Arkansas driver license and ID card: first license, renewal, replacement and REAL ID

How to get a first Arkansas driver license or teen learner's license, transfer an out-of-state license, renew or replace your card, and what a REAL ID or state ID card requires, based on DFA and Arkansas State Police pages.

Guide · Arkansas · REAL ID · Driver licenses · Renewals · ID cards · updated October 29, 2026

In Arkansas, driver licenses and ID cards are issued by the Office of Driver Services of the Department of Finance and Administration (DFA), through the state revenue offices. Knowledge and road tests are given by the Arkansas State Police (ASP). This guide covers a first license, including the teen stages, moving from another state, renewing, replacing a card, REAL ID and state ID cards. For booking and the general document list, see the Arkansas DMV visit guide.

Your first Arkansas license

The testing is done by the Arkansas State Police. ASP gives driver license tests in all Arkansas counties and asks you to book every knowledge or skills test through its online scheduler. Before you book, ASP requires you to watch a short video on what to do during a traffic stop.

To prepare, ASP publishes:

• The Arkansas Driver License Test Study Guide, in English. Spanish and Vietnamese versions are also listed.
• An official online practice test and a mobile app.
• "1-2-3" checklists of the documents the examiner checks before the test can begin. There is one for knowledge tests (under 18 and over 18) and one for skills tests.

If your birth certificate is from Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Texas or Tennessee, ASP asks for proof of Arkansas residency too, such as an Arkansas lease or a certified Arkansas school transcript.

DFA's FAQ says that to get an Arkansas license or ID you need:

• Proof of legal presence
• Your Social Security card
• Your out-of-state license or ID, if you have one

DFA lists a regular Class D license for drivers aged 21 and older at $40 for eight years.

Teen drivers: the graduated license

Arkansas's graduated driver license law (Act 394 of 2009) has three levels:

1. Learner's license, for ages 14 and 15. You may drive only with a licensed driver aged 21 or older. It expires one month after your 16th birthday.
2. Intermediate license, for ages 16 and 17. It allows you to drive a non-commercial vehicle. DFA lists restrictions on its license page, including seatbelts for all passengers. Drivers without six months of experience may drive only with a licensed adult aged 21 or older.
3. Regular, unrestricted license, from age 18. It depends on a clean driving record for the previous year.

ASP explains the record rule like this: your record must be free of any serious accident or serious traffic conviction for the previous 6 months for a learner's license, and for the previous 12 months for an intermediate license. Violations can delay licensing.

Before a license is issued to anyone under 18, a parent or guardian must accept financial responsibility for the minor's driving. If a parent cannot come to the testing site, complete the Financial Responsibility Acceptance Form (ASP 33) in front of a notary.

DFA lists four cases in which a 16- or 17-year-old with six months of driving experience can get an unrestricted Class D license early:

• Legally emancipated (age 17 or older)
• Holds a high school diploma or GED
• Married
• Already enlisted in the U.S. military

Moving to Arkansas with a license from another state

DFA's FAQ says to bring proof of legal presence, your Social Security card and your out-of-state license or ID to a revenue office. Consider applying for a REAL ID at the same visit (see below).

Renewing your license

DFA's license table says a Class D license for drivers 21 and older can be renewed 90 days before it expires. Drivers aged 70 can choose a four-year license for $20 or an eight-year license for $40. A license issued to someone aged 18 to 21 expires one month after the 21st birthday and can be renewed on or after that birthday.

DFA says you do not need to retest if your Class D license has expired. To renew a REAL ID, you do not need to bring documents unless you are changing your name or address.

Replacing a lost license

You can order a replacement driver's license or ID online through MyDMV. DFA says the card arrives by mail within 3 to 5 business days. The same service works if you have changed your address. Duplicate learner's permits are issued at ASP driver testing centers. Bring one form of identification, such as an original birth certificate, a passport or a state ID.

REAL ID

DFA says REAL ID is available at any state revenue office. You need:

1. Proof of legal presence: one document, such as a U.S. birth certificate or U.S. passport.
2. Proof of identity: one document, such as a current license or ID, a school ID, a vehicle registration or title, a marriage certificate or a military ID.
3. Your Social Security card. DFA's FAQ also accepts a DD-214.
4. Two proofs of residency: for example, a utility bill in your name, a pay stub or bank statement from the last six months, a current tax return or a current insurance policy.

DFA's online REAL ID quiz helps confirm your documents, and you can book a revenue office appointment through MyDMV. For background, see REAL ID explained and how to tell if your license is a REAL ID.

State ID cards

DFA issues state IDs to Arkansas residents aged 5 and older who do not hold a valid driver's license. An ID costs $5. For most ages it is valid for four years, and it can be renewed 90 days before expiration. IDs for ages 5 to 14 are valid for two years. For people aged 60 and older, a non-REAL ID card does not expire, while a REAL ID card is valid for four years.

For vehicles, see the Arkansas vehicle registration and title guide.