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
Evidence of lawful presence, which Texas requires for a driver licence
A Texas address, evidenced for the licensing application
A booked DPS appointment

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, DPS and the Social Security Administration will ask for. Retrieved electronically from the CBP website, free.
OnlineWho: YouWeek 1
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
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
Book a DPS driver licence appointment immediately
Texas gives new residents 90 days, but appointment availability at San Antonio-area DPS offices is the binding constraint and slots go weeks out. Book as soon as you have a Texas address you can evidence, and treat any earlier cancellation slot as a win.
OnlineWho: YouWeek 1
5
Assemble lawful-presence evidence before the appointment
Texas requires proof of lawful presence for a driver licence, and issues a licence valid only for the duration of your authorised stay. Bring the passport, visa, I-94 and any approval notices — a missing document means rebooking, not a same-day fix.
In personWho: You
6
Register to receive city services and know your council district
San Antonio runs services through 311 and ten council districts, and the city boundary is irregular — parts of the metro are in incorporated suburbs like Alamo Heights, Terrell Hills, Windcrest or Leon Valley with their own police, codes and permits. Check which jurisdiction your address is actually in.
OnlineWho: You
7
Keep a copy of every immigration document in two places
The I-94, visa page, approval notices and SSN card get asked for repeatedly across the first year — by employers, banks, landlords, DPS and the marketplace. Scan them once and keep the set reachable 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 Texas residential address, as specified by DPS
Certified English translations of any non-English documents
Evidence of lawful presence — required for any Texas driver licence

Things most newcomers don’t know

Texas will not license a resident who cannot prove lawful presence.

Some states — Maryland, California, Illinois among them — issue a driving credential regardless of immigration status. Texas does not. That makes the driver licence a downstream consequence of your immigration paperwork here, in a metro where being unable to drive is a serious practical constraint. Plan the sequence accordingly.

Source: Texas Department of Public Safety

The 90-day rule is not the constraint; the appointment calendar is.

Texas gives new residents 90 days to convert, which sounds ample. San Antonio-area DPS appointment slots routinely run weeks out, so someone who starts looking at day 70 can miss the deadline through no fault of their own. Book in week one and gather documents afterwards.

Source: Texas Department of Public Safety

Your address may not be in the City of San Antonio at all.

The city's boundary is unusually irregular and it entirely surrounds several small incorporated cities — Alamo Heights, Terrell Hills, Olmos Park, Castle Hills, Windcrest, Leon Valley. Those have their own police, permits, codes and, in some cases, notably aggressive traffic enforcement. Check the jurisdiction of the specific address rather than the postal town.

Source: City of San Antonio

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

Waiting until late in the 90-day window and finding no DPS appointments.
Visiting a Social Security office in the first week, before DHS records have synced.
Arriving at DPS without complete lawful-presence documentation.
Assuming Texas issues a licence regardless of status, as several other states do.
Assuming a San Antonio postal address means the City of San Antonio governs it.

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

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