GlobeQuest
Legal & ID🇺🇸 Baltimore, United States

Status, Social Security number and a Maryland licence

There is no post-arrival registration in the US: your I-94 record is your status. In the first weeks you need a Social Security number if work-authorised, or an ITIN if not. Maryland's pressure point is the MVA: appointments are the constraint, the new-resident window is 60 days, and the document list depends on which class of licence you are eligible for. Maryland is one of the states that issues a licence to residents who cannot prove lawful presence, marked as not valid for federal identification — useful to know exists, but it is not a REAL ID and will not board a domestic flight.

Total cost
A Social Security card is free and an ITIN application is free. Maryland licence, ID and titling fees are published by the MVA and change; the vehicle excise tax charged at titling is assessed on the vehicle's value and is usually the largest single number in the process. USCIS petition fees changed substantially in 2024 and 2025 — use the official fee calculator rather than any secondary source.
Time needed
The Social Security card usually arrives within a few weeks. Licensing timing is a function of MVA appointment availability, which is the reason to book in week one rather than at week eight of the 60-day window.
Validity
Your permitted stay is the 'admit until' date on the I-94, not the expiry printed in your visa. Maryland licences for temporary visa holders are limited to the period of authorised status, so a short status means a short licence and another appointment later.
Verified
August 2026
Medium confidence·Non-US citizens moving to Baltimore. Immigration is federal — Maryland issues no residence permits. The Maryland-specific features are that the MVA runs on booked appointments, that new residents get a 60-day window rather than an open-ended one, and that Maryland issues a non-REAL-ID 'not for federal purposes' licence to people who cannot document lawful presence.

Before you start

  • A valid visa or other admission category, and work authorisation from DHS for anything paid
  • An electronic I-94 record from the CBP website
  • A Maryland address, evidenced for the licensing application
  • A booked MVA appointment

Step-by-step

  1. 1

    Download your I-94 in the first few days

    It records your admission class and 'admit until' date, and it is what employers, the MVA and the Social Security Administration will ask for. Retrieved electronically from the CBP website, free.

    OnlineWho: YouWeek 1
  2. 2

    Wait about ten days, then apply for a Social Security number

    The SSA verifies your status against DHS systems that lag entry by one to two weeks. File Form SS-5 in person with your passport, visa and I-94. There is no fee.

    In personWho: YouFrom ~day 10Free
  3. 3

    If you cannot get an SSN, file for an ITIN

    IRS Form W-7 produces an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number for tax filing, accepted by many banks and landlords. It grants no right to work.

    OnlineWho: You
  4. 4

    Book an MVA appointment as soon as you have an address

    Maryland MVA branches run largely on booked appointments and popular branches book out. Maryland's window for new residents is 60 days, which sounds generous until you try to find a slot. Book first, gather documents second.

    OnlineWho: YouWeek 1
  5. 5

    Establish which licence class you qualify for

    Maryland issues a REAL ID-compliant licence to people who can document lawful presence, and a separate licence marked not valid for federal identification to residents who cannot. The document sets differ and you cannot change class on the day. Confirm on the MVA's own document guide before travelling to the branch.

    OnlineWho: YouBefore the appointment
  6. 6

    Register with the city and, separately, with the county if you cross the line

    Baltimore City is an independent city, so city services, schools and permits are entirely separate from Baltimore County's. Whichever jurisdiction your address is in is where you register for everything local, and it is the jurisdiction whose income tax rate you pay.

    OnlineWho: You
  7. 7

    Keep a copy of every immigration document in two places

    The I-94, the visa page, the approval notices and the SSN card get asked for repeatedly across the first year — by employers, banks, landlords, the MVA and the marketplace. Scan them once and keep the set somewhere you can reach from a phone.

    OnlineWho: 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
  • Two proofs of a Maryland residential address, as specified by the MVA
  • Certified English translations of any non-English documents
  • Social Security card or an SSA denial letter, depending on the licence class

Things most newcomers don’t know

Baltimore City is not in Baltimore County, and this is not a technicality.

Maryland has a small number of independent cities and Baltimore is the significant one. It sits outside every county, with its own income tax rate, school system, police department, circuit court and permitting offices. Addresses in Towson or Dundalk carry a Baltimore postal identity and are governed by the county. Every local form you fill in for the next year turns on which of the two you are actually in.

Source: State of Maryland

Maryland issues a licence to residents who cannot prove lawful presence — but it is not a REAL ID.

Maryland is one of a group of states that will license an otherwise-qualified resident regardless of immigration status, on a credential marked 'not acceptable for federal purposes'. It lets people drive and insure a car legally. It will not board a domestic flight or enter a federal building, and it does not change anyone's immigration status. Know which credential you are being issued.

Source: Maryland MVA / TSA REAL ID

The 60-day clock and the appointment calendar are different problems.

Maryland gives new residents 60 days to title and register, which reads as comfortable. The constraint is not the deadline, it is MVA appointment availability at the branch you can actually reach. Book the appointment in your first week and let the documents catch up.

Source: Maryland MVA

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. People routinely plan around the wrong date and discover the error at renewal.

Source: US Customs and Border Protection — I-94 record

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Assuming a 'Baltimore' postal address means you are in Baltimore City — a large share of them are not.
  • Visiting a Social Security office in the first week, before DHS records have synced.
  • Turning up at the MVA with the document set for the wrong licence class.
  • Letting the 60-day window run down before discovering there are no appointments.
  • Treating a 'not for federal purposes' licence as a REAL ID at an airport.

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

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Sources

Last verified August 2026. Government processes change — always confirm critical details against the official source before acting.

More on settling into Baltimore

Driving
The 60-day window, the excise tax and Baltimore's emissions programme
Banking
Opening a bank account and building US credit from zero
Health
Maryland Health Connection, Medicaid, and a city with two great hospitals
Telecom
Getting a US phone number without a credit file
Tax
Maryland's piggyback local income tax and the city's property rate
Baltimore guideCost of livingLanguageCulture