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 lawful presence, a Social Security number and Idaho residency for the DMV
A second, different proof of Idaho residency if you want the Star Card

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 DMV 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
Get an Idaho licence or ID card within 30 days
The deadline runs from the day you move and applies whether or not your out-of-state credential has expired. Students enrolled at an Idaho college or university, and active-duty military and their dependents, may keep a valid out-of-state licence instead.
In personWho: YouWithin 30 days
5
Ask for the Star Card while you are already there
The Star Card is Idaho's REAL ID. Since 7 May 2025 a credential without the star cannot be used at an airport security checkpoint. It needs a second, different document proving Idaho residency — bring two from the start rather than making a second trip.
In personWho: You
6
Expect a knowledge test only if you have never been licensed
Idaho tests new drivers and anyone whose licence has been expired for 25 months or more on Idaho traffic law, signs, signals and markings. A currently valid foreign or out-of-state licence normally transfers without that.
In personWho: You

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 lawful presence and of your Social Security number
Two different proofs of Idaho residency, for the Star Card

Things most newcomers don’t know

Thirty days, and an expired out-of-state licence does not buy you time.

Idaho's rule is explicit that the 30-day deadline applies whether or not your existing credential has expired. People arriving with a licence that has months left assume they can wait, and people arriving with an expired one assume they are already in trouble — both are wrong in the same direction. It is 30 days from the move, full stop.

Source: Idaho Transportation Department — new to Idaho

Idaho's REAL ID has a different name, which trips people up at the counter.

It is called the Star Card. Guides written nationally say 'ask for a REAL ID'; Idaho's own forms, signage and website say Star Card. The practical difference is documentary: you need a second, different proof of Idaho residency for it, so bringing only one document means coming back.

Source: Idaho Transportation Department — Star Card documents

Students and active-duty military are carved out of the licence requirement.

Someone enrolled at an Idaho college or university, and active-duty service members and their dependents, may drive on a valid out-of-state licence rather than transferring. In a city with a 25,000-student university that exemption applies to a lot of newcomers, and almost nobody mentions it.

Source: Idaho Transportation Department — new to Idaho

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: US Customs and Border Protection — I-94 record

Common mistakes to avoid

Assuming a licence with time left on it means the 30-day clock has not started.
Bringing one proof of Idaho residency and then wanting the Star Card, which needs two.
Asking for a 'REAL ID' and not recognising the Star Card branding on Idaho's own materials.
Not knowing that student and active-duty exemptions exist before spending a morning at the DMV.
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.