Passport & Driver’s License

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Passport

Passport Expiration Date

Know when your passport expires! You must always have a valid passport while in the U.S. If you travel home, your passport must be valid for at least 6 months when you return to the U.S. Once you renew your passport, send an updated copy to MyStatus@liberty.edu.

Renewing Your Passport

Most passports can be renewed while here in the U.S.
To locate your home country’s embassy in the U.S., please visit the U.S. Department of State – Bureau of Consular Affairs official website.

Visa Replacement

If you renew your passport, please check with the embassy to see if they will return your old passport to you.
If they return your old passport to you with your U.S. F-1 visa, you should carry both your old and new passports for travel.
If they keep or destroy your old passport, you will need to get a new visa when you travel.
Make sure you remove your I-94 card from your passport before you submit your passport to your embassy, if applicable.

Driver’s License

Full-time international students that are not employed, may drive in Virginia with a valid driver’s license from their home country for no more than 6 months. This does not apply to commercial vehicle drivers. However, international students must get a Virginia driver’s license within 60 days if they are employed in the U.S., or if they register a car in Virginia.

If you become gainfully employed and wish to drive in the U.S., you are required to hold a Virginia driver’s license.

For more information on the eligibility for a Virginia driver’s license, visit the Virginia DMV website.

Getting a Virginia Driver’s License

If you are a new student, you must report to your International Student Advisor (contact MyStatus@liberty.edu or call (434) 592-4118) so that your SEVIS record can be registered with the U.S. government. You must wait at least 2 days after you are registered to apply for a driver’s license, and at least 10 days after your initial entry into the United States. Bring the below documents with you to the DMV:

I-20
Passport
I-94 (print your I-94 from the Customs and Border Protection website)
Proof of Virginia address (eligible documents)

Your Virginia driver’s license will expire on the end date of your I-20. You can extend your driver’s license for your 60 day grace period with a letter from the Registrar proving that you have graduated.

If you remain in the U.S. on OPT you will need to take your E.A.D. card, I-20 authorizing OPT, and I-94 to the DMV to extend your license.

Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)

See the DMV website for more information:

Lynchburg DMV
3236 Odd Fellow’s Road
Lynchburg, VA 24502
Toll-free: (866) 368-5463

License from Another State

If you already have a valid driver’s license from another state in the U.S. and are currently enrolled as a full-time student at an accredited university, you do not need to get a Virginia driver’s license unless you become gainfully employed.

Additional Resources

For more information about driving in the U.S., visit the Foreign National Driving in the U.S. government website.

Visit the LUPD Vehicle Registration website for information on how to obtain an on-campus parking decal.