Before you start

A valid visa or other admission category
An electronic I-94 record from the CBP website
Work authorisation from DHS for a Social Security number
Proof of legal presence, plus two proofs of a Louisiana address, for the OMV
A Social Security number, or documentation of ineligibility for one

Step-by-step

1
Download your I-94 in the first few days
It records your admission class and 'admit until' date, and it is what employers and the OMV will ask for. Retrieved electronically from the CBP website — the visa sticker in your passport is a different document entirely.
OnlineWho: YouWeek 1
2
Wait about ten days, then apply for a Social Security number
SSA verifies status against DHS systems that lag entry by one to two weeks, so an immediate visit usually wastes the trip. File Form SS-5 in person with your passport, visa and I-94. There is no fee.
In personWho: YouFrom ~day 10Free
3
If you cannot get an SSN, file for an ITIN
IRS Form W-7 produces an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number for tax filing, and many banks accept it. It grants no right to work.
OnlineWho: You
4
Establish whether you convert or test
A valid licence from another US state generally converts. A foreign licence usually means the knowledge test and a road test, though Louisiana recognises some foreign licences by agreement — confirm your specific country with the OMV before booking anything, because it decides how many appointments you need.
OnlineWho: YouWeek 1
5
Transfer the licence within 30 days
Bring legal-presence documents, two proofs of a Louisiana address and your Social Security number or documentation of ineligibility. Ask for the REAL ID-compliant version and bring the full document set, or you will be back.
In personWho: YouWithin 30 days
6
Work out which municipality you live in, and register accordingly
East Baton Rouge Parish contains the consolidated City-Parish plus Baker, Zachary, Central and the new City of St. George. Which one your address falls in decides your sales tax rate, your school district and in some cases which police force answers. The City-Parish and St. George are still negotiating which services transfer and when, so confirm at the address rather than assuming.
OnlineWho: YouBefore signing a lease

Documents you’ll need

Passport with valid visa
I-94 admission record from the CBP website
Form SS-5 for a Social Security number, or IRS Form W-7 for an ITIN
Proof of legal presence for the OMV
Two documents proving a Louisiana residential address

Things most newcomers don’t know

Your postal address does not tell you which government you live under.

East Baton Rouge Parish holds the consolidated City-Parish and four other incorporated cities, one of which — St. George — only came into being in 2024 and is still taking over services from the parish one agreement at a time. Sales tax, schools and municipal services follow those lines. A newcomer who reads 'Baton Rouge, LA 70817' and assumes one government is often wrong.

Source: City of Baton Rouge — City of St. George transition

Louisiana wants proof of legal presence, and that is a separate idea from identity.

The OMV requires documents establishing lawful presence in the United States as well as identity and address. For a non-citizen that means the passport, the visa and the I-94 together, and the credential is then issued only for the period of authorised status. People bring a passport and a lease and are turned away for missing the middle piece.

Source: Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles — Expresslane

Eighty miles inland is not out of the hurricane's reach.

Baton Rouge does not get storm surge, but it gets sustained hurricane-force wind and enormous rainfall, and it is also the destination for a great deal of contraflowed evacuation traffic from the coast. That means fuel, hotels and shop shelves go before a storm that is not even forecast to hit here. Plan for the second-order effects, not just the wind.

Source: Ready.gov — hurricanes and evacuation planning

The visa sticker's expiry is not your permission to stay.

A visa authorises travel to a port of entry; the officer there decides how long you may remain and records it on the I-94. Overstaying that date carries consequences the visa expiry does not.

Source: CBP — retrieve your I-94 admission record

Common mistakes to avoid

Missing the 30-day window because your old licence is still valid.
Arriving at the OMV with identity documents but nothing establishing legal presence.
Bringing one proof of Louisiana address when two are required.
Assuming a 'Baton Rouge' address means the City-Parish is your government.
Visiting a Social Security office before DHS records have synced.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.

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