Get a REAL ID: your state, step by step

Pick your state for a plan: whether you can start online, if you need an office visit, what it costs, the documents to bring and which offices issue it.

New to REAL ID? REAL ID explained: what changed and which ID you need to fly.

How it works in each state

The map shows the usual route to a first REAL ID. Pick a state for the visit, the cost and its full plan.

Alabama: One office visitAL Alaska: One office visitAK Arizona: One office visitAZ Arkansas: One office visitAR California: Start online, then one visitCA Colorado: One office visitCO Connecticut: One office visitCT Delaware: One office visitDE District of Columbia: One office visitDC Florida: One office visitFL Georgia: One office visitGA Hawaii: One office visitHI Idaho: One office visitID Illinois: One office visitIL Indiana: One office visitIN Iowa: One office visitIA Kansas: One office visitKS Kentucky: One office visitKY Louisiana: One office visitLA Maine: One office visitME Maryland: Online may be possibleMD Massachusetts: Start online, then one visitMA Michigan: One office visitMI Minnesota: One office visitMN Mississippi: Online may be possibleMS Missouri: One office visitMO Montana: One office visitMT Nebraska: One office visitNE Nevada: One office visitNV New Hampshire: One office visitNH New Jersey: One office visitNJ New Mexico: One office visitNM New York: One office visitNY North Carolina: One office visitNC North Dakota: One office visitND Ohio: One office visitOH Oklahoma: One office visitOK Oregon: One office visitOR Pennsylvania: One office visitPA Rhode Island: One office visitRI South Carolina: One office visitSC South Dakota: One office visitSD Tennessee: One office visitTN Texas: Online may be possibleTX Utah: One office visitUT Vermont: One office visitVT Virginia: One office visitVA Washington: One office visitWA West Virginia: One office visitWV Wisconsin: One office visitWI Wyoming: One office visitWY

Select a state to see the office visit, the cost and what you leave with.

Alabama

×

One office visit

Office visit
One visit, appointment encouraged
Cost
$36.25
Alabama REAL ID plan

Alaska

×

One office visit

Cost
$40 license, $35 ID card
You leave with
Paper temporary, card by mail
Alaska REAL ID plan

Arizona

×

One office visit

Office visit
One visit, appointment optional
Cost
$25
You leave with
Temporary receipt, card by mail
Arizona REAL ID plan

Arkansas

×

One office visit

Cost
Regular card fee
Arkansas REAL ID plan

California

×

Start online, then one visit

Online
You apply and upload documents online. A first REAL ID can't be completed online or by mail.
California REAL ID plan

Colorado

×

One office visit

Office visit
One visit; state offices need an appointment
Cost
$14 ID; license fee not listed
You leave with
Paper temporary, card by mail
Colorado REAL ID plan

Connecticut

×

One office visit

Office visit
By appointment
Cost
No extra fee
You leave with
Temporary paper credential
Connecticut REAL ID plan

Delaware

×

One office visit

Cost
Regular card fee
You leave with
Card the same day
Delaware REAL ID plan

District of Columbia

×

One office visit

Office visit
One service center visit
Cost
License $47 for 8 years
You leave with
Temporary paper card, then card by mail
District of Columbia REAL ID plan

Florida

×

One office visit

Cost
$48 license, $25 ID card
Florida REAL ID plan

Georgia

×

One office visit

Cost
Regular card fee
You leave with
Card by mail within 30 days
Georgia REAL ID plan

Hawaii

×

One office visit

Office visit
One visit, by appointment
Cost
$6 duplicate fee
You leave with
Paper temporary card, plastic by mail
Hawaii REAL ID plan

Idaho

×

One office visit

Cost
Same as a card without the Star
You leave with
Temporary paper card; card by mail
Idaho REAL ID plan

Illinois

×

One office visit

Cost
No separate REAL ID fee listed
You leave with
Temporary paper now, card by mail
Illinois REAL ID plan

Indiana

×

One office visit

Office visit
Yes, one branch visit
Cost
No separate Real ID fee listed
You leave with
Card by mail in about 14 days
Indiana REAL ID plan

Iowa

×

One office visit

Office visit
One visit to an Iowa DMV location
Cost
No extra charge
You leave with
Card by mail, up to 30 days
Iowa REAL ID plan

Kansas

×

One office visit

Office visit
One visit, appointment recommended
Cost
$8 change fee
You leave with
Card by mail, up to 45 days
Kansas REAL ID plan

Kentucky

×

One office visit

Office visit
One visit to a Regional Office
Cost
$15 upgrade
You leave with
30-day temporary document, card by mail
Kentucky REAL ID plan

Louisiana

×

One office visit

Cost
Same as a standard card
Louisiana REAL ID plan

Maine

×

One office visit

Office visit
One visit to a branch or mobile unit
Cost
$55 license, $30 ID card
Maine REAL ID plan

Maryland

×

Online may be possible

Online
Check your status onlineMaryland licenses and ID cards meet REAL ID standards. Look up your card with the MVA's REAL ID Check.
Office visit
None if your card is compliant
Cost
Regular license or ID fee
You leave with
Card by mail
Maryland REAL ID plan

Massachusetts

×

Start online, then one visit

Online
You can start the application in the RMV's Online Service Center (you log in with a MyMassGov account), but the document check happens at an office.
Office visit
One visit, by appointment
Cost
$50 license, $25 Mass ID
You leave with
Temporary paper ID
Massachusetts REAL ID plan

Michigan

×

One office visit

Office visit
One visit to a branch office
Cost
No charge at renewal, else a correction fee
You leave with
Card by mail
Michigan REAL ID plan

Minnesota

×

One office visit

Office visit
One visit to a driver's license office
You leave with
Card by mail
Minnesota REAL ID plan

Mississippi

×

Online may be possible

Online
Unclear: DPS sources differDSB's FAQ says all Mississippi licenses and IDs, including online renewals, automatically get the gold star. DPS's 2025 REAL ID release says that if your license has no star, visit a Driver Service Bureau station with your birth certificate, Social Security card and two proofs of residency. Call DSB at 601-487-7028 to confirm which applies to you.
Office visit
One visit, appointment recommended
Cost
Regular card fee
You leave with
Card by mail
Mississippi REAL ID plan

Missouri

×

One office visit

Office visit
One visit to a license office
Cost
Same as a non-REAL ID card
You leave with
Card by mail, 10-15 business days
Missouri REAL ID plan

Montana

×

One office visit

Office visit
One visit, appointment recommended
Cost
Depends on age and card: see MVD's fee table
You leave with
Paper temporary, card by mail
Montana REAL ID plan

Nebraska

×

One office visit

Cost
License $29, State ID free
You leave with
30-day receipt, card by mail
Nebraska REAL ID plan

Nevada

×

One office visit

Office visit
One office visit, by appointment
Cost
$8.50 license, $7.50 ID card
Nevada REAL ID plan

New Hampshire

×

One office visit

Office visit
By appointment
Cost
$60 license / $20 ID
You leave with
Temporary paper license
New Hampshire REAL ID plan

New Jersey

×

One office visit

Office visit
One visit, by appointment
Cost
$35 with an auto license
You leave with
Card by mail
New Jersey REAL ID plan

New Mexico

×

One office visit

Office visit
One visit, usually by appointment
Cost
$18-$34 license, $10-$18 ID
You leave with
Temporary card, permanent card by mail
New Mexico REAL ID plan

New York

×

One office visit

Office visit
Reservation recommended
Cost
No extra fee
You leave with
Temporary document
New York REAL ID plan

North Carolina

×

One office visit

Office visit
One visit to a driver license office
Cost
No extra REAL ID fee
North Carolina REAL ID plan

North Dakota

×

One office visit

Office visit
One visit, by appointment
Cost
Regular renewal or duplicate fee
North Dakota REAL ID plan

Ohio

×

One office visit

Office visit
One visit to a deputy registrar
Cost
No extra charge
You leave with
Paper interim now, card by mail
Ohio REAL ID plan

Oklahoma

×

One office visit

Office visit
Yes, one visit, no appointment needed
Cost
Regular card fee
You leave with
Paper temporary, card by mail
Oklahoma REAL ID plan

Oregon

×

One office visit

Office visit
Appointment recommended
Cost
$30 on top of the card fee
You leave with
Temporary paper ID
Oregon REAL ID plan

Pennsylvania

×

One office visit

Cost
$30 one-time fee
You leave with
Same day or by mail
Pennsylvania REAL ID plan

Rhode Island

×

One office visit

Office visit
By reservation
Cost
No extra fee
You leave with
Temporary paper credential
Rhode Island REAL ID plan

South Carolina

×

One office visit

Cost
Same as a standard card
You leave with
Card by mail in 7 to 15 business days
South Carolina REAL ID plan

South Dakota

×

One office visit

Office visit
Yes, one visit to an exam station
Cost
$38
South Dakota REAL ID plan

Tennessee

×

One office visit

Office visit
One visit, appointment encouraged
Cost
Renewal or duplicate fee
You leave with
Paper interim card, card by mail in 10-20 days
Tennessee REAL ID plan

Texas

×

Online may be possible

Online
Maybe, as a duplicateDPS says you can request a duplicate compliant card in person or, if eligible, through Texas.gov. Online replacement only works if nothing on the front of your card changes.
Office visit
Maybe one visit, by appointment
Cost
Regular card fee
Texas REAL ID plan

Utah

×

One office visit

Office visit
Yes, by appointment at a Driver License office
Cost
The regular license or ID card fee
You leave with
Temporary card the same day, card by mail
Utah REAL ID plan

Vermont

×

One office visit

Office visit
One visit to a DMV office
Cost
Same as a standard license
Vermont REAL ID plan

Virginia

×

One office visit

Office visit
One visit to a customer service center
Cost
$10 one-time, plus the card fee
You leave with
Temporary paper, card by mail
Virginia REAL ID plan

Washington

×

One office visit

Office visit
Make an appointment
Cost
$7 to $56
You leave with
Temporary card
Washington REAL ID plan

West Virginia

×

One office visit

Office visit
One visit to a Regional Office
Cost
$10 on top of the regular fee
You leave with
60-day temporary card, card by mail
West Virginia REAL ID plan

Wisconsin

×

One office visit

Office visit
One visit to a DMV service center
Cost
No extra fee if you upgrade when you renew
You leave with
Paper receipt now, card by mail
Wisconsin REAL ID plan

Wyoming

×

One office visit

Cost
$45 license, $10 ID
You leave with
Card in 4-6 weeks
Wyoming REAL ID plan

The usual route is for someone who doesn't have a REAL ID yet. Each plan asks a few questions and adjusts the documents, the visit and the cost to your answers.

DMV Decoded is an independent guide, not a government agency. Applications, appointments and payments happen with the agency or the businesses it licenses, never on this site.