California Form DL 933: Eligibility, Filing, and REAL ID Use

California DMV Form DL 933 is the verification form an unhoused person uses to get a California identification card at no cost. A qualifying government agency or 501(c)(3) nonprofit fills out and signs the form to confirm your housing status, and you bring it to a DMV field office when you apply for the ID. The form works only for an ID card, not a driver license.

What the Form Does

California Vehicle Code Section 14902 waives the entire ID card fee for anyone who can verify they are homeless. A standard California ID card costs $40, so a completed DL 933 saves you that full amount.¹ The form itself is the DMV’s proof that you qualify: a participating organization documents your situation, completes the form, and hands it to you to present at the counter.²

One boundary matters up front. DL 933 cannot be used for a driver license application. The DMV states plainly that the form is acceptable only for a California identification card.² If you need a license, the fee waiver does not apply.

Who Qualifies

Eligibility follows the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act definition of “unhoused,” which is broader than most people expect. It covers anyone lacking a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence: people in shelters, in transitional housing, in motels paid for by a social service agency, and in places not designed for sleeping such as cars, parks, or abandoned buildings.²

Homeless children and youth are specifically covered. A minor who meets the definition can receive a no-fee ID card through the same process.³

If you are housed but low-income and receive county public assistance such as CalWORKs, CalFresh, or general assistance, DL 933 is not your form. The reduced-fee program uses Form DL 937 and produces an ID card that costs $11 rather than being free.¹

How to Get a DL 933

You cannot download the form. The DMV prohibits DL 933 from being shared, photocopied, or posted online, and ships blank forms only to registered participating organizations at their business addresses.² To get one, you have to go through an organization that participates in the No Fee ID Card Program.

Two kinds of organizations qualify:

Government public social service agencies, including county welfare offices and Veterans Affairs offices.
IRS 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofits that serve the unhoused and can show either government funding for those services or membership in a local Continuum of Care.

For-profit companies and nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status cannot issue the form.²

The DMV points people to their local County Public Assistance Agency as a starting point. Shelters, transitional housing programs, and social service organizations that work with unhoused clients are the practical places to ask. If you already have a case worker, ask whether their agency participates in the DMV’s No Fee ID Card Program.

How the Form Gets Filled Out

The organization completes DL 933, not you. Staff verify your housing status, complete every field, and sign and date the form. The writing must be printed and legible; only the signature can be in cursive. Errors and scratch-outs are not allowed, so if a mistake happens, the organization has to start over with a fresh form.²

Once signed, the form is valid for 90 days. If you don’t get to a DMV field office in that window, you’ll need to return to the organization for a new one.²

Bringing DL 933 to the DMV

The form handles the fee. You still have to meet the DMV’s standard identity and documentation requirements for an ID card. Plan to bring:

Proof of identity showing your full legal name and date of birth, such as a birth certificate, valid passport, or consular ID.
Proof of your Social Security number. California Vehicle Code Section 1653.5 requires your SSN on the application; a Social Security card is simplest, but a W-2 or SSA-1099 showing the number can work.⁴
Proof of California residency if you have never held a California driver license or ID card before.⁵
Your completed, signed, and unexpired DL 933.

At the field office, staff will take your photo and thumbprint. There is no written test or vision exam for an ID card; those apply only to driver license applicants.⁶ Scheduling an appointment through the DMV website in advance is faster than walking in.

Using DL 933 for a REAL ID

A completed DL 933 also counts as one of the two proofs of California residency the DMV requires for a REAL ID-compliant card.⁷ That matters if you don’t have utility bills, a lease, or a mortgage statement in your name.

For the second residency document, you can use a letter on official letterhead from a shelter, domestic violence shelter, nonprofit, faith-based organization, employer, or government agency stating that you reside in California.² You’ll still need identity documents and an SSN, the same as any REAL ID application.⁸

Since May 7, 2025, the TSA and other federal agencies require a REAL ID-compliant card (marked with a star) or an acceptable alternative such as a passport for domestic flights. If flying is on your list, the extra documentation for the REAL ID version is worth the effort.⁹

Mistakes That Get the Form Rejected

Because DL 933 cannot be corrected, any problem on the form sends you back to the issuing organization for a new one. The common reasons a form gets turned away at the window:

The 90-day validity has expired. The clock starts on the date the organization signs.
A field is blank. Every section has to be complete.
Handwriting isn’t legible. Printing is required everywhere except the signature.
The form is a photocopy. The DMV accepts only originals.
Wrong program. DL 933 is for the no-fee program; low-income housed applicants on public assistance need DL 937.

Identity documents cause the other frequent holdup. If your current name doesn’t match your birth certificate or other identity document, you need legal paperwork connecting the two, such as a marriage certificate or court order. Without it, the DMV won’t process the application.⁵

1
California Department of Motor Vehicles. Licensing Fees
2
California DMV. Reduced/No Fee ID Card Program Information for Organizations
3
California Legislative Information. California Code Vehicle Code VEH 14902
4
California Legislative Information. California Code Vehicle Code VEH 1653.5
5
California Department of Motor Vehicles. Identification (ID) Cards
6
California DMV. Driver’s Licenses
7
California Department of Motor Vehicles. List of Documents Required for a REAL ID
8
California DMV. REAL ID Checklist
9
Transportation Security Administration. REAL ID Frequently Asked Questions