Driving Tests

Can International Students Drive in New Mexico on a Home License?

informational·how to guide·Published April 29, 2026

Can international students drive in New Mexico on a home country license?

Yes, for a time. Section 66-5-4, as the MVD procedure manual gives it, exempts a driver aged 15 or older with a valid home country license until the driver becomes a New Mexico resident or takes a paid driving job. Then you need a New Mexico license. An International Driving Permit helps, and you need liability insurance of at least $25,000/$50,000/$10,000.

Where the New Mexico facts come from

The exemption, exchange student and minor rules come from the Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) Driver Procedures Manual, Chapter 2, which quotes section 66-5-4 of the Motor Vehicle Code, and the foreign license test rule comes from Chapter 11 of the same manual. The visitor and International Driving Permit facts come from the MVD page for foreign visitors. The steps, documents and fees come from the MVD driver's license page, and the insurance minimums from the MVD insurance FAQ. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the New Mexico MVD (mvd.newmexico.gov) before you drive.

What the home license exemption covers

New Mexico requires a valid license to drive, with exceptions. Section 66-5-4 exempts a person who is at least 15 and carries a valid license from the home state or home country. That person must get a New Mexico license on becoming a resident, and before taking a job driving a motor vehicle for pay for someone else.
A temporary foreign visitor who will return home within months, or even a year or more, does not need a New Mexico license either. Carry your valid home license each time you drive.

Which rule fits your stay in New Mexico

You are a temporary visitor and you will go home

You do not need a New Mexico license. Drive on your valid home license and carry liability insurance.

You become a New Mexico resident

You must apply for a New Mexico license and surrender your other license. Ask an MVD field office whether your stay makes you a resident. Our guide to moving to New Mexico and getting a license covers the move.

You will be employed for pay to drive a motor vehicle

You need a New Mexico license before that work starts, even if you are not yet a resident.

Your home license is no longer valid

The exemption needs a valid license. The MVD also does not issue a license when your driving privileges are suspended, revoked or denied by any state.

Do you need an International Driving Permit?

New Mexico, like all states, requires a valid driver's license. The MVD says an International Driving Permit (IDP) is helpful to law enforcement when you carry it as well as your home license. Keep both in the car when you drive. For general rules on driving in the United States, the MVD points to the federal visitors page on usa.gov.

Car insurance you need as a student driver

You must have an auto insurance liability policy with at least the limits in the table below, in U.S. dollars. This applies when you drive on your home license and after you get a New Mexico license. A policy can have higher limits.

New Mexico minimum liability insurance as of 2026

New Mexico minimum liability insurance as of 2026
Coverage	Minimum
Bodily injury or death, one person	$25,000
Bodily injury or death, two or more persons	$50,000
Property damage, any one accident	$10,000

Foreign exchange students under 18

A student who is 15 or older and carries a valid home country license can drive under the same exemption as an adult, until he or she becomes a resident.
The MVD procedure manual says a foreign exchange student can, with proper identification, get a New Mexico driver license or permit when an adult will sign, verify and take on the liability.
A minor is anyone under 18. A parent, guardian or other responsible adult signs the application, and the minor signs too.
If no parent or guardian can sign, the parent or guardian must name another adult in writing, and that adult must accept the legal responsibility for the minor's driving.
The adult who signs is liable with the minor for damages from the minor's negligence or willful misconduct, unless the minor has proof of financial responsibility.
The permit or license type sets the minimum age. Our free practice question on the minimum age for an instructional permit covers the first step.

How to get a New Mexico license when you become a resident

1
Go to an MVD field office
You must apply in person at an MVD field office. An MVD Partner (private) office has a contract with the state MVD to provide MVD services, but it charges administrative fees on top of the MVD fees. Our guide to the New Mexico foreign driver's license has more on the steps for a license from another country.
2
Bring original documents
All documents must be originals. Bring the proofs in the list below. A document that is not in English needs a full written English translation, certified by the translator.
3
Pass the eye test and the written test
A driver with a current license from another country must pass an eye exam and take the written test. The MVD may also require a road test. For example, a license in another language that the office cannot read needs the road test too, unless you bring a certified translation.
4
Give up your home license or choose an ID card
You surrender your foreign license at the counter. The MVD punches a hole in it and gives it back, so it is no longer valid. If you want to keep a valid home license, apply for a New Mexico ID card instead of a license.
5
Pay the fee and get a temporary license
At an MVD field office, the fee is $18 for a four-year license or $34 for an eight-year license. Drivers who move to New Mexico from out of state also pay a one-time $15 DWI records check ($33 or $49 in total). You get a temporary license while the MVD processes and mails your regular license.

Documents for a New Mexico license

REAL ID license: one proof of identification number, one proof of identity and two proofs of New Mexico residency.
Standard Driver's License: one proof of identity and age and two proofs of New Mexico residency.
If you cannot show proof of lawful status, you may only apply for the Standard license or an ID card.

Age 18 to 24: the None for the Road class

Every first-time licensee between 18 and 24 must show a certificate of completion for the self-taught "None for the Road" DWI awareness class. UNM Continuing Education runs the class, not the MVD. Ask the MVD at your field office whether the class applies to you before you plan your visit.

Key takeaways

A valid home country license lets a person aged 15 or older drive in New Mexico until he or she becomes a resident or takes a paid driving job.
A resident must get a New Mexico license in person at an MVD field office and surrender the other license.
Every driver needs liability insurance of at least $25,000 for one person, $50,000 for two or more people and $10,000 for property damage.
An exchange student under 18 needs an adult who signs and accepts the liability.
Next step: practice on our free New Mexico Class D practice test, which is in English only.

International students driving in New Mexico: common questions

Can a 16-year-old exchange student drive on a home country license?

Yes, if the license is valid. The exemption in section 66-5-4 starts at age 15 and ends when the student becomes a resident. To get a New Mexico permit or license instead, the student needs proper identification and an adult who signs the application, verifies it and accepts liability for the student's driving.

Can I keep my home country license after I get a New Mexico license?

Not as a valid license. The MVD procedure manual tells agents not to issue a New Mexico license if you refuse to surrender your foreign license. The license comes back to you with a hole punched in it. To keep a valid home license, apply for a New Mexico ID card instead.

What if my home country license is not in English?

The office checks your name, date of birth, license class, expiration date and restrictions. If staff cannot read them, you take the road test as well as the written test, unless you bring a certified translation. The translator needs no special credentials but signs a statement that the translation is full and complete.

What time of day can I take the New Mexico written test?

Go early. State MVD offices typically do not allow the written test after 3 p.m., so that you have enough time to finish. You also need your eye test, original documents and fee on the same visit, so plan to arrive in the morning.