Nevada driver license and ID card: first license, renewal, replacement and REAL ID
How teens and adults get a first Nevada license, which tests new residents take, who can renew online or by mail, how to order a duplicate, and what a REAL ID or Nevada ID card requires, from the Nevada DMV.
Guide · Nevada · REAL ID · Driver licenses · Renewals · ID cards · updated October 29, 2026
Nevada driver licenses, instruction permits, ID cards and Driver Authorization Cards are issued by the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). This guide covers getting your first license as a teen or adult, moving to Nevada with another state's license, renewing, replacing a lost card, REAL ID and ID cards. For booking and the document list, see the Nevada DMV visit guide.
Your first license as an adult
The DMV lists the steps for drivers 18 and older as:
- Pass the written knowledge test.
- Optionally get an instruction permit.
- Take the road test.
- Finish the licensing process.
All first-time applicants must prove identity and residency. If you have never been licensed in the U.S., or your license has been expired, suspended or revoked for more than a year, you take vision, knowledge and skills tests.
A permit is optional for adults. However, without one you cannot book your drive test online; you book it in person after passing the written test. You can start your application online with Quick Cards and then finish it at an appointment.
The DMV lists an original 8-year non-commercial license at $41.50. The initial knowledge and skills test costs $25, and each retest $10.
Teens: permit, driver education and road test
- Instruction permit (from age 15½). You need proof of identity, Social Security number and two Nevada address documents, unless you already have a Nevada ID card. Anyone under 18 also brings a Certification of Attendance (DMV 301) showing they meet school attendance requirements. The DMV's minimum vision standard is 20/40 in at least one eye. The permit fee is $22.50, and the permit itself arrives by mail within 10 business days; you drive on an interim paper permit until then.
- Driver education. Most first-time drivers under 18 must complete an approved course. The DMV lists three options: 30 hours of classroom instruction with 50 hours behind the wheel, an approved online course with 50 hours behind the wheel, or, in limited cases, 100 hours of driving experience only. Home-schooled students are not exempt.
- Road test. You must be at least 16 and have held your permit for 6 months or more. You need no at-fault crashes, moving violations or drug or alcohol convictions in the past 6 months, and at least 50 hours of supervised driving practice. Bring a parent or guardian to sign forms, your permit, your documents and your completed driving log.
When you pass, you return to the DMV to process the license ($22.50). Your permit is punched and returned, and the license arrives by mail within 10 business days. For the first 6 months you may not carry passengers under 18 other than immediate family. Teens may not drive between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., except to or from school or work. Minor licenses are printed vertically.
Moving to Nevada with another state's license
The DMV says you must live at a Nevada street address and hold a valid or expired license or ID from another state. Active-duty military members and their families, people living in Nevada only temporarily, and out-of-state students are not required to transfer.
Bring proof of identity, all name changes, Social Security number, two proofs of Nevada address and your existing license. If you are 21 or older and hold a current license from a U.S. state, U.S. territory or Canada, you usually take only a vision test. If you are under 21, you also take the knowledge test. You also take it if:
- You have lost the physical license.
- You have had three or more moving violations in the past four years.
- You have had a suspension or similar action in the past four years.
- You have had a DUI conviction in the past seven years.
Holders of other foreign licenses take all tests, though Taiwan nationals may get a skills test waiver.
Renewing your license
Most licenses are valid for 8 years. Drivers 65 and older get 4-year licenses. You can renew online through MyDMV, with no appointment, if all of these apply:
- You are a Nevada resident aged 16 to 70.
- Your license has not been expired more than 364 days.
- Your license is not suspended, revoked or canceled.
- Your name has not changed.
- You can self-certify that your vision meets the standard and that you have no medical condition affecting your driving.
You cannot renew online if you are 71 or older, hold an instruction permit, a CDL or a Driver Authorization Card, or have had three or more moving violations in four years. You print a temporary license right away, and the DMV says the card is mailed within 7 to 10 business days.
Some drivers can renew by mail; the DMV's renewal page lists the conditions. Otherwise, renew in person by appointment, which also lets you upgrade to a REAL ID. A renewal costs $41.50 for 8 years. If you renew in person more than 30 days after expiration, there is a $10 late fee.
Replacing a lost license
You can order a duplicate online with a MyDMV account if your card does not expire in the next 60 days and is not suspended or revoked. Commercial license duplicates must be ordered at a CDL office. You can also apply in person by appointment, bringing the completed DMV 002 form. The DMV lists a duplicate license at $17.50.
REAL ID
You must visit a DMV office in person to get a REAL ID. You show the documents only once, and the license stays REAL ID compliant when you renew. Bring:
- One proof of identity
- Proof of every name change
- One proof of Social Security number
- Two proofs of Nevada residential address
All documents must be valid originals or certified copies, and the card must show your physical address. A Nevada REAL ID has a gold star in the upper right corner. Standard licenses are marked as not for REAL ID purposes and, since May 7, 2025, cannot be used for domestic flights or secure federal facilities.
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.
Nevada ID cards
Any Nevada resident aged 10 or older can get an ID card, using the same identity and residency documents as for a license. You cannot hold an ID card and a driver license at the same time, even from different states. The DMV lists an original ID at $21.50 for ages 18 to 64, $9.50 for ages 10 to 17 and $11.50 (8-year) for ages 65 and older. You can renew an ID online up to 60 days before or 364 days after expiration, if your photo was taken within the last 8 years and your address has not changed.
For vehicle paperwork, see the Nevada vehicle registration and title guide, and for nearby offices the Nevada office list.