New Hampshire driver license and ID card: first license, renewal, replacement and REAL ID

How to get a first New Hampshire driver license, including the rules for drivers under 18, transfer an out-of-state license, renew or replace your card, and what a REAL ID or non-driver ID card requires, based on the NH DMV's own pages.

Guide · New Hampshire · REAL ID · Driver licenses · Renewals · ID cards · updated October 29, 2026

New Hampshire driver licenses and non-driver ID cards are issued by the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV), part of the New Hampshire Department of Safety. This guide covers the common cases in order: a first license (including the extra rules for drivers under 18), moving to New Hampshire with a license from another state, renewing, replacing a lost card, and choosing between a REAL ID and a standard card. For booking an appointment and the general document list, see the New Hampshire DMV visit guide.

Your first New Hampshire license

The DMV says you can start learning to drive at 15½, but you must be at least 16 to apply for a license. For a first license you book an appointment for the driver license knowledge test and bring:

  • Form DSMV 450, the Application for Driver License.
  • Proof of identity and residency from the DMV's required documents list for the card you want (REAL ID or not REAL ID).
  • The license fee.

You then take a vision test and the knowledge test. The road test is scheduled only after you pass the knowledge test, by calling 603-227-4000.

Drivers under 18

Applicants under 18 must complete an approved Driver Education program and 40 hours of additional supervised driving. At the appointment, the DMV asks for:

  • The application (DSMV 450)
  • Two identity documents from the DMV's required list
  • The original green Driver Education Completion Certificate
  • A Parent or Guardian Authorization Certificate (DSMV 38)
  • A completed Driver's Out-Of-Class Log Sheet (DSMV 509) signed by a parent or guardian

You must pass a vision test, a knowledge test and a road test. You pay the fee and have your picture taken before testing begins.

Anyone over 16 and under 21 who qualifies receives a Youth Operator License. It is printed vertically, says "Under 21 until (date)" and expires on your 21st birthday. Youth operators also face extra driving restrictions. The DMV notes that New Hampshire does not honor or transfer driving permits from other states.

Moving to New Hampshire

If you set up residence in New Hampshire and drive here, the DMV says you must get a New Hampshire license within 60 days. If you live here but do not drive here, you are not required to get one.

If you are 18 or older, you transfer your license by making an appointment at a DMV office and bringing:

  • Form DSMV 450
  • Proof of identity and residency for the card type you want
  • The fee
  • You will also take a vision test.

You must surrender any other state's license you hold. Drivers under 18 with an out-of-state license must meet all the requirements for minors, including driver education. First-time applicants who are not U.S. citizens apply at the Concord office.

The DMV also keeps a list of out-of-state license classes that are not valid in New Hampshire. It currently lists Connecticut's "Drive Only" license and Delaware's "Driving Privilege Only" card.

Renewing your license

The DMV mails a renewal notice about two months before your license expires. You will not get one if your mail is forwarded, if you moved without telling the DMV, or if your license is suspended.

Online

Your renewal notice says whether you can renew online. If you can, it shows a Renewal Identification Number (RIN), which works from 60 days before to 60 days after your birthday. To renew online:

  • You need your current license.
  • You pay by MasterCard, VISA, Discover or American Express.
  • You need a printer for the temporary license.

Your current photo is reused. The new card is mailed within 60 days. If you are turning 21, renew no sooner than your birthday to get a horizontal license. You cannot get a REAL ID for the first time online.

In person

Book an appointment and bring the DSMV 450 application, your current license, the fee and, for a REAL ID upgrade, the REAL ID documents. You will take a vision test. Expired licenses follow these rules:

  • Expired less than one year: renew as usual.
  • Expired one to three years: you also need identity and residency documents.
  • Expired three years or more: you also need those documents, and you must pass a vision test, a knowledge test and a road test.

Replacing a lost or stolen license

If your photo is on file, you can order a duplicate online and have it mailed to your New Hampshire address. You can also book an appointment and bring the Application for Duplicate Driver License or Non-Driver ID (DSMV 637) and the fee. A third option is to leave the signed DSMV 637 and a $20 check in a DMV drop box. If you are temporarily out of state, you can apply by mail for a temporary duplicate valid for six months. To do that, you also need the Temporarily Away form.

REAL ID

The DMV says REAL ID is voluntary in New Hampshire. Since May 7, 2025, you need a REAL ID license or ID, a passport or other federally accepted ID to board domestic flights or enter secure federal facilities. A REAL ID card has a star in the top right corner. A standard card is marked "NOT FOR FEDERAL IDENTIFICATION".

You get a REAL ID in person, either when you renew or at an upgrade appointment. Bring the documents on the DMV's REAL ID checklist (DSMV 634A):

  • One proof of identity
  • One proof of your Social Security number
  • Two proofs of New Hampshire residency
  • Proof of any name change

The DMV's fee list shows $60 for a REAL ID license and $50 for a standard one. If you upgrade before your renewal, there is a $10 replacement fee. The DMV suggests booking at least three months before you need the card. Its online document checker can help you prepare. For background, see REAL ID explained.

Non-driver ID cards

A non-driver ID card is for New Hampshire residents at least 12 years old who do not hold a valid driver license. You book an appointment and bring the DSMV 450 application, identity and residency documents, and the fee, which the DMV lists as $20. You receive a 60-day temporary paper ID. The permanent card is mailed to you and is valid for 5 years. Eligible holders can renew online. If you are not eligible to renew online, you can renew through a drop box or at an appointment.

For vehicle paperwork, see the New Hampshire vehicle registration and title guide.

Sources · checked October 29, 2026

We wrote this summary ourselves from the official pages above on the date shown. Agencies change rules without notice: the official page always wins. DMVorganization.org is independent and not a government agency.

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