Kansas driver license and ID card: first license, renewal, replacement and REAL ID
How to get a first Kansas driver's license or teen permit, transfer an out-of-state license, renew or replace your card, and what a REAL ID or ID card requires, based on the Kansas Division of Vehicles' own pages.
Guide · Kansas · REAL ID · Driver licenses · Renewals · ID cards · updated October 29, 2026
Kansas driver's licenses, instruction permits and ID cards are issued by the Division of Vehicles of the Kansas Department of Revenue. This guide covers first licenses (including the teen permit and restricted licenses), moving to Kansas, renewals, replacements, REAL ID and ID cards. For booking a visit and the general document list, see the Kansas DMV visit guide.
Your first Kansas license
If you have never been licensed, the Division says you must:
- Present acceptable proof of identity and proof of residence
- Not be canceled, suspended or revoked in any state
- Pass a vision exam and the written exam
- Pass a driving exam in a vehicle you provide
- Pay the fees
You can take the written exam online through the KnowTo Drive portal, from a laptop or desktop computer. The Division's fee chart lists a new Class C license with testing at $29 for ages 21 to 64, including the $3 test fee and the $8 photo fee. A learner's permit costs $10.
The Division also warns that online driver education courses are not accepted for a license in Kansas. Only courses offered through a local, accredited school district and approved by the Kansas Department of Education count.
Teens: permits and restricted licenses
Kansas uses a graduated system for drivers aged 14 to 17. The main steps listed by the Division are:
- Instruction permit (from 14). You pass a vision test and either the written test or a driver education completion certificate. Parental approval is required at 14 and 15. A licensed adult aged 21 or older must sit in the front seat at all times. No wireless device use is allowed while driving, except to report illegal activity or summon help.
- Restricted license (from 15). You need driver education, parental approval and a Kansas-issued permit held for at least one year; the driver education permit slip does not count toward that year. You may drive to and from work or school (by the most direct route on school days) and religious activities, or anywhere with a licensed adult aged 21 or older. You may not carry non-sibling minor passengers.
- Less restricted privileges (from 16). You need an affidavit, signed by your parent or guardian, of 50 hours of supervised practice, 10 of them at night. You may then drive anywhere from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., plus anytime to and from work and school activities. You may carry no more than one non-sibling passenger under 18. The restrictions end after six months or at 17, whichever comes first, if you have obeyed the law.
- Unrestricted license (from 17). A 50-hour affidavit is still needed at 17, but not from 18.
Farm permits are also available from age 14 for farm-related driving.
All licenses issued before age 21 expire on your 21st birthday. You can renew no earlier than that birthday.
Moving to Kansas with another state's license
The Division says you have 90 days after establishing residency to trade your out-of-state license for a Kansas one. If your out-of-state license is valid, no testing is required beyond a vision exam. If it has expired, you take the written and driving exams.
Bring proof of lawful presence, proof of your Social Security number, two proofs of Kansas residential address, any name change document and your out-of-state license. A temporary license from another state is not accepted. If you lost your old card, bring a motor vehicle record or clearance letter from that state instead. You are not eligible while you have holds in another state.
Kansas reciprocates with all U.S. territories and Taiwan. Holders of a license from any other country take vision, written and driving exams.
Renewing your license
You can renew up to one year in advance, unless you are under 21. The vision exam is the only exam required at every renewal; your eye doctor can complete the vision form instead. If your license has been expired for one year or more, you also take the written and driving exams.
The Division encourages online renewal through iKan. The Division's pages give different age ranges for online renewal (21 and older, 21 to 64, and 21 to 50) and say some restrictions are set by law, so check in iKan whether you qualify. If you already have a REAL ID, it stays on the renewed card.
In person, you renew at a full-service driver's license office or a county treasurer location that offers renewal. You bring proof of identity, which can be your expiring license, and proof of your Kansas residential address. A new photo and signature are taken. The fee chart lists a Class C renewal at $26 for ages 21 to 64 and $20 over 64. A $1 late fee applies if you renew after the expiration date.
If you are out of state and not on active military duty, you cannot renew by mail. You can request a six-month extension or a replacement by mail with form DEMI-1. Active-duty military members and their dependents stationed outside Kansas can renew by mail.
Replacing a lost license
At a driver's license office, you bring two proofs of identity and one proof of your current residential address. The replacement fee is $16 for a license and $12 for an ID card. If you are temporarily out of state and will stay at that address for at least 45 more days, you can apply by mail with form DEMI-1.
REAL ID
The Division says REAL ID is not a required credential, but from age 18 you need one, or another acceptable ID, to board domestic flights. A REAL ID is also needed to enter federal facilities that require identification. A REAL ID has a gold star in the upper-right corner. Cards for people who do not want REAL ID are marked "Not for Federal Use".
To get one, bring originals or certified copies of:
- One proof of lawful presence, such as a state-issued birth certificate, U.S. passport or permanent resident card
- One proof of your Social Security number, such as your card, a W-2 or 1099, or a pay stub showing the full number
- Two proofs of your current Kansas residential address, dated within the last year, such as a lease, utility bill or bank statement
- Proof of any name change, such as a certified marriage certificate or divorce decree
Electronic documents are not accepted. You can add REAL ID at any time, for $8 on a valid card, and you only need to present the documents once. The Division's online driver's license status check shows whether your documents are already on file. See How can I tell if my driver's license is REAL ID compliant? and REAL ID explained.
ID cards
There is no minimum age for a Kansas ID card. Kansas law lets you hold either a valid driver's license or a valid ID card, not both. The fee chart lists a new ID card at $22, or $18 if you are over 64 or disabled. An ID can be issued at no fee if you need it to vote. The Division lists ID card renewal on iKan for ages 21 and older, but its pages give other age limits for online renewal, so check in iKan.
For vehicle paperwork, see the Kansas vehicle registration and title guide, and for offices the Kansas DMV office list.