United States · Driver licensing
Driver’s license validity by state.
Pick a state and enter your birth date and the date a license is issued to see when it expires under the statute.
Short answer: Texas licenses last up to the first birthday after the eighth anniversary, so 8 to 9 years. California is 5 years, Wisconsin 8, Minnesota 4, Missouri 6, Oregon 8, Florida 8 (6 at age 80 or older), and Arizona runs to age 65 for most drivers.
Find the expiration date
Result
Choose a state, enter both dates and press Find expiration.
Why one answer does not fit all states
States differ on the term, on what date inside the term the license ends, and on whether age changes it. Texas ends a license on the first birthday after the eighth anniversary of the application, so a license can run almost nine years. California ends an original license on the fifth birthday after the application. Wisconsin ends most licenses exactly eight years after issue. Florida and Virginia shorten the term for older drivers, Missouri for drivers under 21 or over 69, and Arizona keys the date to age 65 instead of a fixed number of years.
The 10 states side by side
| State | Term | What the statute says | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | to age 65 (up to 5 years if first issued at 60 or older) | A license is valid until the applicant’s 65th birthday, renewable for successive five-year periods after the 60th birthday, and valid up to five years if first issued to someone 60 or older. | A.R.S. 28-3171(A) |
| California | 5 years | An original license expires on the applicant’s fifth birthday following the application date. | Veh. Code 12816(a) |
| Florida | 8 years (6 years if 80 or older) | An original license expires at midnight on the birthday that next occurs on or after the eighth anniversary of issue (sixth anniversary if the applicant is 80 or older). | Fla. Stat. 322.18(2)(a) |
| Minnesota | 4 years | The expiration date is the driver’s birthday in the fourth year following the date of issuance. Under-21 licenses expire on the 21st birthday. | Minn. Stat. 171.27 subd. 1 |
| Missouri | 6 years (3 years if under 21 or over 69) | A license expires on the applicant’s birthday in the sixth year of issuance, or the third year for applicants under 21 or over 69. | RSMo 302.177 |
| Oregon | 8 years | An original license expires on the anniversary of the licensee’s birthday in the eighth calendar year after the year of issuance. | ORS 807.130(1) |
| Texas | 8 years | A license expires on the first birthday of the holder occurring after the eighth anniversary of the application. | Transp. Code 521.271(a)(1) |
| Virginia | up to 8 years (up to 5 if 75 or older) | No license is issued for more than eight years, or more than five years for a person 75 or older, and it expires on the applicant’s birthday at the end of the period. | Va. Code 46.2-330 |
| Washington | 8 years, with a 6-year option | A license expires on the eighth anniversary of the licensee’s birthdate following issuance, and the department must offer a six-year option. | RCW 46.20.181(1) and (4) |
| Wisconsin | 8 years | Subject to s.343.125(3), licenses other than probationary ones expire 8 years after the date of issuance. | Wis. Stat. 343.20(1)(a) |
Worked example (real dates)
Take a driver born June 15, 1990 whose license is issued October 26, 2026. In California the license expires June 15, 2031, the fifth birthday after the application. In Texas the eighth anniversary is October 26, 2034 and the next birthday after it is June 15, 2035, so the license runs just under eight years and eight months. Florida gives the same June 15, 2035. Oregon’s rule, the birthday in the eighth calendar year after the year of issue, gives June 15, 2034. Wisconsin gives October 26, 2034, exactly eight years. Arizona, for a driver issued the license before 60, runs to the 65th birthday, June 15, 2055.
Method
The tool applies the statute’s formula to the dates you enter: the Nth birthday after a date, the first birthday after an anniversary, the birthday in a given year, or a fixed number of years. Where the statute’s wording does not pin down the exact birthday (Minnesota, Washington, Virginia and Missouri), it shows the rule and does not compute a date. Dates stay in your browser and nothing is sent to our servers.
What this does not cover
- Renewals, which several states measure from the old expiration date rather than the issue date.
- Limited-term licenses tied to a visa or other document, commercial licenses, hazmat endorsements, military extensions and provisional licenses.
- Real ID rules, and the online or in-person renewal windows each state sets.
- States not listed, and any amendment after October 2026. Your license shows its own expiration date, and that date controls.
Sources
- Texas Transportation Code 521.271 (public.law copy of the code) (retrieved October 2026)
- California Vehicle Code 12816 (public.law copy of the code) (retrieved October 2026)
- California DMV, driver license renewal (retrieved October 2026)
- Florida Statutes 322.18 (2025), Florida Senate (retrieved October 2026)
- Oregon Revised Statutes 807.130 (public.law copy of the code) (retrieved October 2026)
- Arizona Revised Statutes 28-3171 (retrieved October 2026)
- Wisconsin Statutes 343.20 (retrieved October 2026)
- Minnesota Statutes 171.27, Revisor of Statutes (retrieved October 2026)
- Washington RCW 46.20.181 (retrieved October 2026)
- Virginia Code 46.2-330, Virginia Law (retrieved October 2026)
- Missouri Revised Statutes 302.177, Revisor of Missouri (retrieved October 2026)
Common mix-ups
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Often assumedDriver's licenses expire every few years in every state.
What the source saysArizona's statute makes a license valid until the applicant's 65th birthday for most applicants, with five-year periods after the 60th birthday and up to five years if first issued at 60 or older. [1]
-
Often assumedA Florida license lasts eight years for everyone.
What the source saysUnder section 322.18 an applicant 80 or older is issued a license that expires on the birthday on or after the sixth anniversary of issue, instead of the eighth for a younger applicant. [2]
-
Often assumedA Minnesota license lasts four years from the issue date.
What the source saysMinnesota sets the expiration at the driver's birthday in the fourth year following issuance, and an under-21 license expires on the licensee's 21st birthday. [3]
-
Often assumedVirginia licenses are always valid for eight years.
What the source saysVirginia says no license shall be issued for more than eight years, and a license issued to a person age 75 or older shall be issued for a period not to exceed five years. [4]
- Arizona Revised Statutes 28-3171 (Arizona Legislature)
- Florida Statutes 322.18 (2025), Florida Senate
- Minnesota Statutes 171.27 (Revisor of Statutes)
- Virginia Code 46.2-330 (Virginia Law)
Checked against these sources on .
Frequently asked questions
How long is a driver’s license valid in Texas?
Eight years plus the time to your next birthday. Transportation Code 521.271(a)(1) ends a license on the first birthday after the eighth anniversary of the application.
How long is a California driver’s license valid?
Five years. Vehicle Code 12816(a) says an original license expires on the applicant’s fifth birthday following the application date.
Does Florida shorten the term for older drivers?
Yes. Under 322.18(2)(a) an original license for someone under 80 runs to the birthday on or after the eighth anniversary of issue, and for someone 80 or older to the birthday on or after the sixth anniversary.
Why is Arizona so long?
A.R.S. 28-3171 makes a license valid until the applicant’s 65th birthday, renewable for successive five-year periods after the 60th birthday, and valid up to five years if first issued at 60 or older.
Why does the tool not give a date for Minnesota or Missouri?
Minnesota’s statute says the birthday “in the fourth year following” issuance and Missouri’s the birthday “in the sixth year of issuance”, which can be read more than one way. Your license shows the date.
Which date do I enter for the issue date?
The date the license is issued, or the application date for states whose statute measures from the application, such as Texas and California.
Does this cover renewals?
No. Several states measure a renewal from the old expiration date instead. Use the date printed on your current license and your state agency’s renewal page.
Does this replace the date printed on my license?
No. The printed date is the one that counts. This page shows how the statute produces it.
Your license shows the real date
This applies statute wording to the dates you enter and is an unofficial guide, not run by any state motor vehicle agency. Nothing you type is transmitted anywhere. The expiration date printed on your license controls; confirm renewals with your state agency.