Get a REAL ID

Getting a REAL ID is as Easy as 1, 1, 2

Create a customized list of documents you will need.

1 Proof of Identity

Bring ONE document that provides proof of your date of birth, identity and lawful status like a valid passport or certified birth certificate. If possible, select a document that has your current full legal name to avoid providing any name change documentation.

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1 Proof of Social Security Number

Bring ONE document you will use that contains your current name and Social Security number (SSN). 

 

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2 Pieces of Mail (Proof of Residency)

Bring TWO printed documents that show your current name and current Iowa residential address. The address must be a physical address where you reside and not a post office box.

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Join the 2 million+ Iowans who already have a REAL ID!

What is the REAL ID Act?

The REAL ID Act sets minimum security standards for driver's license/ID issuance and production. It also prohibits federal agencies from accepting driver's licenses and ID cards for certain purposes from states that don't meet the Act’s minimum standards. Beginning May 7, 2025, all persons must have a REAL ID license to:

• Board commercial flights within the United States.
• Access certain federal buildings.
• Enter nuclear facilities.

Find out more about the REAL ID Act.

How do I know if I have a REAL ID?

Check the upper-right corner of your driver’s license or ID. If you have a gold star, you have a REAL ID. If it is blank, it is not a REAL ID.

Beginning Feb. 21, 2024, all driver’s licenses or ID cards that are not REAL ID-compliant will read “NOT FOR REAL ID ACT PURPOSES” in the upper-right corner.*

* Pursuant to the REAL ID Regulation 6 CFR Part 37, driver’s license and ID cards should have a marking indicating the card’s level of REAL ID compliance.

What does a REAL ID card look like?

1. Non-compliant cards*, prior to Feb. 21, 2024 – These cards are blank in the upper-right corner.
2. REAL ID compliant cards – These cards have the gold star in the upper-right corner.
3. Non-compliant cards, beginning on Feb. 21, 2024 – These cards have the indicator of “NOT FOR REAL ID ACT PURPOSES” in the upper-right corner. As citizens with the blank non-compliant cards renew or replace their driver’s license or ID cards, they will convert to the indicator of “NOT FOR REAL ID ACT PURPOSES.”
   
   Non-compliant cards are still a valid form of identification. As of May 7, 2025, they will no longer be accepted for boarding domestic flights or accessing certain federal buildings.

Do I need a REAL ID-compliant card?

Beginning May 7, 2025, all persons must have a REAL ID-marked card to access certain federal buildings, enter nuclear facilities, and board commercial flights within the United States.

You do not need a REAL ID to:

• Drive
• Vote
• Purchase alcohol or cigarettes
• Access hospitals
• Visit the post office
• Access federal courts
• Apply for or receive federal benefits such as social security or veterans’ benefits

How do I get a REAL ID-compliant card?

Whether you are getting your first Iowa driver's license or ID card or renewing or replacing an Iowa driver's license or ID card that doesn't have a REAL ID gold star, the process is the same.

1. Create a customized list of documents you will need to bring with you when you go to the DMV to get your REAL ID.
2. Make an appointment to go to the DMV and present the documents that prove your identity and residency. It does not cost more to get a card with a REAL ID star and there are no tests required to add a REAL ID star. The REAL ID star does not affect how long the card is valid.

• REAL ID is not available with online renewal so you will need to schedule an appointment to come in person with the specific documents that prove your identity and residency.
• Getting a REAL ID license or ID is just like getting your license or ID for the first time. To meet the federal requirements, you will need to bring documents that prove your identity and date of birth, social security number, and Iowa residence and residential address.
• It doesn’t cost extra to get a REAL ID license or ID. If you’re renewing your license or ID, the renewal fee is the same. If you’re getting a replacement, the replacement fee is the same $10 required for any replacement or duplicate license or ID.
• There are no tests or driving requirements to get a REAL ID license. The federal REAL ID regulations only require that you prove your identity, not your driving knowledge or ability. If you already have a driver’s license, you don’t have to take written or driving tests just to add the REAL ID gold star.
• You only have to go through the REAL ID process one time. Once we verify your identity and add the REAL ID gold star, you don’t have to re-apply when you renew your license in the future – we will continue to apply the REAL ID gold star whenever you renew your license in Iowa.

* Please note it can take up to 30 days to receive your REAL ID in the mail.

More questions?

• Visit the REAL ID FAQs.

I already have a REAL ID

Congratulations on getting a REAL ID driver's license or ID. When boarding a plane or entering a federal facility that requires identification, present your REAL ID card and follow their directions. It's that simple.

Once you have a REAL ID-compliant card, you won’t need to bring all of those documents again to renew. Any replacement card or renewal will be issued to you and will include the REAL ID star.

You are eligible to renew your REAL-ID compliant card online every other renewal cycle.

However:

• If you are a foreign national with temporary lawful status, you must provide proof of lawful status at each renewal.
• If you are switching to an Iowa driver’s license/ID from another state, you will need to provide all the documentation even if your out of state driver’s license/ID already has the gold star (REAL ID).
• If your name, date of birth, or sex changes, you will need to provide documentation that proves the change. (This is true whether you have a card that has a REAL ID star or not.)