Virginia does not issue an enhanced driver’s license, and no Virginia legislation is pending to create one. Only five states offer EDLs: Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont, and Washington.1Department of Homeland Security. Enhanced Drivers Licenses: What Are They? If you live in Virginia and need an ID that works at TSA checkpoints or at the Canadian or Mexican border, you have two realistic choices: a REAL ID from the Virginia DMV, or a U.S. passport or passport card.
What an EDL Does, and Why Virginians Can’t Get One
An enhanced driver’s license is a regular state license that also functions as a limited travel document. It proves U.S. citizenship at land and sea entries from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean, so the holder doesn’t need a passport for those specific trips. The card carries an RFID chip that lets border agents pull up biographic and biometric data as the vehicle approaches the booth.1Department of Homeland Security. Enhanced Drivers Licenses: What Are They? An EDL also meets REAL ID standards for domestic flights and federal buildings.
Virginia isn’t one of the five issuing states, so none of that is available on a Virginia license. A Virginia resident who drives to Canada, drives to Mexico, or takes a Caribbean cruise has to carry a separate travel document.
The Virginia Substitute: A REAL ID
Virginia participates in the federal REAL ID program instead. A REAL ID is an upgraded driver’s license or ID card marked with a gold star in the upper-right corner.2Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. About the REAL ID Since May 7, 2025, TSA and other federal agencies have required a REAL ID-compliant license, a passport, or another approved credential to board a domestic flight or enter most federal facilities and military bases.3Transportation Security Administration. TSA Publishes Final Rule on REAL ID Enforcement Beginning May 7, 2025
The upgrade is optional. A standard Virginia license still works for driving, but at your next renewal it will carry a “Federal Limits Apply” notation and won’t get you through airport security or into secure federal buildings.2Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. About the REAL ID Some military installations have already stopped accepting non-compliant IDs, so check before you visit a base.
Keep in mind what the REAL ID doesn’t do. It isn’t a travel document. It won’t get you across the Canadian or Mexican border, won’t prove citizenship, and won’t substitute for a passport on any international trip. That gap is the main reason people ask about EDLs in the first place, and for Virginians it has to be filled with a passport or passport card.
How to Get a REAL ID in Virginia
You have to apply in person at a Virginia DMV customer service center. The online pre-application saves time at the counter, but staff must inspect your original documents.2Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. About the REAL ID The upgrade costs $10 on top of the regular license or ID card fee.
Bring originals of each of the following:
- One proof of identity, such as a birth certificate or valid U.S. passport
- One proof of legal presence, which often overlaps with the identity document
- Proof of your Social Security number; the DMV can verify the SSN electronically if you know it, so the physical card isn’t always necessary
- Two proofs of Virginia residency, such as utility bills or bank statements showing your name and Virginia address
- Proof of any name change, if the name on your identity document isn’t your current legal name
Photocopies and temporary documents aren’t accepted. Printouts of certain online residency documents, like utility e-statements, do qualify.2Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. About the REAL ID
The Passport Card: The Closest Thing to an EDL
For Virginians who actually wanted the border-crossing feature, the U.S. passport card is the closest substitute. It covers domestic air travel at TSA checkpoints4Transportation Security Administration. Acceptable Identification at the TSA Checkpoint and land or sea entries from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean.5U.S. Department of State. Cruise Ships It fits in a wallet.
A first-time adult passport card runs $65: a $30 application fee plus a $35 execution fee. Renewals are $30.6U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees The one limitation worth planning around is air travel. If a trip to Mexico or the Caribbean goes sideways and you need to fly home rather than drive or sail, the card won’t board the plane. International flights require the full passport book.7U.S. Customs and Border Protection. U.S. Citizens – Documents Needed to Enter the United States and/or to Travel Internationally
A REAL ID for daily use and a passport card for border trips covers almost every scenario a Virginia EDL would have handled, without the price of a passport book.
Which ID Works for Which Trip
Domestic Flights
A REAL ID-compliant Virginia license works. So does a U.S. passport, passport card, military ID, or TSA-approved mobile driver’s license.4Transportation Security Administration. Acceptable Identification at the TSA Checkpoint A standard Virginia license does not.
International Flights
A valid U.S. passport book is required. Neither a REAL ID nor a passport card will board an international flight.7U.S. Customs and Border Protection. U.S. Citizens – Documents Needed to Enter the United States and/or to Travel Internationally
Driving or Sailing to Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean
Any of the following work when entering the U.S. by land or sea from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, or the Caribbean:
- U.S. passport or passport card
- Enhanced driver’s license from one of the five issuing states
- Trusted traveler card (NEXUS, SENTRI, or FAST)
- U.S. military ID with official travel orders
- Enhanced tribal card
8U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative Because Virginia doesn’t issue EDLs, the passport or passport card is the practical choice for most residents.