Where to study

Tests

Driving testsCitizenship testsSchool and university admissionsNursing, medicine and healthEnglish and French testsTeachingMoney, law and insuranceTrades and work certification and licensesPilots, drones, boats and radio

Countries

United StatesCanadaUnited KingdomAustraliaNew Zealand

Idaho · Permit test

How to get an Idaho driver’s license

It depends on your age. Under 17, you finish approved driver training and the graduated driver’s license (GDL) program, then pass the knowledge and skills tests, and you can be licensed from 15. At 17 or older, you pass the knowledge test, practice on a Class D instruction permit and then pass the skills test. Every Idaho driver’s license is issued at a county driver’s license office, and you can add the Star, Idaho’s REAL ID, for the same price.

  • 15Youngest age for a Class D license
  • 30 daysTime new residents have to switch
  • 4 or 8 yearsHow long an adult license lasts
Find a driver’s license office

Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

Steps to an Idaho driver’s license by age

WhoRoute to a license
Under 17Driver training permit, approved driver training, at least 6 months on a supervised instruction permit, then the knowledge and skills tests
17 or older, never licensedKnowledge test, Class D instruction permit, then the skills test
Licensed in another stateKnowledge test and vision screening, plus a skills test if your license expired 25 months ago or more
Licensed in another countryKnowledge test, plus a skills test unless an agreement with your country waives it

Under 18, a parent or legal guardian signs your application and takes legal responsibility for your driving, and you show that you’re in school or have graduated. Both are on the guide’s list of what to bring.

Idaho driving permits and the graduated license rules →What to bring to the county office →The Idaho driving test →

What is the Idaho driver’s license age?

You must be 15 to take the knowledge and skills tests and to be licensed, and under 17 only after driver training and the supervised instruction period. From 17, you don’t need driver training.

Your license shows your age:

  • From 15 to 17: printed vertically with a green border around the photo, it reads “Under 18 until” a date and expires five days after your 18th birthday
  • From 18 to 20: vertical with a red border, it reads “Under 21 until” a date and expires five days after your 21st birthday

The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) says not to renew before those birthdays unless you’ll be living out of state at the time.

From 21, you choose a license for four years, or for eight years if you’re 21 to 62, and you can renew up to 25 months before it expires. Eligible drivers can renew online.

Idaho driver’s license and permit fees

ItemFee
1-year license, age 17 or 20$20
3-year license, ages 15 to 21$30
4-year license, age 21 and older$35
8-year license, ages 21 to 62$60
Class D instruction permit$20
Driver training permit$21.50
Parent-taught training permit$16.50
Duplicate license or permit$20
License extension, out of state$10

All fees are non-refundable. Both training permit fees include $6.50 collected early for your skills test receipt. The knowledge test fee is on the guide, and the skills test fee is on the road test page.

Idaho Code §49‑306 sets the 1-year license for drivers aged 17 or 20; ITD’s web fee table labels it “age 17 to 20.” Renewing online, where you’re eligible, takes $5 off a license renewal, not an ID card.

The Star Card, Idaho’s REAL ID

The Star Card is an Idaho license or ID card with a star in the upper right corner, showing it meets federal REAL ID standards. It’s optional. Since May 7, 2025, you need it, a US passport or another federally accepted ID to board a commercial flight or enter a federal building, such as a military base or the Idaho National Laboratory. Without the star, your card still works for driving and everyday ID.

It costs the same as a card without the star, and getting one doesn’t mean new tests. You get it at the same county office, with more papers:

  • Proof of identity and lawful presence, such as a certified birth certificate or a permanent resident card
  • Name change documents, if your name doesn’t match, such as a certified marriage certificate
  • Your Social Security number for verification
  • Two proofs of your Idaho address

Instruction permits aren’t issued with a star, because they’re temporary. ITD’s Add the Star tool builds a personal checklist of the documents you need.

Moving to Idaho with a license

You must apply for an Idaho license within 30 days of living in Idaho, even if your old license hasn’t expired. College students and active-duty military, with their dependents, who keep a valid license and residency in another state don’t have to switch.

If you’ve held an Idaho license before, Idaho Code §49‑319 says you don’t retake the knowledge test. With a license from another country, drivers from Germany skip the skills test, and drivers from Korea or Taiwan skip it if they hand in their license.

Proof of identity for new DMV customers

Since July 1, 2026, ITD’s Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) requires government-issued photo ID showing your full legal name, date of birth and photo to set up your profile in the DMV system, and new customers do this in person. The documents ITD accepts include:

  • Idaho and out-of-state licenses and ID cards
  • Department of Homeland Security documents
  • US military IDs
  • US and foreign passports
  • Idaho concealed weapons permits

A certified birth document may be accepted with photo ID, and ITD says other rules apply for minors.

Sources: Idaho Transportation Department · Idaho Legislature and 8 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

Explore

Everything else, in one place

OverviewWhere to learnDrivers manualDriving permitDrivers edRoad testCDL