Get a REAL ID in Virginia

Get a Virginia REAL ID: start the application online or on paper at the office, then bring original documents to a DMV customer service center; REAL ID costs a one-time $10 on top of the license or ID card fee.

Online?No, first REAL ID in personYou can start the application online, but it doesn't upload documents; you bring them to DMV. After your first REAL ID, you can renew it online on the standard schedule.
Office visitOne visit to a customer service centerAppointments are available Monday to Friday; walk-ins and e-tickets during regular office hours. DMV doesn't say an appointment is required, but suggests booking one to two months before your next flight.
Cost$10 one-time, plus the card feeDMV's examples: a standard driver's license renewal costs $32 and a replacement $20. An ID card costs $2 per year (minimum $10, maximum $16).
You leave withTemporary paper, card by mailYou leave with a temporary driving permit (valid 30 days) or an ID card receipt. The card arrives by mail within 7-10 days.

Your situation

Do you already have a standard (non-REAL ID) Virginia driver's license or ID card?

If your Virginia card already has the star, you don't need this plan: DMV says you can renew a REAL ID online on the standard schedule. A REAL ID from another state can't be transferred: Virginia asks every applicant for the full set of documents.

Are you a U.S. citizen?
Is your current name different from the name on your birth certificate, passport or other proof documents?

Your plan

  1. Gather your documents

    • Accepted documents (bring 1)
      • Official birth certificate (issued by a U.S. state, jurisdiction or territory; not a hospital birth document or notification of birth registration. Puerto Rico certificates issued before July 1, 2010 are not accepted)
      • Valid, unexpired U.S. passport or U.S. passport card (temporary passports are not accepted)
      • U.S. Certificate of Naturalization (N-550 or N-570)
      • U.S. Certificate of Citizenship (N-560 or N-561)
      • Consular Report of Birth Abroad (FS-240), Certificate of Birth Abroad (FS-545) or Certification of Report of Birth (DS-1350)
    • Accepted documents (bring 1)
      • Social Security card
      • W-2 form
      • Payroll check stub from your employer (showing your full Social Security number)
      • SSA-1099 or non-SSA-1099 form
    • Accepted documents (bring 1)
      • Virginia driver's license, learner's permit or DMV ID card showing your current address (unexpired or expired no more than one year)
      • Deed, mortgage, monthly mortgage statement or residential rental/lease agreement
      • Utility bill issued to you, not more than two months old (gas, electric, sewer, water, cable or phone; cell phone bills are not accepted)
      • Monthly bank or credit card statement, not more than two months old
      • Payroll check stub from the last two months
      • W-2 or 1099 form, not more than 18 months old
      • Virginia voter registration card mailed by your local registrar
      • USPS change of address confirmation, or postmarked mail with a forwarding address label
      • Receipt for Virginia personal property or real estate taxes paid within the last year
      • Current homeowners insurance policy or bill, or current auto or life insurance bill (insurance cards and auto or life policies are not accepted)
      • Medical or dental bill from the last two months
      • School records, transcript or report card from the last year, or a Virginia Department of Education Certificate of Enrollment
      • Annual Social Security statement for the current or previous year
      • Cancelled check not more than two months old (voided checks are not accepted)
      • Active-duty military in Virginia: orders, commanding officer's letter, or Leave and Earnings Statement showing Virginia as home of record
      • Virginia Offender Information Form
      • Approved Homeless Shelter Agreement
    • Accepted documents (bring 1)
      • Another document from the primary list
      • Postmarked USPS mail
      • Official mail from a federal, state or local government agency (DMV-issued documents without a postmarked envelope are not accepted)
      • Billing statement or other official document from a recognizable business

  2. Check your documents online

    DMV's online Document Guide shows which documents your application needs. The full list is in DMV 141.

    Document Guide on dmv.virginia.gov ↗

  3. Start your application online

    Existing customers can start a REAL ID replacement or renewal online before visiting; it helps you pick the documents to bring but doesn't upload them. You can also fill out a paper application at the customer service center.

    Start a REAL ID application on dmv.virginia.gov ↗

  4. Book an appointment or walk in

    Appointments are available Monday to Friday: pick the service, office, date and time. Or walk in during regular office hours, or reserve a same-day spot with an e-ticket by scanning the office's QR code or texting its code to 89247.

    Plan your visit on dmv.virginia.gov ↗

  5. Visit a customer service center

    Bring your original documents to a DMV customer service center, not a DMV Select. DMV scans and stores your documents; you may black out financial details that don't matter for REAL ID, such as on a bank statement or W-2.

    Find a customer service center on dmv.virginia.gov ↗

  6. Get your card by mail

    You get a temporary driving permit (valid 30 days) or an ID card receipt, and the card is mailed within 7-10 days. Your DMV address must be your current mailing address: the Postal Service won't forward the card. Under 18 with a first license: it goes to your local Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, which schedules a licensing ceremony.

Common reasons people get turned away

  • Photocopies and temporary documents, including temporary passports, are not accepted: bring originals.
  • Marriage licenses and marriage certificates signed only by the wedding officiant don't prove a name change.
  • Cell phone bills, insurance cards, P.O. boxes and business addresses don't count as proof of Virginia residency.
  • The Employment Authorization Document (I-766) is not accepted as proof of legal presence for a REAL ID.

Offices that issue REAL ID

Virginia DMV says DMV Selects do not issue or renew driver's licenses, learner's permits or ID cards; its REAL ID page says to bring your documents to a DMV customer service center. Agency source.

75 offices in Virginia
58 offices where you can't get it

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

Read more

Sources · checked October 30, 2026

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.