How to get an MA Driver’s License
Boston is lovely; well-connect it is not.
If you don’t drive, do live within reasonable commute to a subway line (though some locals would argue that buses are more predictable these days). If you do drive, I highly recommend getting a car! It’ll expand your horizons beyond Boston’s (sad) transit network.
Getting the MA Driver’s License is that first step towards expanding your horizons because get this: you can buy a car - anyone can buy a car - but without a driver's license, you can't register for an auto-insurance and without an auto-insurance, you can't register a car to drive it under your ownership.
So get your MA Driver’s License. Better yet, get the one with Real ID, so you could board domestic planes with that come May 7, 2025.
👾
DID YOU KNOW?
“DMV” (Department of Motor Vehicles) is the term used in most of the US.
Here in MA we use “RMV” - Registry of Motor Vehicles.
1. Can a non-US driver’s license convert?
If you’ve got a driver’s license from Canada, Mexico, US Territories, Korea, Germany, France or Taiwan, congratulations you neither require a written or road test- your license can convert! Click on the applicable country below for country-specific instructions on converting.
⚠️ Note these application caveats!
You need to proof MA residency - i.e. you can’t be staying at a hotel
You need to have a Social Security Number (SSN) - those on dependent VISAS (e.g. O3), you’d need to first apply for an SSN Denial Letter (SSA-L676). This letter is to be applied in person at your nearest Social Security Administration Office.
Ready to apply? Head to the nearest RMV office.
2. Foreign drivers who can't convert their foreign driver's license will need to take a knowledge and road test.
Sorry, even if you are an experienced driver, you must go through the same process as a first-time driver in Massachusetts. Here are the steps:
Step 1: Obtain a Learner’s Permit
The Learner's Permit has a prerequisite knowledge test- you'd need to pass it.
1.1 Start your Learner's Permit application online, and make an appointment to bring the completed application to an RMV Service Center.
There is no wait time to receive the Learner's Permit. The move is to buffer adequate time to study for the test so you could kill two birds with one stone by taking the test during your RMV appointment (see 1.2 below).
1.2 Pass the Learner's Permit test - either at the RMV or online.
When you bring your permit application to the RMV, you could decide if you'd like to take the permit test right away, or online at home.
Test consists of 25 questions. You must score 18 correct to pass. Study. Do not assume that you're an experienced driver and thus will pass the test - you will fumble when it comes to US-specific questions about laws, penalties, DUI limits etc.
Study resources:
Link to practice questions
Massachusetts Driver’s Manual (v. July 2023)
Step 2: Take the Road Test
Schedule the road test once you're ready.
Unless your test is scheduled through a driving school, you'll be required to supply your own vehicle. Note the vehicle requirements, and note that you'll need to have a sponsor with you during the test (my husband took the back seat).
If you're an experienced driver, you should be in your element here. Before you start, the tester will ask for a display of basic hand signals should turn/break signals fail.
Image taken from driving-tests.org
Step 3: Receive Your Full License
Upon passing the road test, the RMV will provide you with a temporary paper license. This document is valid for use until your permanent license arrives mailed to your address within 7 to 10 business days.
3. Can I drive with my foreign driver's license in the US?
As of this time of writing there isn't a definitive answer to the question. A quick online search shows varying answers from 3 months to 1 year.
From personal experience, I’d say Yes presumably for a certain amount of time, just because I got pulled over by the police for speeding in a neighborhood within 3 weeks of being here in Boston and had presented my Singapore driving license to the officer without repercussions. I’m not proud of it and that $150 ticket took me by surprise, but I maintain that I was learning to transition from kilometers to miles. A very understandable, forgivable, novice mistake! 🤓
4. Non-drivers, here's how to get an MA driver's license.
The age to start applying in MA is 16. Between 16-18, you'd get a Junior Operator License (JOL). After 18, you'd get the regular one. The difference lies in the requirement for supervised driving when one is under 18 (see Step 2 below).
Step 1: Obtain a Learner's Permit
The Learner's Permit has a prerequisite knowledge test- you'd need to pass it.
1.1 Start your Learner's Permit application online, and make an appointment to bring the completed application to an RMV Service Center.
There is no wait time to receive the Learner's Permit. The move is to buffer adequate time to study for the test so you could kill two birds with one stone by taking the test during your RMV appointment (see 1.2 below).
1.2 Pass the Learner's Permit test - either at the RMV or online.
When you bring your permit application to the RMV, you could decide if you'd like to take the permit test right away, or online at home.
Test consists of 25 questions. You must score 18 correct to pass. Study. Do not assume that you're an experienced driver and thus will pass the test - you will fumble when it comes to US-specific questions about laws, penalties, DUI limits etc.
Study resources:
Link to practice questions
Massachusetts Driver’s Manual (v. July 2023)
Step 2: Supervised Driving Practice (applicable for those under 18)
Once you have your learner’s permit, you can practice driving with a licensed driver. Your goal at 16 is to work towards a Junior Operator License (JOL), which would allow you to drive on your own.
You must:
Log Driving Hours. At least 40 hours of supervised driving.
Complete a state-approved driver’s education program that includes 30 hours of classroom instruction, 12 hours of behind-the-wheel training, and 6 hours of observation.
Have your permit for at least 6 months without any moving violations.
Step 3: Get Your Junior Operator License (JOL)
To get your JOL, you'll need to take the road test. Schedule the road test once you're ready.
Unless your test is scheduled through a driving school, you'll be required to supply your own vehicle. Note the vehicle requirements, and note that you'll need to have a sponsor with you during the test (during means your sponsor sits at the back seat of the car while you drive at the front with the test examiner).
If you're an experienced driver, you should be in your element here. Before you start, the test examiner will ask for a display of basic hand signals should turn/break signals fail.
Step 4: Get the MA Driver's License when you turn 18
Your JOL will become an unrestricted Massachusetts driver's license when you turn 18.
5. Transferring non-MA license to an MA Driver's License.
If you have a driver’s license from another state, MA state laws require that you convert it within 30 days of becoming a resident here.
Start your process here.
If you consider yourself a resident of another state other than MA, do check state laws about holding two driver's licenses as one may be cancelled. Read this.
