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

How Nebraska's teen permits lead to a full license, what new residents must do within 30 days, who can renew or replace a card online, what documents a REAL ID needs and who gets a free state ID, from the Nebraska DMV.

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

Nebraska driver licenses, permits and state ID cards are issued by the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) through its driver licensing offices. This guide covers the teen permits that lead to a first license, moving to Nebraska with another state's license, renewing, replacing a lost card, REAL ID and state ID cards. For booking a visit and the full document checklist, see the Nebraska DMV visit guide.

Your first license

The standard license is the Operator's License (Class O), and the DMV lists its minimum age as 17. If you are 18 or older and have never held a Provisional Operator's Permit, you take vision, written and drive tests. The written test is waived if you hold a learner's permit that is valid or expired no more than one year. The DMV publishes practice tests online.

If you fail three drive tests in a row, you cannot reapply until you either complete an approved driver training course (at least six hours in the classroom and six behind the wheel) or have held a learner's permit for at least 90 days.

The DMV lists a 5-year Class O license at $29, including a $5 security fee.

Teens: permits on the way to a license

Learner's Permit (LPD), from age 15. You can apply 60 days before your 15th birthday, but it is issued only on or after your birthday. You take vision and written tests. While driving, you must have a licensed driver aged at least 21 in the seat beside you. The permit lasts one year and costs $13.

School Permit (SCP), from 14 years and 2 months. This permit is only for students who live outside a city of 5,000 or more, or who go to school outside one. You must have held a learner's or school learner's permit for 2 months first. It lets you drive alone to and from school and school activities by the most direct route, and anywhere with a licensed driver aged 21 or older. It expires at 16 years and 3 months.

Provisional Operator's Permit (POP), from age 16. Before applying, you must have:

  • Held a permit for at least six months, with fewer than three points on your record in that time
  • Completed either a DMV-approved driver safety course, or a 50-hour certification form signed by a parent, guardian or licensed driver aged 21 or older, with at least 10 hours driven between sunset and sunrise

If you completed the course, the written and drive tests are waived. With the 50-hour form, you take vision and drive tests.

POP holders may drive unsupervised from 6 a.m. to midnight. Between midnight and 6 a.m. they may drive alone only between home and work or a school activity. They can drive at any time with a parent, guardian or licensed driver aged at least 21. For the first six months, you may carry no more than one passenger under 19 who is not immediate family.

Moving up to Class O. You become eligible for a Class O license once you have held a POP for 12 months with fewer than three points in the past 12 months, or when you are between 18 and 21. You can get the license online or at an office.

Moving to Nebraska with another state's license

The DMV says any new resident with a valid license from another state must get a Nebraska license within 30 days. You prove citizenship or lawful status, Nebraska address (two documents) and your Social Security number. The DMV says a REAL ID from another state can be used to waive tests, but it does not count as proof of identity.

If you are 18 or older and surrender a valid out-of-state license, you take a vision test, and staff may decide to give a drive test. If you cannot surrender the license, you take written and drive tests. If you are under 18, you must meet the POP requirements.

Renewing your license

Licenses issued to people under 21 expire on the 21st birthday. Otherwise a license expires on your birthday in the fifth year after issue. The DMV mails a renewal postcard 30 days before your license expires. If you are 21 or older, you can renew up to 90 days before your birthday.

You can usually renew a Class O license online if:

  • Your name has not changed.
  • Your appearance has not changed significantly. Your current photo is reused.
  • Your license expires before your 72nd birthday.

Online renewal is allowed for two consecutive renewal periods. In person, bring a data form, one identity document and the fee, plus two proofs of address if you have moved. If you are out of state during your renewal period, you can renew a Class O license by mail, up to one year after it expires. A commercial license or a state ID card cannot be renewed by mail.

Replacing a lost license

You can order a replacement online if:

  • You hold a Class O, commercial, motorcycle or state ID card.
  • Your name has not changed.
  • You have not had more than two replacements in five years.

Learner's, school and provisional permits must be replaced in person. The DMV lists a replacement license at $16. Once a replacement is issued, the old card is invalid.

REAL ID

The DMV's document checklist is titled "REAL ID and Non-REAL ID". It lists one proof of citizenship or lawful status and identity, two proofs of address from separate sources, and name change documents if needed. It also says to write your Social Security number on the data form. Nebraska's REAL ID marking is a star in the upper right corner. On cards issued from March 2026 it is a white star in a black circle. Older cards, valid through December 2031, show a white star in a gold circle.

Some applicants, such as people with a parolee immigration status (see the DMV's Not for Federal Identification Documents page), receive cards marked "not for federal identification". To check a card you already have, see How can I tell if my driver's license is REAL ID compliant? and REAL ID explained.

State ID cards

Any Nebraska resident can get a state ID card. For the first one, you bring the same kinds of documents as for a license. The DMV says state ID cards are free for all U.S. citizens; for other applicants it lists $29 for a 5-year card. You cannot hold a Nebraska operator's license and a state ID card at the same time.

You can renew an ID card online if your name and appearance have not changed. The DMV's own pages disagree on how often that can be done: its renewals page says three consecutive renewal periods, while its state ID page says online renewal is possible only once every 10 years. Check the online renewal FAQs before you rely on either. You can also renew in person at any driver licensing office.

For vehicle paperwork, see the Nebraska vehicle registration and title guide, and for nearby offices the Nebraska office list.

Sources · checked October 29, 2026

We wrote this summary 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.

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