If you plan to live in New Hampshire for more than a few months, you are eligible to apply for a state driver's license. An international driver's license will be valid for up to two months, as will certain foreign or out-of-state licenses recognized by the state of New Hampshire. After two months, you need to apply for a state license. Many internationals at Dartmouth reside in New Hampshire, but if you live in Vermont you may access their driver's licensing information at http://www.dmv.state.vt.us/.
New Hampshire State licensing requirements can now be found on-line at http://www.nh.gov/safety/dmv/. For most foreign nationals, the state requires vision, written, and driving tests. Citizens of Canada holding a valid license from their home country may be exempt from the road test requirement. You may write the department at the address listed below for a copy of the driver's test manual to aid in studying for the exams, or stop by the Lebanon office and ask for a copy. The manual is also available on-line in Adobe format at http://nh.gov/safety/dmv/publications/nhdm.pdf.
If you wish to request a letter of support from the Office of Visa and Immigration Services for your driver license application please visit this http://www.dartmouth.edu/~ovis/services/licensereq.html and submit this form https://fs8.formsite.com/Rcatmur/LetterReqForm/secure_index.html.
All Drivers' License applications must be made at the Concord Office at the following address:
State of New Hampshire
Dept. of Motor Vehicles
10 Hazen Dr.
Concord, NH 03305
(603) 271-2371
(603) 271-1080 (Fax)
The fee for an operator’s license is $50.00. Cash, check, or credit cards (except Discover) are accepted. Non-U.S. citizens temporarily residing in NH must take to the Concord office the documents as listed at the following web address: http://nh.gov/safety/dmv/nonuscitizen/nusc2.html.
The hours of operation are Monday through Friday 8:15am to 4:15pm. If you are required to take the driving test, you must be accompanied by a New Hampshire licensed driver over the age of 25 years. The car you use for the driving test must be registered in New Hampshire. If English is your second language, you may bring someone with you to translate the written test.
Any non-U.S. citizens who have never held a driver's license in their home country or in the U.S. are required to complete an approved driver education course. Following is a sampling of local commercial driving schools. Please be advised: these classes fill up quickly and you may be put on a waiting list.
For a list of commercial motor vehicle driving schools licensed by the Division of Motor Vehicles, please go to http://nh.gov/safety/dmv/drivered/commercial.html/.
If you experience any trouble with DMV staff or feel you are not being treated fairly, please ask to speak with Ray Fernandez at the DMV office.
Take Route 89 South to Concord. Take the last exit on Route 89 and head north on Route 93. Take Exit 14 for the State Offices. Turn right at the end of the exit ramp. Drive over the bridge, through two sets of traffic lights, and go up a short hill. At the top of the hill at another stoplight, turn left into the State Offices complex. Continue for approximately a quarter-mile and watch for signs for the Dept. of Motor Vehicles; the office will be on your left.
Click here for a Google map from the Office of Visa and Immigration Services at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH to the DMV office at 10 Hazen Drive in Concord, NH.
For driver's manuals and general information you may also contact the Lebanon DMV in person; however, please remember that you must travel to Concord to apply for the driver's license. (Please call (603) 448-6536 to verify hours)
Directions to Lebanon Dept. of Motor Vehicles, 410 Miracle Mile, Lebanon, NH 03766.
From Hanover, take Rte 89 North to Exit 19 - Lebanon. Go right off the exit ramp onto the "Miracle Mile." The DMV office is about one/half mile up the road on the right, #410, just after Woodworker's Warehouse.
If you have a Green Card, you must also apply at the Concord, New Hampshire Department of Motor Vehicles. You will need your Green Card, Social Security card, and proof of residence. For a detailed list of acceptable documents visit http://nh.gov/safety/dmv/nonuscitizen/nusc1.html.
If you are extending your stay at Dartmouth College and wish to extend your license (even for the purpose of your thirty- or sixty-day grace period if you are in F or J status), please request a letter of support for your driver's license extension from the Office of Visa and Immigration Services. Take this letter, your passport, I-94 card, and I-20 form (F-1 students), DS-2019 form (J-1 exchange visitors), or I-797 form (H-1B workers), and your old license to the DMV office in Concord. They will extend your license the same day.
