LIST OF DOCUMENTS TO APPLY FOR A REAL ID

LIST OF DOCUMENTS

TO APPLY FOR A REAL ID

• Valid, unexpired U.S. passport or passport card

• Certiﬁed copy of U.S. birth certiﬁcate

• U.S. Certiﬁcate or Consular Report of Birth Abroad

• Unexpired foreign passport with valid U.S. visa

and approved I-94 form

• Certiﬁed copy of Birth certiﬁcate from a U.S. Territory

• Certiﬁcate of Naturalization or Citizenship

• Valid, unexpired Permanent Resident Card

• Unexpired employment authorization document (EAD)

Card (I-766) or valid/expired EAD Card with Notice of

Action (I-797 C)

• Social Security card

• W-2 form

• SSA-1099 form

• Non-SSA-1099 form

• Paystub (with full SSN)

• Rental or lease agreement (signed by owner/tenant)

• Deed or title to residential real property

• Mortgage bill

• Home utility bills (including cellular phone)

• School documents, Medical documents, Employment

documents, or Insurance documents

• IRS or California FTB tax return

• Change of Address conﬁrmation by the U.S. Postal Service

• Property tax bill or statement

• Faith-based documents, including name and address of

organization

• Records from a ﬁnancial institution

• Voter registration conﬁrmation letter or postcard issued

by the California Secretary of State or a local California

county elections ofﬁcer

• Proof of payment of resident tuition at a public institution

of higher education in California

• An original copy of an approved Claim For Homeowners’

Property Tax Exemption (BOE-266) form ﬁled with a

local California County Assessor

• Court documents that list the applicant as a resident of

California

• A letter on letterhead from a homeless shelter, shelter

for abused women, nonproﬁt entity, faith-based

organization, employer or government agency within the

U.S. attesting that the applicant resides in California

• A document issued by a U.S. government agency

• California certiﬁcate of Vehicle or Vessel Title or

registration

• A DMV form DL 933, completed and signed

• Adoption documents that contain the legal name

as a result of the adoption

• A name change document that contains the legal name

both before and after the name change

• Marriage certiﬁcate

• A certiﬁcate, declaration, or registration document

verifying the formation of a domestic partnership

• Dissolution of marriage/domestic partnership document

that contains the legal name as a result of the court action

1 Identity Document

2 Proof of Social Security Number

3 Proof of California Address

You need one document from each section below.

Original documents or certified copies of identity document and social security are required.

Legal document supporting name change, if applicable

Oct. 2017/V_05

Under the REAL ID Act, the California DMV must meet requirements set by the U.S. Department of

Homeland Security for its driver licenses and identiﬁcation cards to be accepted for federal purposes.

How the REAL ID Act Impacts Californians

Beginning October 1, 2020, the federal government will require your driver license or ID card

to be REAL ID compliant if you wish to use it as identiﬁcation to board a domestic ﬂight or

to enter military bases and most federal facilities. The California DMV is now offering federal

compliant REAL ID driver licenses or ID cards to customers.

Do I Need a REAL ID?

If you have a valid U.S. Passport or U.S. Passport Card, military ID, or other form of Transportation

Security Administration (TSA) approved identiﬁcation, you may use it as your form of identiﬁcation

to pass TSA airport checkpoints nationwide and to visit a secure federal building or military base.

Check the TSA website at www.tsa.gov for a complete list of approved identiﬁcation.

If you know you will not be boarding a domestic ﬂight or visiting a secure federal facility or

military base, you do not need a REAL ID driver license or ID card.

You DO NOT need a REAL ID to:

•

Drive

•

Apply for or receive federal beneﬁts (Veterans Affairs, Social Security Administration, etc.)

•

Enter a federal facility that does not require ID (i.e., a post ofﬁce)

•

Visit a hospital or receive life-saving services

Those under 18 are not required to have a REAL ID to ﬂy.

Who is Eligible for a REAL ID?

U.S. citizens and all legal residents of the United States can apply for a REAL ID driver license

or ID card.

How to Prepare for REAL ID

To apply for a REAL ID card:

Make an appointment to visit a DMV ﬁeld ofﬁce (recommended)

Proof of identity (examples: U.S. birth certiﬁcate, U.S. passport, employment authorization

document, permanent resident card or foreign passport with an approved form I-94)

Proof of Social Security Number (examples: SSN card, W-2, paystub with full SSN)

California residency document (examples: utility bill, rental agreement, mortgage bill,

medical document)

A name change document, such as a marriage certiﬁcate, may be required.

Original documents or certiﬁed copies are required. For more information, visit REALID.dmv.ca.gov.

What Does a REAL ID Look Like?

A REAL ID driver license and ID card will have a special marking in the top right corner of the card.

The marking is the California grizzly bear with a star.

If I don’t apply for a REAL ID, what card will I receive?

You will receive a federal non-compliant driver license or ID card, which has the words “Federal

Limits Apply.” This card cannot be used for federal purposes beginning October 1, 2020.

FACT SHEET

IMPORTANT

DATES

January 22, 2018:

California DMV began

offering REAL ID

driver license and

identiﬁcation cards.

October 1, 2020:

Federal compliant

card required to

board an airplane or

enter military bases

or certain federal

facilities

California Compliance with

Federal REAL ID Act Requirements

More information on

REAL ID is available on

the DMV website at

REALID.dmv.ca.gov.

DL 1010 (NEW 1/2018)