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Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles: Translation Requirements for Documents in Another Language
Yes: Rhode Island DMV accepts certified translations from professional services such as eVerbary.
Who may translate: Not specified
- $24.95 per page
- Usually 24 h for 1–3 pages
- Signed certificate of accuracy, PDF
- See the price before you pay
How we know · policy checked on October 29, 2026
For a Drivers' Privilege Card or Identification Privilege Card, the Rhode Island DMV requires a certified English translation of any proof of identity document in a language other than English, and it does not say who must make the translation.
A certified translation from a professional service such as eVerbary meets that rule.
The DMV still decides on tax verification, residency and testing, and new residents with a license from another country start with the instruction permit.
Rhode Island DMV at a glance
Does it accept eVerbary? Yes
The DMV's Drivers' Privilege Card checklist says identity documents in a language other than English must come with a certified English translation, without limiting who translates (DPC/IDPC required documents list), so a certified translation from a professional service such as eVerbary meets it. Policy checked on October 29, 2026.
- Translation
- Certified English translation (privilege cards)
- Who may translate
- Not specified
- Foreign license
- Out-of-country holders start with a permit
- Price
- $24.95 per pageUp to 250 words, certification included
- Delivery
- 24 hoursStandard for one to three pages
- Certificate
- SignedCertificate of translation accuracy, PDF
Checked on October 29, 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page. Policies change: confirm on Rhode Island DMV's own page before you submit.
Worth knowing about Rhode Island DMV
Certified English translation
Required for identity documents not in English.
Originals only
The DMV does not accept photocopies.
Foreign IDs count
Foreign passport, birth certificate, license and national ID are listed.
Rhode Island DMV requirements in detail
Translation
Proof of identity documents in a language other than English must be accompanied by a certified English translation (DPC/IDPC required documents list).
Who may translate
Not specified: the checklist asks for a certified translation without naming who makes it (DPC/IDPC required documents list).
Original or copy
All documents must be originals; photocopies are not accepted (DPC/IDPC required documents list).
Identity documents
Two primary documents, or one primary and one secondary. Primary includes a foreign passport or a consular ID; secondary includes a foreign birth certificate, a foreign driver's license and a foreign national ID card (DPC/IDPC required documents list).
Name change
A change of name on an identity document must be shown with a document issued by an authorized government agency (DPC/IDPC required documents list).
Other requirements
A completed LI-1 form, tax verification from the Rhode Island Division of Taxation, two proofs of residency, and a reservation (DPC/IDPC required documents list).
Foreign license holders
New residents from another country who are 18 or older apply for an instruction permit at the Cranston headquarters (New to Rhode Island).
Where the translation rule applies
The translation sentence sits in the DMV's required documents list for the Drivers' Privilege Permit, Drivers' Privilege Card and Identification Privilege Card, the credentials for Rhode Island residents who cannot show legal presence but filed a Rhode Island tax return or were claimed on one (FAQ).
That list accepts several documents issued abroad: a foreign passport and a consular ID as primary documents, and a foreign birth certificate, foreign driver's license or foreign national ID card as secondary ones.
If any of them is not in English, the certified translation goes with it (DPC/IDPC required documents list).
The standard license checklist on the LI-1 form lists U.S. and immigration documents, such as a foreign passport with a U.S. visa and I-94, and has no translation sentence.
A foreign license and the instruction permit
Rhode Island does not exchange a license from another country.
New residents from out of country who are 18 or older apply for an instruction permit at the Cranston headquarters, and all out-of-country license transactions are handled there, not at branch or AAA offices (New to Rhode Island).
For a Drivers' Privilege Card, a foreign driver's license is still useful as a secondary identity document, with its translation (DPC/IDPC required documents list).
The DMV offers oral interpretation in 220 languages at its customer service stations and encourages applicants to bring someone who can interpret, especially for the road test (Drivers' Privilege Card FAQs).
That help is spoken interpretation at the counter; it does not replace the written certified translation of a document.
Need a certified translation for Rhode Island DMV?
$24.95 per page of up to 250 words, certification included, usually within 24 hours for one to three pages. See the price before you pay.
Documents people usually translate
- Foreign birth certificates presented as identity
- Foreign driver's licenses used as a secondary identity document
- Foreign national ID cards
- Consular identification documents not in English
- Foreign passports with pages not in English
What an eVerbary translation includes
- A complete English translation of every page, stamps, seals and handwritten notes included, laid out like the original so each line can be matched.
- A signed certificate of translation accuracy on letterhead, with our contact details, delivered as a PDF you can upload or print.
- $24.95 per page of up to 250 words, certification included; 24 hours for one to three pages as standard. Regular clients who need it can get delivery in as little as 30 minutes, on request.
- Notarization added at checkout ($34.90 per order) when the office asks for a notarized translation.
Submitting the translation to Rhode Island DMV
Bring the original document and its certified English translation to your reservation, with the completed LI-1 form, tax verification and two proofs of residency (DPC/IDPC required documents list). Photocopies of the original are not accepted.
Out-of-country license matters are handled only at the DMV headquarters, 600 New London Avenue, Cranston (New to Rhode Island).
What we do not do
eVerbary translates documents; it is not the DMV and does not issue licenses, International Driving Permits or REAL ID decisions. For the Rhode Island DMV that means we translate your documents; we do not provide the tax verification, make the DMV reservation or arrange the instruction permit test.
How to order
- Scan or photograph every page of the document, front and back, including any stamps on the reverse.
- Upload it, choose the language and "certified", and see the price before paying.
- Receive the PDF, usually within 24 hours for one to three pages, and submit it with the copy of the original wherever the office asks for it.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Rhode Island DMV accept translated documents?
Yes. For the Drivers' Privilege Card and Identification Privilege Card, identity documents not in English are accepted with a certified English translation (DPC/IDPC required documents list).
Who can translate my documents for the Rhode Island DMV?
The checklist does not say; it asks for a certified English translation (DPC/IDPC required documents list). A certified translation from a professional service meets that wording.
Can I bring a copy of my foreign birth certificate?
Bring the original or a certified copy issued by the authority; the DMV says photocopies are not accepted (DPC/IDPC required documents list).
Can I exchange my foreign driver's license in Rhode Island?
No exchange is published. New residents from another country who are 18 or older apply for an instruction permit at Cranston (New to Rhode Island).
Does the DMV provide interpreters?
Yes, staff interpret in several languages and a phone service covers 220 languages, but that is spoken help, not a written translation (Drivers' Privilege Card FAQs).
Sources
Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles's own pages, read on October 29, 2026.
Translating documents for Rhode Island DMV?
Upload a scan of your license or certificate and see the price and delivery time before you pay.