Connecticut Drive Only License: Eligibility, Documents, and Fees

A Connecticut Drive Only license is a three-year driver’s license for state residents who cannot establish lawful immigration status or obtain a Social Security number. It lets you drive legally in Connecticut, costs $95 in DMV fees across three payments, and requires the same vision test, written knowledge test, learner’s permit period, and road skills exam as a standard license. You must have lived in Connecticut for at least 90 days before you apply.

Who Can Apply

Under Connecticut General Statutes § 14-36m, the Drive Only license is available to anyone who meets the state’s standard licensing requirements but cannot prove lawful presence in the United States.¹ You need to be at least 16 years old and to have lived in Connecticut for 90 days or more before applying.²

The program is designed for people who do not have and cannot obtain a Social Security number. If any immigration status you hold makes you eligible for an SSN, apply for a standard license instead.

Documents to Bring

You will need one primary identity document, one secondary identity document, and two separate pieces of residency proof. Gather everything before you book an appointment; a missing paper means a wasted trip.

Identity

For primary identity, bring one of the following:³

A foreign passport, which may be expired by no more than three years
A valid, unexpired consular identification card issued by your country of citizenship

For secondary identity, bring one of these:¹

A valid, unexpired driver’s license from another state or country, with security features
A valid foreign national identification card
A certified marriage certificate issued in any U.S. state or territory
An original foreign birth certificate with a raised seal

Any document not written in English needs a certified translation. The DMV does not accept informal or machine translations. A certified translation includes a signed statement from the translator attesting to accuracy and credentials, and typically costs $25 to $80 for something like a birth certificate.

Residency

You need two documents from two different sources, and they fall into two groups with different age requirements.³

Most items must be dated at least 90 days before your appointment: utility or bank bills, bank statements, pay stubs, Medicaid or Medicare statements, postmarked mail, USPS change-of-address confirmations, property surveys, and school enrollment records.¹

A second group must be dated at least 12 months before your appointment: property or excise tax bills, annual Social Security or pension statements, homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policies, motor vehicle insurance cards, and residential leases or mortgage contracts.

Application Form

You will fill out Form R-229, the standard non-commercial learner’s permit and driver’s license application.⁴ Your full legal name, date of birth, and address must match exactly what appears on your identity and residency documents.

The Application Steps

Book the Appointment and Pay the First Fees

Schedule your appointment through the DMV’s online system. When you book, you pay $40 for the testing fee and $19 for the learner’s permit fee.²

Vision and Knowledge Tests

At the appointment, the DMV reviews your documents, then administers a vision screening and a written knowledge test on Connecticut traffic laws. You have to pass the vision test before you sit for the written exam.⁴ Pass both and you receive a learner’s permit.

Permit Period and Road Test

The learner’s permit lets you practice on public roads with a licensed driver in the passenger seat. If you are 18 or older, you must hold the permit for at least 90 days before you can take the road skills exam. For the road test, bring a registered, insured vehicle in good working order and a licensed driver who can accompany you to the test site.

After you pass, you pay the $36 Drive Only license fee, which covers a three-year license.² The physical card is not handed over at the counter. The DMV mails it to the address on file, usually within several weeks.

What You Will Pay

DMV fees come in three parts:²

Testing fee: $40, paid online when you book the appointment
Learner’s permit fee: $19, paid at the same time
Drive Only license fee: $36 for three years, paid after the road test

Plan for costs outside the DMV too. Certified document translations run roughly $25 to $80. If you want behind-the-wheel instruction, driving school fees vary by school and hours.

New Work Zone Safety Course for 2026

Starting January 1, 2026, every new learner’s permit applicant must complete a Work Zone Safety Course before the DMV appointment. The course is online. You will need to print the completion certificate and bring it with you. If you already obtained a permit before that date, the requirement does not apply to you. Connecticut has not published a fixed fee for the course.

What the License Does Not Allow

The card is marked on its face as not valid for federal identification.² That has real consequences.

REAL ID enforcement began on May 7, 2025.⁵ The Drive Only license is not REAL ID-compliant, so you cannot use it to board a domestic commercial flight or enter a federal building that requires government-issued photo ID. You will need a passport or another federally accepted document for those.

It also will not get you across a land border. Canada requires U.S. travelers to present a passport or an enhanced driver’s license, and a standard state-issued license does not satisfy that.⁶ Mexico has similar requirements at its ports of entry.

Connecticut law explicitly states that the Drive Only license does not confer the right to register to vote.² It also cannot be used as a stepping stone toward a commercial driver’s license.

Insurance

Connecticut requires every driver to carry liability auto insurance, and Drive Only holders are no exception. The state minimums are $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $25,000 per accident for property damage.⁷ Keep proof of coverage in the vehicle. Driving uninsured can mean suspension and personal liability for any damage you cause.

Renewal

The license is valid for three years. You can renew up to 180 days before expiration, and renewal must be done in person at a DMV hub office by appointment.⁸ Express offices cannot process the renewal. Bring your current license and the $36 renewal fee. If your license has been lost, bring acceptable identification instead.

Let the license lapse for two years or more and the DMV treats you as a brand-new applicant. That means repeating everything: documents, vision test, knowledge test, permit period, and road test.⁹

Privacy of Your DMV Records

Connecticut limits the release of DMV data for civil immigration enforcement. The state generally requires a judicial warrant, subpoena, or court order before releasing license holder information to federal agencies for immigration purposes. Federal agencies have at times accessed state DMV data through interstate law enforcement networks, commercial data brokers, or public records requests filed in other states. No framework is absolute, but Connecticut’s is among the more restrictive.

Where an ITIN Fits In

An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number is a nine-digit number the IRS issues to people who must file federal taxes but cannot get a Social Security number.¹⁰ You apply by submitting Form W-7 with your federal tax return and identity documents such as a passport.¹¹

An ITIN is strictly a tax tool. It does not authorize employment, change immigration status, or serve as identification outside the federal tax system.¹⁰ You do not need an ITIN to get a Drive Only license, and the license does not require or replace an ITIN. If you earn income in Connecticut, filing with an ITIN keeps you compliant with federal law and builds a paper trail that can matter in future immigration proceedings.

1
Justia Law. Connecticut Code Title 14 – Section 14-36m
2
Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles. Get a Drive-Only License
3
Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles. Drive Only Document Checklist
4
Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles. Take the Knowledge and Vision Tests
5
Transportation Security Administration. REAL ID
6
Canada Border Services Agency. Travel and Identification Documents for Entering Canada
7
Connecticut General Assembly. State Minimum Auto Insurance Requirements
8
Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles. Renew a Drive-Only License
9
Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles. Renew Driver License
10
Internal Revenue Service. Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)
11
Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form W-7