Get a REAL ID in Alaska

Online or in person

No, one office visitEveryone applying for a REAL ID, including current Alaska card holders, applies in person and shows source documents, even ones submitted before. DMV's REAL ID pages don't say whether you need an appointment. Office appointments can be scheduled online; Nome and Dillingham are by appointment and Cordova is walk-in only.

Cost

$40 license, $35 ID cardThe regular card fee plus a $20 REAL ID fee. An ID card for age 60 or older is $20; a REAL ID CDL is $120.

You leave with

Paper temporary, card by mailOn its license renewal page, DMV says you get a paper temporary license the same day when you apply in person, and the card is mailed and should arrive in about 2-4 weeks.

Your plan

1. Gather your documents

   • Proof of identity and U.S. citizenship
     Original or certified copy, valid and unexpired.
     Show accepted documents (bring 1)

     • Valid, unexpired U.S. passport or passport card
     • Certified copy of a U.S. birth certificate (issued by a city, county or state vital statistics office, not a hospital)
     • Birth certificate from a U.S. territory (Puerto Rico birth certificates issued on or after July 1, 2010)
     • Consular Report of Birth Abroad of U.S. Citizen
     • Certificate of Naturalization or Certificate of U.S. Citizenship
   • Social Security number
     No card needed: write your complete number on the application. It must verify with Social Security's records.
     Show accepted documents (bring 1)

     • Your complete Social Security number on the application
     • If you're not eligible for a number: a verification letter from the Social Security Administration (issued within the last 90 days)
   • Two proofs of Alaska residence · 2 different documents
     Each must show your first and last name and current residence address; a P.O. Box doesn't count. Two documents from the same source can't be from the same month or billing cycle. Account numbers and balances may be blacked out. At DMV's discretion other documents may be accepted; call 907-269-5551.
     Show accepted documents (bring 2)

     • Rental or lease agreement signed by the owner or landlord and the tenant
     • Deed or title to residential property, or mortgage document
     • Home utility bill (including cell phone)
     • Employment document
     • Insurance document (medical, dental, vision, life, home, rental or vehicle)
     • Government-issued tax document
     • Bank or financial institution statement
     • Voter registration confirmation letter or postcard from the Alaska Division of Elections
     • Proof of resident tuition paid at an Alaska public college or university
     • Letter on letterhead from a homeless shelter, shelter for abused women, nonprofit, faith-based organization, employer or government agency saying you live in Alaska
     • Alaska vehicle title or registration (issued at least 30 days before you apply)
     • USPS change of address confirmation
     • First-class mail with a postmark (may be handwritten)
     • Alaska Tribal card (only for non-standard remote Alaska addresses within the tribal area on the card)

2. Fill out Form D1 for a license

   For a driver license, DMV's application is Form D1, which you can fill out and print before your visit.

   Form D1 (PDF) ↗

3. Choose a state DMV office

   Apply at a local DMV office. Appointments may be scheduled online from the locations page. Hours, appointment rules and temporary closures differ by office (Bethel is closed until further notice), so check the office listing and the closures notice first. Contract agent offices can have limited services (Cordova says so), so call one before you go.

   State DMV office locations ↗

4. At the office

   Show your original or certified documents, give your Social Security number on the application and pay the fee. DMV's renewal page says in-person applicants get a paper temporary license the same day.

5. Wait for your card

   DMV's license renewal page says the card is mailed to the mailing address on your application and should arrive in about 2-4 weeks, and that the Post Office won't forward it, so give a deliverable address. You can track it online.

   Track My Card ↗