Alabama REAL ID: Star ID Requirements, Cost, and How to Apply

To meet Alabama Star ID requirements, you bring four original documents to an Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) Driver License examining office, pay $36.25, and leave with a temporary paper permit while your permanent card is mailed. The four documents cover three categories: one proving identity and date of birth, one showing your full Social Security number, and two proving your Alabama residential address. Every document must be an original or certified copy. Photocopies, printouts, and phone screens are not accepted.¹

The Star ID is Alabama’s REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or non-driver identification card. Federal enforcement began May 7, 2025, so a standard Alabama license without a gold star in the upper right corner will not get you through TSA on its own, and will not get you into a military base, federal courthouse, or other secured federal building that requires REAL ID.²³

Proof of Identity and Date of Birth

Bring one of the following:

Certified birth certificate issued by a state Office of Vital Statistics
Valid, unexpired U.S. passport
Valid, unexpired permanent resident card (Form I-551)
Unexpired employment authorization document (Form I-766 or I-688B)
Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550 or N-570)
Certificate of Citizenship (Form N-560 or N-561)
Unexpired foreign passport with a valid U.S. visa and approved I-94

A certified birth certificate is the one most applicants reach for, and it has to be the certified copy from vital records, not the souvenir version from the hospital.¹

If Your Name Has Changed

If your current legal name is different from the name on your identity document, you also need certified paperwork that connects the two. A marriage certificate, divorce decree, adoption record, or court order showing the change will do it.¹ This is where a lot of applicants get sent home. If you’ve been married twice and your birth certificate still shows your maiden name, you need every certified document in the chain from that name to the one you use now.

Proof of Social Security Number

Bring one document showing your full Social Security number:

Original Social Security card
U.S. military Form DD-214
Medicare or Medicaid card, but only if the number is followed by the letter “A”
W-2 tax form from the current or previous year

Your Social Security card is the simplest option. If you can’t find yours, the Social Security Administration will issue a replacement online or at a local office, though it takes time. A recent W-2 works as a backup.¹

Two Documents Proving Alabama Residency

You need two separate documents showing your Alabama residential address. Utility bills for water, gas, or electric dated within the last 90 days work, as do a residential mortgage contract and proof of property tax payment. Additional categories are listed on the ALEA website.¹

Both documents must show the same address, and both must be originals. That last piece catches people out. Most bills come through email now, and paper copies aren’t sitting in a drawer anywhere. Request printed statements from your utility company or bank a couple of weeks before your appointment so you’re not scrambling.

Non-Citizen Applicants

Non-U.S. citizens who are lawfully present in Alabama can get a Star ID, but the identity document has to establish authorized presence: a permanent resident card, employment authorization document, certificate of naturalization, certificate of citizenship, or foreign passport with a valid U.S. visa and approved I-94 admission record. The Social Security and residency requirements are the same as for citizens. Star IDs issued to non-citizens with temporary authorization are typically valid only for the duration of that authorized stay.¹

Where to Apply

Initial Star ID applications have to be processed in person at an ALEA Driver License examining office. County license offices can handle renewals and duplicates, but they cannot issue a first-time Star ID.² ALEA runs an online scheduling system for appointments, which is worth using to skip walk-in wait times.

At the office, an examiner reviews each original document, scans it into a secure database, and takes a new photo. You walk out with a temporary paper permit that works as valid ID until the permanent card is manufactured at a central facility and mailed to your home. The finished card carries a gold star in the upper right corner. That star is what TSA and federal security officers look for.

Cost

The Star ID is $36.25, the same as a standard Alabama driver’s license or non-driver ID card.⁴ If you time the upgrade to your regular license renewal, there’s no extra charge beyond the renewal fee. First-time non-driver ID applicants may pay an additional $5 document examination fee. ALEA offices take cash, money orders, and major credit cards, with a 4% convenience fee on card payments.⁵

When to Apply

Alabama licenses are valid for four years. If your current license is up for renewal in the next few months, wait and do both at once for the single $36.25 fee. If your renewal is a long way off and you have a flight coming up, you can apply for the Star ID upgrade at any time by paying the $36.25 separately.

Do You Actually Need a Star ID?

A Star ID only matters when a federal agency requires REAL ID-compliant identification. You don’t need one to drive, vote, buy age-restricted products, or use state services. The two situations that push most people to get one are domestic air travel and entering federal facilities with security screening.²

For flying, TSA also accepts a valid U.S. passport or passport card, a Department of Defense ID (including dependent IDs), DHS trusted traveler cards such as Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, and FAST, an enhanced driver’s license from a state that issues one (Alabama doesn’t), and photo IDs from federally recognized tribal nations. If a passport already lives in your travel bag, you can skip the Star ID and use that instead.

Adding a Veteran Designation

Alabama veterans can add a veteran designation to a Star ID at no extra charge when applying for the first time or at renewal. You’ll need proof of honorable or general-under-honorable-conditions discharge: a DD-214, NGB Form 22, active-duty DD Form 2 (green ID card), or retired military ID card (blue and pink) all qualify.⁶ Adding the designation between renewals means paying the standard duplicate license fee, so the cheapest path is to bring the discharge document with your other paperwork to your initial Star ID appointment.

1
Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. STAR ID Document List
2
Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Star ID
3
Transportation Security Administration. REAL ID
4
Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. One Month Away Until the STAR ID (REAL ID) Enforcement Begins: What You Need to Know
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Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. License and ID Cards
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Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Driver License Information