It’s important to renew driver’s licenses (DLs), identification (ID) cards, and provisional instruction permits before they expire. The expiration date is noted on the card.
If you already have a California DL, you can renew it in person at a DMV office, by mail, or online.
Itis illegal to drive with an expired DL and you can be cited. There are no late fees to renew a DL that has already expired.
Renew your DL online
You may be able to renew your DL online if you:
- Do not need to change your address or personal description.
- Are not applying for a REAL ID compliant DL or ID for the first time.
- Are not renewing a commercial DL.
Renew your DL online
If eligible, you can also register to vote when you renew online.
Renew your DL at a DMV Kiosk
DMV Kiosk is available inside select DMV office and retail locations during regular business hours.Find akiosk near you. To renew your DL at a Kiosk, you must provide your full name, address on DMV records, birth date, and driver’s license or identification (ID) card number.
Renew your DL by mail
You may be eligible to renew your DL by mail if you can answer no to all of these questions:
- Does your DL expire more than 120days from today’s date?
- Are you currently on any type of driving probation or suspension?
- Did you violate a written promise to appear in court within the last two years?
- Have you already received two consecutive five-year extensions by mail/internet?
- Do you have a DL from more than one state or jurisdiction?
- Are you applying for a REAL ID compliant DL/ID card for the first time?
- Are you applying to renew a commercial DL?
If you qualify and haven’t received your renewal notice by mail, complete a California Driver License Renewal By Mail Eligibility Information (DL 410 FO) form.
Mail your form (along with a check for the renewal fee) to:
Department of Motor Vehicles
ATTN: Renewal By Mail Unit
PO Box 942890
Sacramento, CA 94290-0001
If eligible, you can also register to vote when you renew by mail.
Renew your DL in person
If you received a notice to renew your DLin person:
- Complete a DL or ID card application or bring in the DMV renewal notice mailed to you (cross out any old information and write in the current information).
- Have your thumbprint scanned.
- Pass a vision exam.
- Have your photo taken.
- Pay the nonrefundable application fee (application and fee valid for 12 months).
- Pass the knowledge test(s) (if required). Your renewal notice will indicate if you need to take a knowledge test. You are allowed three attempts to pass each of the required knowledge tests. If you fail the same test three times, your application is no longer valid and you need to reapply. To allow for sufficient testing time, we don’t administer knowledge tests within 30 minutes of closing.
- If you apply for a REAL ID in person, you must also provide proof of your identity and residency from the list of acceptable REAL ID documents.
After you complete these requirements, DMV will issue you a temporary DL until you receive your new license in the mail. The temporary license is valid for 60 days. You will receive your new DL in the mail within three to four weeks. If you have not received your DL card after 60 days, visit.
If you already have a California REAL ID driver’s license, you can renew it in person at a DMV office, by mail, or online.
Itis illegal to drive with an expired REAL ID DL and you can be cited. There are no late fees to renew a DL that has already expired.
Renew your REAL ID DL online
You may be able to renew your REAL ID DL online if you:
- Do not need to change your address or personal description.
- Are not renewing a commercial DL.
Renew your REAL ID online
A CDL can be renewed online.
If you are a commercial driver and your CDL has been expired for over two years, you’ll need to take a skills test for the type of commercial motor vehicle you will be driving to renew your license. To better prepare yourself for the skills test, visit the California Commercial Driver’s Handbook.
To renew your CDL in person:
- Complete a CDLApplication or bring in the DMV renewal notice mailed to you (cross out any old information and write in the current information).
- Visit a DMV office, where you will:
- Provide residency document on every renewal.
- Provide BD/LP documents if renewing for the first time since May 10, 2017.
- Submit a completed 10 Year History Record Check (DL 939) (if you’ve been issued a DLof any kind in another state or jurisdiction in the last 10 years).
- Have your thumbprint scanned.
- Pass a vision exam.
- Have your photo taken.
- Pay the nonrefundable application fee (application and fee valid for 12 months).
- Take the knowledge test(s) (if required). Your renewal notice will indicate if you need to take a knowledge test. You are allowed three attempts to pass each of the required knowledge tests. If you fail the same test three times, your application is no longer valid and you will need to reapply. To allow for sufficient testing time, we do notadminister knowledge tests within 30 minutes of closing.
- When you apply for a REAL ID in person, you must also provide proof of your identity and residency from the list of acceptable REAL ID documents
After you complete these requirements, we willissue you atemporary DL until you receive your new license in the mail. The temporary license is valid for 60 days. You will receive your DL via mail within within three to four weeks. If you have not received your DL card after 60 days, visit.
Your California DLApplication and fee is valid for 12 months after you complete the online application. You need to hold your provisional instruction permit for at least six months before you can get your DL. In some cases, it’s possible that your application and fee will expire before you havehad your instructionpermit for the required six months (for example, if you complete the online application, but wait over six months to go to a DMV office to get your instruction permit).
If your application and fee will expire before you have held your provisional instruction permit for the required six months, you will need to reapply and pay a new application fee.
You will get cumulative credit for the time you held your provisional instructionpermit that counts towards your six-month requirement. You must keep the expired permit with your new learner permit until you pass your driving test. Make sure to bring both your expired and valid instruction permits when you take your driving test to show proof of credit.
To renew your instruction permit:
- Complete a new California DL/ID Card Application.
- Visit a DMV office, where you will:
- Verify your identity with an acceptable identity document. Your current name needs to match the name on the identity document.
- Present acceptable residency documents (if you’ve never had a California DL/ID card).
- Pay the nonrefundable application fee. (Application and fee valid for 12 months.)
- Have your thumbprint scanned.
- Pass a vision exam.
- Have your photo taken.
- Take the knowledge test(s). You are allowed three attempts to pass each of the required knowledge tests. If you fail the same test three times, your application is no longer valid and you will need to reapply. To allow for sufficient testing time, we don’t administer knowledge tests within 30 minutes of closing.
- Submit the proper driver training school certificate(s) to verify you took driver education and/or driver training classes.
Learn more about instruction permits
We issue three types of ID cards.
- REAL ID: As of the new May 7, 2025 deadline, you will need a federal compliant ID (such as a passport, military ID, or REAL ID) to board a domestic flight or enter secure federal facilities, like military bases, federal courthouses, and other federal buildings.
- Regular ID card: Valid for six birthdates from the application date.
- Senior citizen ID card: Valid for eight birthdates from the application date (must be at least 62-years-old).
Renew your ID online
You may be able to renew your ID online if you:
- Do not need to change your address or personal description.
- Are not applying for a REAL ID compliant DL or ID for the first time.
Renew your ID online
If eligible, you can also register to vote when you renew online.
To renew your ID card by mail:
You must be able to answer ‘NO’ to all of the following questions:
- Have your last two ID cards been renewed by mail/internet?
- Has your ID been expired for more than one year?
- Are you changing or correcting your name?
If you are eligible, complete a California Identification Card Renewal by Mail Eligibility (DL 410 ID) form and mail it (along with the appropriate renewal fee) to:
DMV, Attn: Renewal by Mail Unit
PO Box 942890
Sacramento, CA 94290-0001
Please write your ID card number on the back of your payment document.
Renew your ID at a DMV Kiosk
DMV Kiosk is available inside select DMV office and retail locations during regular business hours.Find a kiosk near you. To renew your ID at a Kiosk, you must provide your full name, address on DMV records, birth date, and driver’s license or identification (ID) card number.
To renew an ID card in person:
If you received a notice to renew your ID in person
- Complete a DL or ID Card application.
- Visit a DMV office, where you will:
- Pay the application fee (no fee for senior citizen ID cards)
- Have your thumbprint scanned
- Have your photo taken
You will receive your new ID card in the mail within three to four weeks. If you haven’t received your new ID card after 60 days, visit.
When it comes time to renew a limited term DL/ID card for someone with legal presence, DMV will send a renewal notice to the address on file for you. The notice will request an updated Department of Homeland Security (DHS)extension information/document. Send your completed renewal notice to DMV headquarters for processing at:
Department of Motor Vehicles
PO BOX 942890, MS G204
Sacramento, CA 94290-0001
Every originalDLexpires on the applicant’s 5th birthday following the application date. However, if the applicant’s identity document expires less than 5 years from the application date, theDLwill be considered a “limited term”DLand the expiration date will match the expiration date of the identity document.California VehicleCode(CVC)Section 12816(a)
No. For security purposes, no changes can be made to your address, date of birth, physical description, or class of license.
If you have a change of address, enter your current address on your renewal notice and renew yourDLby mail.
Temporary conditionsdonotneed to be reported. However, youshouldnotdrive until it is safe to do so.
Our vision screening standard is at least 20/40 when both eyes are tested together, and at least 20/70 in the weaker eye. If you recently had surgery to correct one eye for distance and the other for close-up vision, you may not meet the screening standard and must renew yourDLin person at a DMV office.
If you have recently become disabled and the condition affects your ability to drive safely, you must renew yourDLin-person. You may be required to take a behind-the-wheel driving test to demonstrate that you can compensate for the disability. Disabilities that cannot get worse over time (e.g. loss of limb or loss of an eye) and don’t prevent you from driving safely do not have to be reported (as long as the condition was previously reported to DMV).
