Can I Keep My NY License and Get One in Another State?

You generally cannot hold valid driver licenses in two states at the same time. States participate in a national driver register designed to ensure one driver holds one license, and applying for a license in a new state ordinarily requires surrendering the one you hold.

Which state should it be?

Your license should be issued by the state of your actual residence — where you are domiciled, registered to vote and file taxes. Spending part of the year elsewhere does not by itself change that.

Why people ask

Usually because of a suspension. Obtaining a license in another state does not erase a New York suspension: convictions and suspensions are reported between states, and driving in New York on another state’s license while suspended here is still aggravated unlicensed operation under VTL §511 — a crime, not a ticket.

If your New York license is suspended

The route back is resolving the underlying matter, not relocating the paperwork. See our points and license page for how suspensions work and how they end.

General information only, not legal advice. Licensing rules vary by state and change.