
  3. 3Section 12505(c) covers personal driving on the Illinois license for 10 days from September 26, through October 6, 2026. The delivery route is driving for employment, which needs the California license first.
  4. 4She pays the $46 Class C fee, which is good for 12 months and covers 3 attempts at the knowledge test. DMV opened at-home testing to people moving from out of state in September 2023, but online knowledge testing closed to new driver's license applicants on January 3, 2025, so she tests at a DMV office.
  5. 5DMV's steps for a license from another state list no drive test, and section 12804.9 allows it to be waived after a clean record check. If DMV does give her one and she fails, the fee table lists a $9 retest while the driver licenses page still says $7.

Outcome. Leah's written test is not optional, and her road test probably will not be required. Until she passes the knowledge test and DMV licenses her, she cannot drive the delivery route, even on October 1, because employment driving after September 26, 2026 needs the California license first.

What should you settle before you go to the counter?

Six facts that change the visit
  • The date the clock started

    Florida counts from the first residency event on its list, such as a job, school enrollment, or voter registration. Texas counts from the day you entered. California counts from residency, and driving for a job needs the license at once. New York counts from residency too, and Vehicle and Traffic Law section 250(2) caps the window at 30 days no matter which event started it.

  • Valid, expired under 2 years, or older than that

    Florida prints no grace period. Texas prints 2 years for adults on the moving page, then limits the adult-course waiver to an unexpired card on the apply page. California's steps assume a valid card. New York's exchange page accepts a card expired less than 24 months, if it was issued at least 6 months before you apply or you provide a certified driving record showing a longer licensing history.

  • Age band

    Texas changes the transaction at 18 and the adult course rule at 25. Florida's course rule changes at 18. California's 6 month permit hold applies only under 18. New York needs a parent or guardian's consent to transfer a license under 18, and blocks a non-Canadian foreign license from transferring at all under 18.

  • Where the license was issued

    A US state, a US territory, Canada, one of the five Texas reciprocity countries, or somewhere else. Somewhere else generally requires exams in all four states, though New York form ID-44 allows possible waivers for select foreign jurisdictions. New York groups Canada with US states and territories.

  • Do you own a vehicle

    Texas wants Texas registration before you surrender an out-of-state license, or an affidavit that you own none. Florida will not register a car without the insurance proof section 320.02 requires.

  • Whether any driving is for a job

    In California it removes the 10 days. In Florida a job is one of the events that starts the 30 days, unless you live in another state and only commute in.

This is not a document list. Identity, Social Security, and residency proof are separate, and each agency publishes its own accepted papers.

If you do have to take the knowledge test, what are you taking?

This part applies only if your row requires the knowledge test, or your card is expired and no waiver covers it.

Questions on the car knowledge exam
Florida50FLHSMV, Class E Knowledge Exam and Driving Skills Test, checked September 9, 2026
TexasNot published by the agencyTexas Driver Handbook DL-7 (rev. January 2026) and dps.texas.gov, checked September 9, 2026TxDPS does not publish the number of questions on the Class C knowledge exam. What it does publish is the pass mark, so we give that instead of repeating a count with no source behind it.
California36California DMV Research and Development Branch report RSS-06-221 (December 2006), checked September 25, 2026For applicants 18 and over. Applicants under 18 sat a different form with 46 questions. No current DMV consumer page publishes either count: both come from a 2006 DMV research report, restated in an April 2008 one (RSS-08-226), which is why we name the source rather than stating the number bare.
New York20New York State Driver's Manual (MV-21), Chapter 1: Driver Licenses, checked September 25, 2026Four of the 20 are road sign questions, and at least 2 of those 4 have to be right as well, so a paper with 14 or more correct can still fail. The same format covers the Class DJ, M, MJ and E written tests. The Class D test is offered in 20 languages, on a touch screen or on paper, and DMV gives the motorcycle test in the same 20 languages.

Texas does not publish a question count. California's figure comes from a 2006 DMV research report, not a current consumer page. Florida publishes 50. New York publishes 20.

Florida Class E, if you are not waived
40 right answers needed10 can be wrong
FLHSMV: 50 questions, 40 correct, which is 80 percent. The Class E exam page says the knowledge exam is in English only, and a January 30, 2026 release made every knowledge and skills exam, including oral exams, English only from February 6, 2026.

If Florida does test you, section 322.12(1) charges $10 for each knowledge exam after a failed first try and $20 for each skills exam after a failed first try. FLHSMV offers the online Class E exam to applicants under 18, so an adult tests in person. Texas requires 70 percent on any knowledge exam, according to the DL-7 handbook, and publishes no question count, so there is no grid for that exam. Impact Texas Driver is required only if you will take a driving test, and its certificate must be dated within 90 days of that test.

California's online knowledge test has been closed to new driver's license applicants since January 3, 2025, and DMV's current Online Learning page offers only a course for renewals. A new resident takes the knowledge test at a DMV office.

New York Class D, if you are not waived
14 right answers needed6 can be wrong
New York State Driver's Manual (MV-21), Chapter 1: 20 questions, at least 14 correct, AND at least 2 of the 4 road-sign questions correct. 14 of 20 works out to 70 percent, but that number alone does not guarantee a pass.

Vehicle and Traffic Law section 503(2)(a) sets a $10 application fee that covers two knowledge-test attempts; a third attempt needs a new application fee. The total permit charge is age based and can be higher. New York offers the written test in 20 languages, and passing requires both 14 of the 20 questions correct and at least 2 of the 4 road-sign questions correct.

Does Florida make me retake the written test?

Not if you surrender a valid license from another state, a Canadian province, or the US Armed Forces and apply for an equal or lesser class. Section 322.12(1) lets the department waive the knowledge, endorsement, and skills tests, and the what-to-bring FAQ says that license is accepted in exchange for the written and driving exams. You still take a vision test, and hearing is not on the waiver list. The FAQ keeps other testing open if something suggests you cannot drive safely. An expired card is outside both.

My out-of-state license expired last year. Does Texas still waive the tests?

If you are 18 or older and the card has not been expired more than 2 years, the moving page waives both exams, Impact Texas Driver, and adult driver education. The apply page waives the 6 hour course for ages 18 through 24 only when the card is valid and unexpired. If you are in that band and the card is expired, ask which page the office follows before you pay for the course. At 25 or older the apply page does not require driver education.

Can I drive for a new California job on my old license for 10 days?

Not once you have established residency. Section 12505(c) allows up to 10 days of other driving after residence begins, then bars driving for employment until DMV has licensed you. A delivery route or a company vehicle is driving for work. Registering to vote, paying resident tuition, or filing a homeowner's exemption is evidence that residency has started.

Does a Canadian license transfer in all three states?

Florida names a Canadian province in the section 322.12 waiver, beside another state and the US Armed Forces. Texas puts Canada with US states and territories: surrender a valid license and both exams are waived. California is different. Its drive-test waiver in section 12804.9 does not name Canada, section 12505(f) leaves Canada out of the foreign-visitor rule, and DMV's page puts a license from another country on the path that includes a driving test.

My 17 year old only has a learner permit. Does time already served count?

California's handbook counts an instruction permit from another state toward the 6 months an under-18 applicant needs before the drive test, or reaching 18. Texas skips the knowledge exam for a valid, unexpired learner license from a US state, a territory, Canada, or a reciprocity country, but DL-7 runs the six month hold from the date the Texas learner license is issued. Florida requires 12 months on the learner license, or age 18, and its teen page does not say another state's time counts.

Which deadline comes first, the plates or the license?

It depends on the state. Florida registration is 10 days and the license 30, both from the first residency event. Texas registration is 30 days from the move and the license 90, and DPS wants the Texas registration before you surrender the old license. California reverses the order: the license is due 10 days after residency, or at once for driving for work, and registration is due 20 days after a job or residency, whichever comes first. In Florida and Texas, insurance comes before the plates.

Will they take the old license?

Florida's waiver is for an applicant who surrenders the valid license, and the FAQ calls it an exchange for the exams. Texas says you must surrender a valid out-of-state license. California Vehicle Code section 12805 bars a license to anyone holding a valid license from a foreign jurisdiction unless it has been surrendered, lost, or destroyed. California's copy of the Driver License Compact, section 15024, also bars a license to someone holding a license in force from another member state unless it is surrendered.

What does Florida charge if the waiver is refused and I fail?

The original Class E license is $48 under section 322.21 whether or not you test, and a tax collector office adds a $6.25 service fee once per visit under section 322.135(1)(c). If you test and fail, section 322.12(1) charges $10 for each later knowledge exam and $20 for each later skills exam. The exam is 50 questions with 40 correct, in English. Florida does not publish a waiting period between attempts on the pages checked for this guide.

Does New York make me retake the written test?

You may avoid the written and road tests when your photo license meets New York's exchange conditions; form ID-44 says the tests may be waived. The exchange page requires a license from a qualifying state, territory, or Canadian province that is valid or expired less than 24 months and was issued at least 6 months before you apply, unless a certified driving record shows a longer licensing history. Vehicle and Traffic Law section 250(2) lets a new resident drive on a valid out-of-state license for no more than 30 days. A learner permit from another state cannot be exchanged.

What is New York's actual pass mark on the written test?

The New York State Driver's Manual (MV-21) requires at least 14 of the 20 questions correct, and separately, at least 2 of the 4 road-sign questions correct. Both conditions have to be met, so a test with 14 correct overall can still fail if fewer than 2 of the sign questions are right.

What is the rule in Texas or New York?

Each state’s answer on its own page, with the agency source and the date it was checked.

Sources

All guides, or pick your state and take a practice test.