Get a REAL ID in Pennsylvania

By · checked

Get a Pennsylvania REAL ID: pre-verify and order online, or bring originals to a REAL ID Center or Driver License Center. One-time $30 fee.

Your situation

Was your first Pennsylvania license, permit or photo ID issued after September 2003, and have your name, date of birth and gender stayed the same since your last card?

Your personal information must also match PennDOT's records. Then PennDOT may already have your documents on file. Non-U.S. citizens and REAL ID CDL applicants must apply in person.

Is your current legal name different from the name on your proof of identity?
Online or in person
No, one visitBring original documents to a REAL ID Center or a Driver License Center. PennDOT's REAL ID pages don't mention appointments.
Cost
$30 one-time feeStandard renewal fees apply when you renew. PennDOT's example: $30 + $39.50 license renewal = $69.50.
You leave with
Same day or by mailSame day at a REAL ID Center; mailed within 15 business days from a Driver License Center.

Your plan

  1. Gather your documents

    • Show accepted documents (bring 1)
      • U.S. birth certificate with a raised seal (issued by a government agency, not a hospital)
      • Valid U.S. passport or passport card
      • Certificate of U.S. Citizenship (N-560 or N-561)
      • Consular Report of Birth Abroad
      • Certificate of Naturalization (N-550 or N-570)
      • Valid Permanent Resident Card (I-551)
      • Unexpired Employment Authorization Card (I-766 or I-688B)
    • Show accepted documents (bring 1)
      • Social Security card
      • W-2
      • SSA-1099 or non-SSA-1099
      • Pay stub with your full number
    • Show accepted documents (bring 2)
      • Current PA driver's license or photo ID
      • PA vehicle registration card or auto insurance card
      • Utility bill with your name and address
      • W-2, pay stub or tax records
      • Lease or mortgage document

  2. Choose where to go

    A REAL ID Center checks your documents and issues the card the same day; PennDOT calls it the fastest option. At a Driver License Center staff check your documents and the card is mailed within 15 business days.

    Apply for REAL ID on pa.gov ↗

Common reasons people get turned away

  • Photocopies are not accepted.
  • Hospital or souvenir birth certificates are not accepted.
  • Residency proofs must be physical documents, not electronic ones.

Offices that issue REAL ID

PennDOT issues REAL ID at REAL ID Centers (same day) and Driver License Centers (card by mail). Agency source.

76 offices where you can get a REAL IDSee them on a map, search by county or show the ones open now

Largest cities with them: Philadelphia (5) · Pittsburgh (1) · Allentown (2) · Lancaster (2)

28 more offices may be able to get a REAL ID, but neither the office's service list nor the agency says so. They show in the search below, labelled; call before you go.

Results show offices where you can get a REAL ID or may be able to, nearest first, each labelled.

Read more

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Sources · checked October 30, 2026

We wrote this plan ourselves from the official pages above on the date shown. Agencies change rules without notice: the official page always wins. DMV Decoded is independent and not a government agency; we don't book appointments or take payments.