Foreign Driver's License in New Mexico: Tests and Steps to Switch
Can I swap my foreign driver's license for a New Mexico license?
Yes. Apply at a New Mexico MVD field office and surrender your foreign license. You always take the written test, and you pass an eye exam (20/40 or better in at least one eye). The MVD may also require a road test. Your old license is returned with a hole punched in it. Members of a NATO force follow a separate rule.
Where the New Mexico foreign license facts come from
The tests, documents and surrender steps come from the New Mexico MVD driver's license page, the MVD foreign visitors page and the MVD Driver Procedures Manual (chapters 2 and 11). The REAL ID and Standard license rules come from 2019 Senate Bill 278, the MVD REAL ID document list and a May 2025 MVD press release. The NATO and lawful-status rules come from 18.19.5 NMAC, and the Partner office fees from the MVD page on private offices. The law text is from the 2019 bill, not from the current statute. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the New Mexico MVD (mvd.newmexico.gov) before you drive.
Who must switch to a New Mexico license
Once you live in New Mexico, you must apply for a New Mexico license. To get a New Mexico license, you must surrender any license that another state or country issued. A foreign visitor who is here for a time and will return home, even after a year or more, does not need a New Mexico license. Like all states, New Mexico requires a valid license, and an International Driving Permit helps law enforcement. If your license comes from another U.S. state, read our guide to getting a license after you move to New Mexico.
How to switch a foreign license in New Mexico, step by step
- 1Choose your license and gather documents
Choose a REAL ID license or a Standard Driver's License (see the table below), and bring the documents for that card. Our guide to MVD documents for REAL ID and the Standard license lists them.
- 2Translate documents that are not in English
Each document needs a full written English translation, certified by the translator. The translator needs no special credentials, but gives a printed name, contact details and a signed statement. An abstract translation is not accepted.
- 3Go to an MVD field office
You must go into an MVD field office to get your New Mexico license.
- 4Pass the tests
Take the eye exam and the written test. The MVD may also ask you to take the road test. State offices typically do not start the written test after 3 p.m., so that you have time to finish it.
- 5Surrender the foreign license
Before the agent processes your application, the agent confirms that you accept the surrender. The agent punches a hole in the old license and returns it to you. It is no longer valid. If you refuse, the agent does not issue the New Mexico license. To keep your foreign license valid, you can apply for a New Mexico ID card instead.
Tests for a foreign license holder in New Mexico
| Test | Foreign license holder | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Eye exam | Required | 20/40 or better in at least one eye. Required even with a current license from another state or country. |
| Written test (knowledge exam) | Always required | A current out-of-state license waives it. A current out-of-country license does not. MVD procedure sets the pass mark at 70% or better. |
| Road skills exam | The MVD may require it | Required when the office cannot translate your license to check your name, date of birth, license class, expiration date and restrictions, and you bring no certified translation. |
Retakes of the New Mexico written test
Under 2019 Senate Bill 278, one application and fee gives you not more than three attempts to pass within six months of the application date. MVD procedure lets you retake a failed written test the same day, but not more than twice in one week. Under the same procedure, after three failures of the written or road test, you wait six months from the date of application. Ask the field office how these limits apply to you.
REAL ID license or Standard Driver's License
| Item | REAL ID license | Standard Driver's License |
|---|---|---|
| Who can apply | A person with lawful status, including a foreign national who is not a permanent resident | A person with lawful status, or a person who cannot show lawful status |
| Key documents | One proof of identification number, one proof of identity and two proofs of New Mexico residency. An unexpired foreign passport with a valid U.S. visa and the approved I-94 form, checked through SAVE, proves identity, age and identification number. | One proof of identity and age and two proofs of New Mexico residency |
| Federal use | A REAL ID, passport or other federally accepted document is now required to board domestic flights | Carries the words NOT INTENDED FOR FEDERAL PURPOSES |
NATO force members in New Mexico
New Mexico rule 18.19.5 NMAC covers members of a NATO force. A NATO force is a military unit or force of a NATO member country, other than the U.S., or its civilian component, that is in New Mexico under the North Atlantic Treaty. Its members are the military and civilian personnel and their dependents. If a member asks, the MVD issues a New Mexico license without a written test, driving test or fee. The member must hold a driving permit, license or military driving permit from the NATO force or the NATO member country.
Key takeaways
- A New Mexico resident surrenders the foreign license and applies for a New Mexico license at an MVD field office.
- You always take the written test and pass the eye exam. The MVD may also require the road test.
- Documents that are not in English need a full English translation certified by the translator.
- A person with lawful status may apply for a REAL ID license or a Standard Driver's License. A person who cannot show lawful status may apply only for the Standard license.
- Next step: practice on our free, English-only New Mexico Class D practice test.
Foreign license in New Mexico: common questions
What does the New Mexico eye exam check?
Each new and renewal applicant needs a vision screening of 20/40 or better in at least one eye. If your license has a corrective lens restriction, wear the lenses every time you drive, as our free question on the corrective lens restriction shows.
How long is a New Mexico REAL ID valid for a foreign national?
Under 2019 Senate Bill 278, a REAL ID license for a foreign national with lawful status is valid for no longer than the period of lawful status. If the MVD cannot find the end date of that status and you are not a legal permanent resident, the license expires one year after its start date.
Can NATO personnel drive in New Mexico on their military driving permit?
Yes. Under 18.19.5 NMAC, the MVD accepts as valid the driving permit, license or military driving permit that a NATO force or a NATO member country issued to a member of the force. You take no written test or driving test and pay no fee for this.
Do MVD Partner offices cost more than MVD field offices?
Yes. Private MVD Partner offices charge administrative fees in addition to any MVD fees for your transaction. Ask the Partner office for its total before you start, and compare it with the MVD fee for the same service.
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