Maryland MD License: Classes, Requirements, and Renewal

A Maryland driver’s license is issued by the MDOT Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA), lasts up to eight years for drivers 21 and older, and costs $88 for a new card or $64 to renew.¹ How you get one depends on your situation: first-time drivers go through a graduated system of permit, provisional, and full license; new residents can usually exchange a valid out-of-state card without retesting; and current holders renew online, at a kiosk, or in person depending on what the MVA’s notice says.

License Classes

Maryland’s noncommercial classes are set by Transportation Code § 16-104.1.² Most drivers need a Class C, which covers cars, SUVs, pickups, and any vehicle or combination under 26,001 pounds gross vehicle weight rating. Class B adds single vehicles or combinations at or above 26,001 pounds, such as large trucks or RVs, but not tractor-trailers. Class A covers tractor-trailer combinations on the noncommercial side. Class M is a standalone motorcycle credential and does not authorize you to drive a car; autocycles, by contrast, fall under Class C. Driving a commercial truck or bus for hire requires a CDL, which is a separate process from everything below.

REAL ID or Standard License

Since May 7, 2025, a standard Maryland license is no longer accepted for boarding a domestic flight or entering certain secure federal facilities like military bases.³ A REAL ID-compliant card carries a gold star in the upper corner and satisfies the federal REAL ID Act of 2005. You can still choose a standard license if you have another form of federal ID (like a passport) for the airport. If your driver’s license is your main photo ID, the REAL ID version is worth the slightly stricter paperwork.

Documents You Need

The MVA requires originals or certified copies in several categories. Photocopies and notarized copies are not accepted, and the names across your documents must match exactly.

Identity and age: A U.S. passport (valid or expired less than five years) or an original or certified birth certificate.³
Social Security number: One document showing your full SSN, such as your Social Security card, a W-2, or a 1099.⁴
Maryland residency: Two documents showing your name and Maryland address, such as a utility bill, bank statement, lease, vehicle registration, or property tax bill.³
Legal presence (non-U.S. citizens): Proof of lawful status, such as a permanent resident card or a valid visa with I-94.

If your name has changed through marriage or a court order, bring proof of the change too. The most common reason people walk out of the MVA without a license is a name mismatch between the birth certificate and the Social Security card.

First-Time Drivers

If you have never held a license anywhere, you move through three stages: learner’s permit, provisional license, and full license.

Learner’s Permit

You can apply for a learner’s permit at age 15 years and 9 months.⁵ While you hold it, you can only drive with a supervising driver who is at least 21 and has had a full license for at least three years, and that person must sit in the front passenger seat. How long you have to hold the permit before testing depends on your age and whether you take driver education.

Provisional License

Once you’ve logged the required practice hours and held the permit long enough, you can take the skills test and move to a provisional license. Drivers under 18 need a parent or guardian’s consent and face real restrictions:⁶

For the first 151 days, no passengers under 18 unless they are immediate family or a qualified supervising driver is in the car.
No driving between midnight and 5 a.m. unless accompanied by a licensed driver 21 or older with three years of experience, or unless you are going to or from work, school, or an organized athletic event.
No wireless communication devices at all, including hands-free.
Zero tolerance for alcohol.

Provisional drivers 18 and older face fewer restrictions but still fall under Maryland’s zero-tolerance alcohol rules if they are under 21.⁶ The provisional license converts to a full license once all time and age requirements are met.

Adults Applying for the First Time

Adults 18 and older who have never held a license still go through the graduated system but can usually move through it faster. The testing itself, laid out in Transportation Code § 16-110, is the same at any age:⁷

Vision screening: You need at least 20/40 in each eye and a continuous field of vision of at least 140 degrees for an unrestricted license. Vision between 20/40 and 20/70 can earn a restricted license, such as corrective lenses or daylight-only driving.
Knowledge test: A computerized exam on signs, Maryland driving laws, and safe driving.
Skills test: A behind-the-wheel exam in a vehicle you provide. Autocycles are not allowed for the road test.

Appointments must be scheduled through the MVA’s online system. A new license for drivers 21 and older costs $88, covering a full eight-year term at $11 per year. Drivers under 21 pay $11 per year, and the license expires no later than 60 days after their 21st birthday.¹⁸ You leave the appointment with a temporary paper license; the permanent card arrives by mail in roughly 7 to 10 business days.

New Residents Transferring a License

If you’ve moved to Maryland, you have 60 days to get a Maryland license.⁹ If your out-of-state license is valid or expired less than 12 months, you can exchange it without retaking the knowledge or skills tests. You will still pass a vision screening and bring the same identity, Social Security, and residency documents listed above.

You surrender your out-of-state license at the appointment. If you no longer have the physical card, bring a certified driving record from the issuing state dated within the last 30 days. Licenses expired more than 12 months cannot be exchanged, and neither can suspended ones; in either case, you go through the full application process including both tests. If you held your out-of-state license for fewer than 18 months, the MVA may issue a provisional license even if you are over 18.⁹

Renewing Your License

A standard license lasts up to eight years for drivers 21 and older.⁸ Licenses issued to people with temporary lawful immigration status expire when their authorized stay ends. You can renew up to 12 months before expiration, and the MVA sends renewal notices by mail and email.¹⁰ The eight-year renewal fee is $64.¹

Online and Kiosk Renewal

If your renewal notice says you’re eligible, you can renew online or at an MVA self-service kiosk. Drivers 40 and older have one extra step: you need a vision exam from an MVA-approved provider within the previous two years, with the results submitted electronically before you renew remotely.¹⁰ This is the detail that catches people off guard, so schedule the eye exam a few weeks ahead so the results are already in the system when you log in.

When You Have to Visit a Branch

You must renew in person if your license is limited-term based on immigration status, if it has been expired for a year or more, if you are converting to a REAL ID for the first time, or if your renewal notice says you are not eligible for remote renewal. A legal name change also requires an office visit with supporting documents.¹⁰ If you let your license expire for more than a year without renewing, you lose the ability to renew at all and have to reapply as a new applicant, including both tests.

The MVA can also refuse to renew if you have unpaid state taxes or unpaid unemployment insurance contributions.¹⁰ If you suddenly can’t renew online and don’t know why, a state debt is a likely reason.

Replacements and Address Changes

If your license is lost, stolen, or damaged, you can request a duplicate through the MVA’s online portal or at a branch. You verify your identity, pay a fee (typically around $20), and the replacement arrives by mail.

When you move within Maryland, state law gives you 30 days to notify the MVA of your new address in writing, with your old address, new address, and license number. Missing that window is its own violation and can also delay the renewal notice from reaching you later.

Penalties for Driving Without a Valid License

Driving without a valid license in Maryland is a criminal offense, not a traffic ticket:¹¹

First offense: up to one year in jail, a fine up to $1,000, or both.
Second or later offense within three years: up to two years in jail, a fine up to $1,000, or both.

A conviction also adds 12 points to your driving record, which is enough for an automatic revocation if you later obtain a license. Driving on a suspended or revoked license carries a fine of up to $500 and requires a mandatory court appearance.¹¹ Judges do impose real jail time on repeat offenders, and the 12-point hit follows you for years.

1
MDOT Motor Vehicle Administration. License and ID Fees
2
Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Transportation 16-104.1 – Noncommercial Drivers License Classes
3
Transportation Security Administration. Maryland Residents Will Need a REAL ID to Board an Airplane Starting May 2025
4
MDOT Motor Vehicle Administration. Identification ID Card – Section: What You Need for an ID Card
5
MDOT Motor Vehicle Administration. Learners Permit
6
MDOT Motor Vehicle Administration. Provisional Drivers License
7
Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Transportation 16-110 – Examination of Applicants
8
Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Transportation 16-115 – Expiration and Renewal of Licenses
9
MDOT Motor Vehicle Administration. Get a Maryland Drivers License or ID Card
10
MDOT Motor Vehicle Administration. Renew a License or ID
11
Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Transportation 16-303