Out-of-State TLC Drivers: ID-5 Form and FS-6T Receipt

If your driver license is from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut or any state other than New York, TLC needs one extra step: take the ID-5 form to any New York State DMV office, let the DMV check your ID and take your photo (free, no appointment), get the FS-6T receipt, and upload it to TLC UP. This has been mandatory since October 1, 2025 for new, renewal and replacement licenses. New applications are not processed until the receipt is uploaded, so do it in the first days of your 90-day window.

Why TLC added this step

TLC licenses now use a single design that carries your New York State DMV photo. TLC's Driver License Design page says: "TLC will only use New York State DMV photos." For drivers with a New York license, TLC already has that photo through the DMV. For out-of-state drivers it doesn't — so the ID-5 visit lets the New York DMV verify your identity, take your picture and create or confirm a DMV Client ID number, which TLC then uses for your license. You are not getting a New York driver license by doing this; it is an identity record.

Step by step

When to do it, by situation

Renewals. TLC's design page says TLC UP will only allow the upload during your renewal period. If you try earlier, it won't work — that is expected. Plan it alongside your renewal drug test and courses with the license renewal planner.

Replacements. If your license is lost or stolen, the ID-5 steps come before your appointment at TLC's Long Island City office. Bring the DMV receipt; TLC's FAQ says out-of-state license holders get the replacement at the appointment, while New York license holders get a temporary paper license and the card by mail. The replacement fee is $25 (rule 80-07(e)).

The other out-of-state requirement: your driving abstract

The ID-5 does not replace your driving record. Rule 80-04(d) says an applicant whose license is from another state — or who held another state's license in the two years before applying — must give TLC an abstract of their driving record from that state that:

• is dated no more than 90 days before the application date, and
• covers at least the two years before the application.

TLC's licensing page asks for an original out-of-state driver record. TLC's application guide also says that if your New York license is less than one year old, you need your most recent out-of-state abstract. If the abstract is missing or too old, you'll get the "Out of State DMV Driver Record" message on TLC's missing-requirements list.

Order it early. Some states take time to send records. But don't order it too early either: an abstract dated more than 90 days before you file won't be accepted.

Changing your DMV state

If you change your driver license from one state to another (for example, from New York to New Jersey after moving), TLC's design page says you must complete the TLC Affirmation for DMV State Change — every time you change states — and email it to licensinginquiries@tlc.nyc.gov with:

• a copy of your current, valid out-of-state chauffeur-equivalent license, and
• a current driving abstract showing at least two years of history.

Your new state's license must be the class your state uses for driving passengers for hire; a basic license may not qualify. Ask your new state's DMV. See also TLC license with an out-of-state license.

A worked example

This is a made-up example to show the order of steps. Amina lives in Jersey City and holds a New Jersey license of the class NJ uses for driving passengers for hire. She files her TLC application in LARS on a Monday. That week she:

1. Orders her New Jersey driving abstract covering the last two years.
2. Prints the ID-5 and visits a NYS DMV office in Manhattan with her original proofs of name, date of birth and signature. The clerk completes the ID-5, takes her photo and hands her an FS-6T.
3. Uploads the FS-6T and the abstract in TLC UP the same evening.

Only after the upload does TLC start processing her application. Her drug test, fingerprints, medical form, defensive driving, courses and exam still have to fit inside the same 90 days — see the 90-day planner.

Common problems and fixes

• "Application not moving." For applications submitted on or after October 1, 2025, TLC says nothing is processed until the FS-6T is uploaded. Check TLC UP for the upload, not just your email.
• "TLC UP won't take my receipt." If you are a current licensee outside your renewal period, that is expected. Keep the receipt and upload it when renewal opens.
• "My photo looks old." TLC can direct you to update your photo. Rule 80-10(e) says a driver whose appearance has changed to a significant extent must arrange a new photograph ($50 fine if not). Out-of-state licensees do the ID-5 steps, then book an appointment at the Long Island City office.
• "I want to keep my old TLC photo." You can't: TLC says it will only use New York State DMV photos from now on.

Terms on this page

• ID-5 — a NYS DMV form that DMV staff complete to verify identity and take a photo. You print it but don't fill it in.
• FS-6T — the DMV receipt you get after the ID-5 visit; proof for TLC that the Client ID step is done.
• Client ID — the DMV's identity number for you, which TLC needs to issue your license with a DMV photo.
• Driving abstract — your official driving record from your state's licensing agency.
• Chauffeur-equivalent license — your state's license class for driving passengers for hire; in New York, Class E or a CDL A/B/C. See Class E chauffeur license.

Other forms you may need are listed in the TLC forms directory, and the medical form rules are in TLC medical certification form. Not sure which TLC license you need? Use which TLC license do I need. Paratransit drivers, see paratransit drivers.