Get a REAL ID in North Dakota

Get a North Dakota REAL ID (gold star) license or ID: book an appointment, bring documents from each category that applies to you to an NDDOT driver license site, and pay the regular card fee.

Your situation

Do you have a North Dakota driver license or ID card now?

A REAL ID-compliant North Dakota card has a gold star in the top right corner.

Yes, but it has no gold starNo, this is my first North Dakota cardYes, and it has the gold starYou already have a REAL ID

Are you a U.S. citizen?

YesNoYou show legal presence instead

Is your current legal name different from the name on your identity document?

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

No, it's the sameYesMarriage, adoption or a court order

Update my plan

Your plan

1. Gather your documents

   • Proof of identity, date of birth and U.S. citizenship
     Originals or certified copies only. No photocopies or hospital certificates.
     Accepted documents (bring 1)

     • U.S. birth certificate (state certified, government issued)
     • U.S. territory birth certificate
     • Valid, unexpired U.S. passport or passport card
     • Report of Birth Abroad (issued by the U.S. Department of State)
     • Certificate of Naturalization
     • Certificate of Citizenship
   • Proof of Social Security number
     Every document must show your name and full Social Security number.
     Accepted documents (bring 1)

     • Social Security card (the blue and white paper card)
     • W-2 form
     • SSA-1099 form
     • Non-SSA 1099 form
     • Pay stub with your name and Social Security number
   • Two proofs of North Dakota residence address · 2 different documents
     Each must show your name and current physical address; P.O. boxes are not accepted. Originals or certified copies only. Bring printed documents: NDDOT accepts no digital REAL ID documents. If you can't provide them, NDDOT asks you to call 855-633-6835 about alternatives.
     Accepted documents (bring 2)

     • Most current government-issued property tax statement
     • Current mortgage, lease or rental document
     • Current homeowner's or renter's insurance policy
     • Current utility bill (electricity, gas, water, sewer, cable, recycle)
     • School or college transcript (issued within 6 months)
     • Current financial statement (from a financial institution, government entity or government-regulated entity)
     • Current pay stub or statement from your employer
     • Current vehicle insurance policy or statement
     • Current resident certificate or Tribal ID from a North Dakota Tribe (with your North Dakota address)
     • Current formal resident statement from the property owner or renter
     • Relief agency or shelter certification
     • Parent's proof of address (for a child under 18)

2. Print the REAL ID checklist

   NDDOT's checklist lists the documents for all four categories. You need one document from each category that applies to you, and two proofs of North Dakota address.

   REAL ID Checklist (PDF) on dot.nd.gov ↗

3. Book an appointment

   Book online with NDDOT's scheduler or call 1-855-633-6835. Online appointments aren't available for the same day; bring your confirmation number. You can get a REAL ID when you renew or as a duplicate.

   NDDOT online scheduler ↗

4. Fill in the pre-application (optional)

   NDDOT says completing the online pre-application before you go speeds up your visit.

   Driver License Pre-Application ↗

5. Visit a driver license site

   If you have a North Dakota license, bring it. Full-time sites are in Bismarck, Minot, Fargo, Williston, Dickinson, Grand Forks, Devils Lake and Jamestown. Part-time sites open only on certain days each month. Bring your original or certified documents and your fee; if you are renewing and need corrective lenses, bring them for the vision screening.

   Driver License Sites on dot.nd.gov ↗

Common reasons people get turned away

• Photocopies or a hospital birth certificate: NDDOT accepts only originals or certified copies.
• Only one proof of address, a P.O. box address, or a document without your name and current physical address.
• A Social Security document that doesn't show your name and full number.
• Arriving without an appointment: driver license sites take no walk-ins.
• Showing documents on a phone: NDDOT accepts no digital REAL ID documents, only printed ones.

Offices that issue REAL ID

NDDOT says REAL ID documents can be obtained at its driver license sites: eight full-time and eleven part-time sites. Agency source.

19 offices in North Dakota

• Beulah Driver License Site Beulah ✓ Office type issues it
• Bismarck Driver License Site Bismarck ✓ Office type issues it
• Bottineau Driver License Site Bottineau ✓ Office type issues it
• Bowman Driver License Site Bowman ✓ Office type issues it
• Devils Lake Driver License Site Devils Lake ✓ Office type issues it
• Dickinson Driver License Site Dickinson ✓ Office type issues it
• Fargo Driver License Site Fargo ✓ Office type issues it
• Grafton Driver License Site Grafton ✓ Office type issues it
• Grand Forks Driver License Site Grand Forks ✓ Office type issues it
• Harvey Driver License Site Harvey ✓ Office type issues it
• Jamestown Driver License Site Jamestown ✓ Office type issues it
• Linton Driver License Site Linton ✓ Office type issues it
• Minot Driver License Site Minot ✓ Office type issues it
• Oakes Driver License Site Oakes ✓ Office type issues it
• Rolla Driver License Site Rolla ✓ Office type issues it
• Valley City Driver License Site Valley City ✓ Office type issues it
• Wahpeton Driver License Site Wahpeton ✓ Office type issues it
• Watford City Driver License Site Watford City ✓ Office type issues it
• Williston Driver License Site Williston ✓ Office type issues it

Find a nearby office by city or ZIP

Search

Results show offices that issue REAL ID or may, nearest first, each labelled.

Read more

• North Dakota driver license and ID card: first license, renewal, replacement and REAL ID
• REAL ID explained: what changed and which ID you need to fly

Did it work on your first visit?

Tell us after you've been. One anonymous answer, no account, nothing else saved.

Yes, first visitNo

If not, what went wrong?
Choose one (optional)I was missing a documentA document was not acceptedI went to an office that does not issue itI needed an appointmentSomething else

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Sources · checked October 30, 2026

• REAL ID Information (NDDOT)
• REAL ID Checklist (NDDOT, PDF)
• Driver License Sites (NDDOT)
• Driver License, FAQs (NDDOT)
• Driver License Requirements and fees (NDDOT)
• Driver License Renewal (NDDOT)
• ID Card Requirements (NDDOT)
• Replace a Lost, Stolen, or Damaged License (NDDOT)
• Requirements for Transferring License (NDDOT)

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.