If you are not a U.S. citizen and have recently moved to New Jersey, you must have temporary visa status and fit into one of the following categories to apply for a New Jersey driver license:

• Treaty traders
• Students and their families
• Temporary workers, accompanying spouses and children
• Foreign information representatives and their families
• Exchange visitors and their families
• Intra-company transfers, accompanying spouses and minor children
• Persons with temporary protection from deportation
• Canadians with temporary residence
• Religious ministers and spouses
• Parents of U.S. citizens
• International athletes or entertainment groups
• Persons in a reciprocal exchange program
• Students and their families with an (F) visa must show INS Form I-20, student identification cards or certification on school letterhead indicating status and their I-94 passport
• You may use your country's driver license as proof of driving experience if you have an International Driver Permit issued by your country or if your country is a member of the United Nations Convention on Road Traffic and your license is translated into English by a consulate or an MVC approved translator
• If you are under 18 years old, you are subject to GDL Program requirements
• "If you are in H-1B or L-1 status and do not have current USCIS documentation, you must bring a certification like this H-1B or L-1 240 Day Extension Certificate with your 6 Point ID documents to an MVC agency

We are required to capture a customer’s full face when taking a picture for a driver license or non-driver ID card; therefore we need to be able to see from the top of your forehead to the bottom of your chin.  If you have a medical or religious need to wear a head covering in your photo, please advise the MVC staff at the agency camera station.

Note: Prior to issuing any document, the Motor Vehicle Commission will use the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system to verify the immigration status of all non-citizens who apply for or renew a driver’s license or non-driver ID at an agency. If legal immigration status cannot be confirmed, the document will not be issued.

How to obtain your basic New Jersey driver license
You must also provide proof by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, authorizing your presence in the country. In order the obtain the permit, you will need to bring your foreign license and present the documents required to pass the 6 Point ID requirements.

You must also provide proof by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, authorizing your presence in the country and confirming validity of your foreign license. If you cannot show proof of driving experience you will be subject to the GDL Program requirements.

After you get the permit, visit any Driver Testing Center to take a vision test, knowledge test and possibly a road test if required.

You are not required to surrender your foreign license when MVC issues your New Jersey driver license.