STATE DRIVER'S LICENSE POLICIES

 

Interval between licensesa
Number of licensed drivers (thousands), 1994b
In-Person Renewals Requiredc
Vision Checked at Renewald
Knowledge Test at Renewale
Road Test at Renewalf
Alabama 4 3,043 Yes No No No
Alaska 5 443 Yes No No
Arizonag 4, 45 2,654 > 70 y.; after crash No No
Arkansas 4 1,770 Yes Yes No No
California 4 20,359 Driving record >70 y.; periodic (record) > 70 y. No
Colorado 5 2,620 Yes Yes Driving record Driving record
Connecticut 4 2,205 Yes Yes No No
Delaware 5 512 Yes Yes No No
DC 4 366 Yes Yes > 75 y. > 75 y.
Floridah 6, 4 10,885 Yes Yes No No
Georgia 4 4,666 Yes No No
Hawaiii 4, 2 742 Yes Yes 15-24, > 65 y. Examiner discretion
Idaho 3 779 Yes Yes No Discretion
Illinoisj 4, 2, 1 7,548 Yes Yes Every 8 years > 69 y.
Indianak 4, 3 3,834 Yes Yes > 75 y. > 75 y.
Iowal 4, 2 1,921 Yes Yes Discretion Discretion
Kansas 4 1,794 Yes Yes Open-book No
Kentucky 4 2,498 Yes No No No
Louisiana 4 2,606 Yes Unavailable No
Maine 4 916 Yes 40, 52, >65 y. No No
Maryland 4 3,311 Yes Yes No No
Massachusetts 4 4,209 Yes Yes No No
Michigan 4 6,602 Driving record Every other Every other Possible
Minnesota 4 2,668 Yes Yes No No
Mississippi 4 1,659 No No No
Missouri 3 3,512 Yes Yes No No
Montana 4 536 Yes Yes No Examiner discretion
Nebraska 4 1,154 Ye Yes Driving record Examiner discretion
Nevada 4 987 Yes Yes Driving record Driving record
New Hampshire 4 878 Yes Yes > 75 y. > 75 y.
New Jersey 4 5,521 No No No
New Mexicom 4, 1 1,162 Yes Yes and every year >75 y. No No
New York 4 10,444 Yes No No
North Carolina 4 4,779 Yes No No
North Dakota 4 443 Yes Yes No No
Ohio 4 7,722 Yes Yes No No
Oklahoma 4 2,363 No No No
Oregon 4 2,401 Yes Every other >50 y. No No
Pennsylvanian 4 8,146 Yes No No
Rhode Islando 5, 2 682 Yes Yes No Discretionary
South Carolina 4 2,458 Yes No No
South Dakota 4 512 Yes Yes No No
Tennessee 4 3,583 Yes No No No
Texas 4 12,012 Driving record Yes No No
Utah 5 1,203 Driving record Every other; every >65 y. No No
Vermont 4 435 No No No
Virginia 5 4,631 Yes Yes Driving record No
Washington 4 3,741 Yes Yes Examiner discretion Examiner discretion
West Virginia 4 1,317 Yes No No No
Wisconsin 4 3,542 Yes Yes No No
Wyoming 4 354 Yes Yes No Examiner discretion
USA 175,128

Table created by Evan Fieldston, Princeton, NJ.

a David Levy, Jon Vernick, Kim Ammann Howard, "Driver's License Renewal Policies and Senior Traffic Fatalities," Journal of the American Medical Association 274:13 (October 5, 1995), p. 1027.

b "Traffic Safety Facts 1994: State Traffic Data." National Center for Statistics & Analysis, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation.

c Elaine Petrucelli and Maureen Malinowski, Status of Medical Review in Driver Licensing: Policies, Programs and Standards (Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, U.S Department of Transportation, March 1992), pp. 11-12.

d Levy, et al., p. 1027.

e Petrucelli, et al., pp. 99-195.

f  Ibid.

g  4-y license at 16 y.; 45-y license at 20.

h  4-y license for drivers with a conviction within 3 years

i  2-year renewal for drivers aged 15-24 y or >65 y.

j  2-year renewal for drivers aged 81-86 y. Yearly renewal for drivers >87 y.

k  3-year renewal for drivers aged >75 y.

l  2-year renewal for drivers aged <18 y. or >70 y.

m  1-year renewal after age 75 y.

n  Ten percent of drivers aged >45 y randomly chosen each year for medical and/or vision test.

o  Renewal after 2 y for first license and for drivers aged >70 y.

p  "State Legislative Fact Sheet: Graduated Driver Licensing System," October 1996, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation

q  Petrucelli, et. al., p. 13.

r  "Questions Commonly Asked About E-Codes." Newton, MA: Education Development Center, Inc., 1993.

s  "Traffic Safety Facts 1994: State Traffic Data."

t Ibid.