Get a REAL ID in Colorado

Get a Colorado REAL ID: most Colorado cards with a star already are one; if you need your first, pre-register online, book an appointment at a state driver license office and bring your documents; the card arrives by mail within 30 days.

Online?No, one office visitDMV says an in-person visit is required to get your first REAL ID. First-time applicants should pre-register online first, but that doesn't replace the appointment.
Office visitOne visit; state offices need an appointmentYou must schedule an appointment to visit a state driver license office. Fourteen counties also run driver license offices, but services vary: some (e.g. Douglas, Kiowa) don't issue a new driver license. Check the county's listed services and book with the county, not on the state site; some counties take walk-ins.
Cost$14 ID; license fee not listedThe DMV's REAL ID fee table lists $34 for a driver license renewal but no separate fee for a first or transferred license. ID card: $14 under 60, free over 60. Instruction permit: $20. State offices take cash, check or card.
You leave withPaper temporary, card by mailYou get a paper temporary credential at the appointment and the card is mailed within 30 days. The temporary isn't REAL ID proof for flying on its own.

Your situation

Do you already have a Colorado license or ID with a star on the front?

Colorado REAL IDs have a black star (2020 and later) or a gold star (before 2020). A Standard card with a black banner is not a REAL ID. An out-of-state card doesn't count.

What is your status in the U.S.?

Commercial (CDL) applicants get a REAL ID whether their status is temporary or permanent; see the DMV's CDL page.

Are you moving a driver license from another state to Colorado?
Is your current legal name different from the name on your identity document?

For example, your birth certificate shows your name before marriage.

Your plan

  1. Gather your documents

    • Accepted documents (bring 1)
      • Colorado license, permit or ID (unexpired or expired less than 10 years)
      • U.S. passport or passport card (unexpired)
      • Enhanced out-of-state license or ID (unexpired; only from MI, NY, MN, WA or VT)
      • Certificate of naturalization or citizenship (issued within 20 years)
      • Permanent resident card (I-551) (unexpired, or expired with an I-797 extension)
      • Foreign passport with an unexpired I-551 stamp
      • Valid refugee or approved asylee I-94 (with a foreign passport, DHS attached photograph or USCIS travel document)
    • Accepted documents (bring 1)
      • Certified U.S. birth certificate (no abbreviated, miniature, hospital or California abstract birth certificates)
      • Consular report of birth abroad
      • Certificate of naturalization or citizenship (issued 20+ years ago)
      • Certified U.S. adoption order (with birth information)
      • Refugee or approved asylee I-94 without photo
    • Accepted documents (bring 1)
      • Colorado license, permit or ID (unexpired or expired less than 10 years)
      • Out-of-state license, permit or ID (unexpired or expired less than 10 years)
      • U.S. passport or passport card (expired less than 10 years)
      • Military ID or Common Access Card (unexpired or expired less than 10 years)
      • VA card (issued within 20 years)
      • Bureau of Indian Affairs or tribal ID with photo (issued within 20 years)
      • Federal Bureau of Prisons or state Department of Corrections ID card
      • Parent or legal guardian with identity document and proof of guardianship (if under 21)
    • Accepted documents (bring 1)
      • Your number, given verbally
      • Social Security card (must be signed if you're 18 or older)
      • W-2 form
      • SSA-1099 form
      • Pay stub with your full number
    • Accepted documents (bring 2)
      • Bank statement
      • Pay stub
      • Phone or utility bill
      • Mortgage, lease or rental contract
      • Vehicle registration or title
      • Homeowners, renters or motor vehicle insurance policy
      • First-class mail from a government agency
      • USPS Change of Address form
      • Rent receipt (not handwritten)
      • Computer-generated bill (utilities, credit cards, doctor, hospital)
      • School transcript or report card
      • DD214
    • Accepted documents (bring 1)
      • Driver license from your previous state (valid or expired less than one year)
      • Motor vehicle report from your previous state (dated within 30 days, showing a valid license; bring another form of ID too)

  2. Pre-register online

    First-time Colorado applicants, including people moving a license from another state, should pre-register on myDMV. Save the PDF confirmation and bring it; it doesn't replace an appointment.

    Pre-registration ↗

  3. Book an appointment

    Book a state driver license office online; walk-in availability there is limited. Fourteen counties also run driver license offices with their own services and appointments: some (e.g. Douglas, Kiowa) don't issue a new driver license, so check the county's services first.

    Appointments ↗

  4. Go to your appointment

    Bring your confirmation and documents. You give fingerprints, have a new photo taken, pass a basic eye exam and pay the fee. New residents must also move their license within 30 days of becoming a Colorado resident. Under 18? Bring a parent or legal guardian to sign the Affidavit of Liability and Guardianship (DR 2460), or bring it signed and notarized.

    Driver license office locations ↗

  5. Watch your mail

    Keep the paper temporary credential. DMV says the card is mailed within 30 days, and you can track it online.

    Where's my license/ID ↗

Common reasons people get turned away

  • Photocopies, photos, laminated or notarized copies, or an abbreviated, hospital or California abstract birth certificate.
  • Proof of address that is junk mail, handwritten, shows only a P.O. box or is more than a year old.
  • Names that don't match across documents, with no certified name change document linking them.
  • Counting on an out-of-state REAL ID: you still need every Colorado-required document.

Offices that issue REAL ID

Colorado DMV says state driver license offices and some county offices handle all license, permit and ID services; county-run driver license locations set their own services, and several don't issue a new driver license. Agency source.

No office's own service list mentions REAL ID, and the agency doesn't name the office types that issue it.

54 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.