What do I need to renew my California Real ID and driver’s license? Your question answered

Angela Rodriguez
·3 min read
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The deadline to obtain a California Real ID is slowly approaching.

If you’ve already received your driver’s license or identification card, what do you need to do to renew it?

Reader Les Compton asked The Sacramento Bee’s service journalism team, which focuses on helping the community navigate daily life: “I need to renew my California Real ID driver’s license. When I show up at the DMV, do I need to appear with anything other than my old Real ID license?”

Here’s what the California Department of Motor Vehicles says about renewals:

When should I renew my driver’s license or identification card?

“In most cases, a DL or ID card can be renewed up to 90 days before the expiration date,” DMV spokesperson Ronald Ongtoaboc wrote in an email to The Sacramento Bee.

Can I renew online?

While most customers can skip a visit to the DMV and renew their driver’s license or ID online, Ongtoaboc said there are some cases when a renewal must be processed at a local DMV office.

These include changes to your name.

What do I need to renew my ID?

Before starting your Real ID or driver’s license renewal, the DMV website says “make sure your address and personal information are up to date.”

If you need to update your personal information, including your name, gender identity or address, the changes must be processed at a local DMV office before you apply to renew your identification card.

Can I update my address online?

Normally yes. However, you are not eligible to change your address online under the following circumstances:

  • You do not currently have a California Real ID or driver’s license

  • You do not have a social security number.

  • You have a California commercial driver’s license and your address of residence is in another state.

According to the DMV website, certain changes to personal information could require a new application, including:

  • Weight

  • Height

  • Gender identity

  • Name

If you need a reduced-fee ID card, no-fee ID card, or Senior ID card, you will also need to complete a new application.

What do I need to renew if my personal information hasn’t changed?

When you initially get your Real ID driver’s license at a local DMV office, by mail or online, “you must also provide proof of your identity” (such as a certified copy of birth certificate from a U.S. state or territory) and residency (such as a home utility bill) from “the list of acceptable REAL ID documents.”

However, when renewing in person, in most cases all you need is your unexpired Real ID, which serves as proof of residence and identity.

To renew your Real ID or driver’s license online, the DMV website provides the following steps:

  • Step 1: Create a DMV online account or log in (if one already exists).

  • Step 2: Pay the renewal and processing fees.

  • Step 3: Update voter registration information (if necessary).

How long will it take for my new ID to arrive?

After you submit your renewal application, Ongtoaboc said your new ID card should arrive within two to four weeks.

“If a person does not receive it after 60 days, they should check the status online,” Ongtoaboc said.

The latest estimated processing time and status of your renewal can be viewed online.

What are the penalties for not renewing your ID on time?

“There are no late fees or penalties to renew a DL/ID card that has expired,” Ongtoaboc wrote.

However, it is illegal to purchase alcohol or drive with an expired ID or driver’s license.

How often do I need to renew my ID?

According to the DMV website, Real IDs and Real ID driver’s licenses expire every five years.

“Driver’s licenses expire on a customer’s birthday,” the website says.

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