Get a REAL ID in Alaska

Get an Alaska REAL ID: apply in person at a DMV office with original or certified documents, even if you already hold an Alaska card; the regular card fee plus a $20 REAL ID fee applies.

Online?No, one office visitEveryone applying for a REAL ID, including current Alaska card holders, applies in person and shows source documents, even ones submitted before.
Office visitOne visitDMV's REAL ID pages don't say whether you need an appointment. Office appointments can be scheduled online; Nome and Dillingham are by appointment and Cordova is walk-in only.
Cost$40 license, $35 ID cardThe regular card fee plus a $20 REAL ID fee. An ID card for age 60 or older is $20; a REAL ID CDL is $120.
You leave withPaper temporary, card by mailOn its license renewal page, DMV says you get a paper temporary license the same day when you apply in person, and the card is mailed and should arrive in about 2-4 weeks.

Your situation

Do you already have an Alaska license or ID with a star in the top right corner?

Alaska REAL ID cards show a star in the top right corner. Standard cards have no star and say "Federal limits apply." An out-of-state card doesn't count.

Are you a U.S. citizen?
Is the name on your identity document different from the name on your proofs of residence?

For example, your birth certificate shows your name before marriage, but your bills show your married name. DMV checks that these names match.

Your plan

  1. Gather your documents

    • Accepted documents (bring 1)
      • Valid, unexpired U.S. passport or passport card
      • Certified copy of a U.S. birth certificate (issued by a city, county or state vital statistics office, not a hospital)
      • Birth certificate from a U.S. territory (Puerto Rico birth certificates issued on or after July 1, 2010)
      • Consular Report of Birth Abroad of U.S. Citizen
      • Certificate of Naturalization or Certificate of U.S. Citizenship
    • Accepted documents (bring 1)
      • Your complete Social Security number on the application
      • If you're not eligible for a number: a verification letter from the Social Security Administration (issued within the last 90 days)
    • Accepted documents (bring 2)
      • Rental or lease agreement signed by the owner or landlord and the tenant
      • Deed or title to residential property, or mortgage document
      • Home utility bill (including cell phone)
      • Employment document
      • Insurance document (medical, dental, vision, life, home, rental or vehicle)
      • Government-issued tax document
      • Bank or financial institution statement
      • Voter registration confirmation letter or postcard from the Alaska Division of Elections
      • Proof of resident tuition paid at an Alaska public college or university
      • Letter on letterhead from a homeless shelter, shelter for abused women, nonprofit, faith-based organization, employer or government agency saying you live in Alaska
      • Alaska vehicle title or registration (issued at least 30 days before you apply)
      • USPS change of address confirmation
      • First-class mail with a postmark (may be handwritten)
      • Alaska Tribal card (only for non-standard remote Alaska addresses within the tribal area on the card)

  2. Check your documents with DMV's online checklist

    DMV's step-by-step online checklist and its printable checklist show which documents you need. Make sure your documents are current and accurate.

    Online REAL ID Checklist ↗

  3. Fill out Form D1 for a license

    For a driver license, DMV's application is Form D1, which you can fill out and print before your visit.

    Form D1 (PDF) ↗

  4. Choose a state DMV office

    Apply at a local DMV office. Appointments may be scheduled online from the locations page. Hours, appointment rules and temporary closures differ by office (Bethel is closed until further notice), so check the office listing and the closures notice first. Contract agent offices can have limited services (Cordova says so), so call one before you go.

    State DMV office locations ↗

  5. At the office

    Show your original or certified documents, give your Social Security number on the application and pay the fee. DMV's renewal page says in-person applicants get a paper temporary license the same day.

  6. Wait for your card

    DMV's license renewal page says the card is mailed to the mailing address on your application and should arrive in about 2-4 weeks, and that the Post Office won't forward it, so give a deliverable address. You can track it online.

    Track My Card ↗

Common reasons people get turned away

  • Photocopies aren't accepted: documents must be certified originals, certified amended originals or copies certified by the issuer, and unexpired. Hospital birth certificates don't count.
  • Foreign documents need a certified English translation (DMV form COFAT).
  • If the name on your identity document doesn't match your residence documents, bring name change documents.
  • Two residence documents from the same source can't be from the same month or billing cycle, and a P.O. Box isn't a residence address.
  • Commercial (CDL) holders must upgrade to a REAL ID CDL when their license expires.

Offices that issue REAL ID

Alaska DMV says REAL ID applicants must apply in person, and that you apply for a driver license at a local Division of Motor Vehicles office. Agency source.

16 offices in Alaska
15 other offices that handle licenses

Neither the office's service list nor the agency says these offices issue REAL ID. Call the office before you go.

Results show offices that issue REAL ID or may, nearest first, each labelled.

Read more

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. DMVorganization.org is independent and not a government agency; we don't book appointments or take payments.