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New York, what to bring, under 18

What to bring for the New York permit test if you are under 18

An applicant under 18 in New York brings the proofs every applicant needs plus a parent or guardian's consent. Everyone completes application form MV-44 and shows proofs worth at least 6 points on DMV's form ID-44 (revised February 2026), including your Social Security card or number, a proof of date of birth, and proof of a New York address, and everyone passes a vision test of 20/40 in at least one eye. At 16 and 17 a parent or guardian consents in writing to the junior permit, unless a 17-year-old holds a driver education certificate (MV-285). If you cannot reach 6 points, form MV-45 counts for 4 points for applicants under 21, but the parent or guardian has to come to the office, complete it with a DMV representative present, and prove their own identity. Under 18 you can also take the test online first, starting from DMV's pre-screening tool, then go to the office once 3 business days have passed, because going sooner means taking the test again there. Checked in September 2026.

Source: New York State DMV forms ID-44 (2/26) and MV-45 (2/26); Vehicle and Traffic Law s. 502(2); New York State DMV, Prepare For and Take Your Permit Test, checked September 25, 2026.

Which NY test do you needNY
EExam simulatorFull New York DMV format: 20 questions, 14 to pass with at least 2 of the 4 road sign questions right, every answer keyed to a statute.1Warm up runA shorter 20 question run pulled from across the NY bank, for a first look before the full sitting.SSigns and lane markingsSigns, signals and lane markings on their own: 63 questions, the group that costs the most points.LState statute questionsThe 36 rules that belong to New York alone, each carrying the statute number it was drafted against.
Every New York test and ruleNo account needed

Which documents get a New York teenager to 6 points?

A U.S. birth certificate from a state or local government proves citizenship and date of birth but earns 0 of the 6 identity points on ID-44 (revised February 2026). An original Social Security card is worth 2, which leaves 4 points still to find, along with at least one document showing your current New York address.

A U.S. high school photo ID card presented together with a report card or official transcript is worth 2 points. The pair also counts as your address proof when it was issued within the past year. The ID card on its own is not on the list. A U.S. passport or passport card is worth 4 and can replace the birth certificate.

Proofs a 16 or 17 year old is likely to have, scored on ID-44 (2/26)
DocumentPointsProves a New York address?Watch for
U.S. birth certificate, state or local issue0NoCovers citizenship and date of birth only
Original Social Security card2NoFills the one required Social Security item
U.S. passport or passport card4NoExpired documents are refused unless the form says otherwise
High school photo ID with report card or official transcript2Yes, if issued within 1 yearThe ID card alone does not count
Health insurance or prescription card1NoMust show current coverage
ATM card1NoNeeds your signature and preprinted name
Parent's ID0YesSame last name as yours, or bring proof of the relationship
MV-45, completed at the office4YesUnder 21 only, parent or guardian present

Point values and residence flags from ID-44 (2/26), sections A to C.

Three rules catch families out. An address proof works only if the issuer printed your current New York street address on it, so a document addressed to a P.O. box fails. DMV takes one document per type and one per source, so a second paper from the same bank adds nothing. The Driver's Manual (Chapter 1) adds a signature condition: something in the pile has to be signed by you. ID-44 takes an ATM card only when it has your signature and preprinted name, so one card can earn a point and meet that condition.

Exterior of Queens Metropolitan High School in Queens, New York City
Queens Metropolitan High School in Queens, New York City.Photo: Jim.henderson, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.

What exactly is your parent or guardian signing on MV-44?

A consent to the permit and a promise about practice hours, in one signature. The Parent/Guardian Consent box on page 2 of MV-44 (revised April 2026) has the signer accept responsibility for certifying at least 50 hours of supervised practice, 15 of them after sunset, on form MV-262, which goes to the examiner at the road test. The legal basis is Vehicle and Traffic Law s. 502(2)(d), which requires written consent from a parent or guardian for a junior license.

Besides the signature, the box asks for the signer's relationship to you, the date, and the ID number from the parent's own New York driver license, learner permit or non-driver ID, a field the form labels required. MV-44 does not explain how to complete that field if a parent holds no New York document. Neither MV-44 nor ID-44 says that the consenting parent must come to the office when MV-45 is not used.

The same page offers TEENS, a free service that alerts a parent when the driver under 18 has a conviction, a suspension or revocation, or a crash added to their record; ticking the box enrolls the parent at the permit visit. Consent can be taken back later, too: a parent who files form MV-1W withdraws it, and under s. 502(2)(d) the junior permit or license is then canceled.

When is MV-45 the better route?

When ID-44 documents alone will not reach 6 points, which is the case the form is written for, and a parent can come along. MV-45 counts for 4 points and as residence proof, so a birth certificate, a Social Security card and a completed MV-45 reach exactly 6 points and meet the date-of-birth, Social Security and address requirements in one go.

The parent's own identity can rest on a New York license, permit or non-driver ID, or on ID-44 proofs of their own, and the form has two signature lines, the parent's and yours, that both stay blank until a Motor Vehicles representative is with you.

For REAL ID or Enhanced, MV-45 covers only one of the two address proofs. The form asks applicants under 21 in that position for one more residence document, either in the applicant's own name or in the parent's name at the same address.

Worked example

Maya, 16, from Queens: two points short

  1. 1Maya turned 16 on July 2, 2026. She lives with her mother in Queens and wants a Standard permit, so she needs 6 points and one New York address proof.
  2. 2Her folder starts with a U.S. birth certificate (0 points), her original Social Security card (2) and her high school photo ID issued in January 2026 with a June 2026 report card printed with her home address (2, and her address proof). Running total: 4.
  3. 3Instead of MV-45, Maya adds her health insurance card (1) and her ATM card, which carries her signature and printed name (1). Total: 6, with a signed proof in the pile.
  4. 4Her mother signs the consent box on MV-44 and writes her own New York driver license number beside it.
  5. 5Queens is an MCTD county and Maya is between 16 and 16 and a half, so the fee chart puts her first permit at $90.00.

Outcome. Maya meets the 6-point, Social Security, date-of-birth, address and signature rules without MV-45 and pays $90.00. The dates she works to are in the timeline below.

Maya's dates, from 16th birthday to road test eligibility
  1. July 2, 2026
    Turns 16
  2. October 5
    Passes the permit test online
  3. October 6 to 8
    DMV review

    Three business days to check her result and documents.

  4. October 9
    Office visit

    Documents, consent, vision test, fee, permit issued.

  5. April 9, 2027
    6 months on the permit

    The earliest day she can schedule a road test, provided her MV-278 or MV-285 course certificate is in hand. MV-262 goes with her on test day.

The 3-business-day review, 6-month hold and certificate rule are from DMV's permit test, pre-licensing and road test pages.

Should a 16 year old ask for Standard, REAL ID or Enhanced?

Standard needs one address proof instead of two. REAL ID costs nothing extra and Enhanced adds $30, but both need a second address document.

What each version of the permit asks for
StandardREAL IDEnhanced
New York residence proofs122
Other proofs besides the 6 pointsSocial Security and date of birthSocial Security, plus citizenship or lawful statusSocial Security, plus U.S. citizenship
Extra feeNoneNone$30
Accepted to board a domestic flightNoYesYes
Listed for U.S. land and sea border crossingsNoNoYes

Page 1 of New York DMV form ID-44 (2/26). Enhanced is open to U.S. citizens only.

A teenager who does want REAL ID can often pair the high school ID and report card with a parent's ID card, which ID-44 accepts as a 0-point residence proof when it shows your current address and either carries your last name or comes with proof of your relationship. Two Social Security shortcuts fail here: the NSS-1 or NSS-1A affidavit is barred for both REAL ID and Enhanced, and the bare number without the card is barred for Enhanced.

How much does a junior permit cost at 16 or 17?

Between $76.75 and $102.50, set by your age on the day you apply and whether you live in the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District (MCTD). DMV's chart for a first Class D or DJ permit rolls the application, class, document and MCTD fees into one figure, and the MCTD part is $1.00 for each 6 months the document will run.

First Class DJ or D permit, by age on the application day
$80.00
16 to 16 and a half
In the MCTD: $90.00
$76.75
16 and a half to 17
In the MCTD: $85.75
$92.50
17 to 17 and a half
In the MCTD: $102.50
$89.25
17 and a half to 18
In the MCTD: $98.25

The MCTD takes in the five New York City boroughs plus Dutchess, Nassau, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk and Westchester counties. If you fail the written test twice, Vehicle and Traffic Law s. 503(2)(a) requires a new application fee before a third attempt.

What changes at the office if you passed the test online?

After DMV's three-business-day review, only the written test drops off the visit. You still hand over the signed MV-44, the ID-44 proofs and the fee, and you still read the eye chart, because ID-44 makes a vision test part of every permit application.

DMV's pre-screening tool lists the documents for your case and fills in a printable application; check its list against the folder below. Reserve a time if you can: when an office has long waits, only people with a reservation get in, and reservations are not offered at every office. Wear any glasses or contacts you need for the eye chart, and expect a B restriction for corrective lenses if you do.

The folder for a New York junior permit
  • MV-44, filled in

    Page 2 consent box signed, with the parent's New York document number, unless you are 17 with MV-285.

  • One Social Security item

    Original card for 2 points, or the number written on MV-44 for 0 (not accepted for Enhanced).

  • One date-of-birth proof

    U.S. birth certificate (0) or U.S. passport (4).

  • New York address proof

    One for Standard, two from different sources for REAL ID or Enhanced.

  • Enough points to reach 6

    With at least one proof that carries your signature.

  • Parent in person, if using MV-45

    With their own ID, and the form left unsigned.

  • Glasses or contacts

    If you need them to read the chart.

  • Payment

    $76.75 to $102.50 by age and county; card, cash, check or money order.

From ID-44 (2/26), MV-44 (4/26), MV-45 (2/26) and the DMV fee chart.

More questions about this in New York

Does a birth certificate give points toward the 6 in New York?

No. On New York DMV form ID-44 (2/26), a U.S. birth certificate issued by a state or local government proves your citizenship and date of birth but carries 0 points. You still need 6 points from other items, for example an original Social Security card (2), a high school photo ID with a report card or transcript (2), or a U.S. passport (4).

Can my parent's driver license prove my New York address?

Yes for the address, though not for points. New York's ID-44 lists a parent or spouse ID as a residence proof worth 0 points, provided it shows your current New York address and either carries the same last name as yours or comes with proof of the relationship. It works well as the second address proof a teenager needs for a REAL ID or Enhanced permit.

Do I need the 50-hour supervised driving log to get a New York permit?

No. Form MV-262, the supervised driving certification, is handed to the examiner at the road test, not at the permit visit. At the permit stage your parent or guardian signs the consent box on MV-44, which says they will be the one certifying 50 hours of practice, including 15 after sunset, before you take a New York road test.

Can I take the New York written test before I turn 16?

At a participating high school, yes. New York's Online Knowledge Test Application is open to students from 15 years and 11 months, in English or Spanish. A pass comes with a receipt and the application paperwork, and the permit itself is applied for in person at a state or county motor vehicle office from age 16. DMV's page on the separate under-18 online permit test does not specify a minimum age for that route.

Can a parent take back consent after a New York junior permit is issued?

Yes. A parent or guardian who signed consent can withdraw it by sending New York DMV form MV-1W. Withdrawal cancels the Class DJ or MJ permit or license, so the teenager can no longer drive on it. DMV's page for parents notes one limit: consent cannot be withdrawn from a 17-year-old who has already been issued a license whose class has no J.

Sources

Other questions about New York

Ready to practice for the New York test?

How this works in other states

The under-18 stack and the 18-and-over stack for Florida, Texas, California and New York, including REAL ID and name changes. Read the guide.

Written by Vikas. Checked against the source above on September 25, 2026. New York DMV does not run this site and does not endorse it.