How to Get a Connecticut ID Card: Documents, Fees, and REAL ID

To get a Connecticut ID card, you apply in person at a Department of Motor Vehicles office with documents proving your identity, Social Security number, and Connecticut residency. The non-driver ID costs $28 and is valid for seven years.¹ Homeless individuals and blind veterans qualify for a free card.

Who Can Apply

You need to live in Connecticut, be legally present in the United States, and not hold a valid Connecticut driver’s license. A suspended license does not disqualify you: you can still apply for a non-driver ID while the license is suspended.¹

If you already hold a Connecticut driver’s license or learner’s permit, you can exchange it for a non-driver ID without producing all your identity documents again, because the DMV already has them on file.¹

Applicants under 18 need a parent or legal guardian to sign Form 2-D, the Certificate of Parental Consent. Emancipated minors bring their court documentation instead.

DACA recipients can apply for a limited-term REAL ID by presenting a valid Employment Authorization Document with Category C33, a secondary identity document, proof of Social Security number, and two forms of Connecticut residency.²

Documents to Bring

The DMV groups documents into three categories: identity, Social Security, and residency. You need originals or certified copies. Photocopies are not accepted. If your name differs across documents because of marriage, divorce, or a court-ordered change, bring the supporting legal document so the DMV can connect the records.

Proof of Identity

You need one primary identity document. For U.S.-born citizens, that is typically a U.S. passport, passport card, or certified birth certificate. Naturalized citizens can use a Certificate of Naturalization or Certificate of Citizenship. Non-citizens use a Permanent Resident Card, Employment Authorization Document, or foreign passport with a valid I-94 or I-551 stamp.³

Documents in a language other than English generally require a certified translation with a signed statement of accuracy from the translator or agency. Informal translations and online translation tools are not accepted.

Proof of Social Security Number

A Social Security card is the simplest option, but a W-2, 1099, or pay stub showing the full number also works. The name on this proof must match your identity document, because the DMV verifies the number electronically and a mismatch will hold up the application. If you have never been issued a Social Security number due to your immigration status, request a letter of ineligibility from the Social Security Administration and bring it to your appointment.

Proof of Connecticut Residency

Two documents from two different sources, each showing your name and a Connecticut residential address. A bank statement and a utility bill work; two utility bills from the same provider do not. Most documents must be dated within the past 90 days, though leases, insurance policies, and tax bills can be up to 12 months old.³ P.O. boxes are not accepted because the DMV needs a physical address. Common acceptable documents include utility bills, bank statements, mortgages or leases, pay stubs showing the employer’s name, property tax bills, and postmarked mail.

Minors and others without bills in their own name can have a parent or guardian supply residency documents alongside their own identity verification.

If you are currently homeless or living in a shelter, you can still qualify. Proof of residency comes from an authorized shelter or transitional housing location listed through the CT Coalition to End Homelessness or 2-1-1 Connecticut.¹

How to Apply

A new non-driver ID has to be issued at a DMV office. AAA locations and Nutmeg State Financial Credit Union branches handle some DMV transactions, but not new IDs.¹

Fill out Form B-230, the identification application, before your visit. It is available on the DMV website.
Book an appointment through the DMV’s online scheduling system. Walk-ins are accepted at most offices on weekdays, but not at the Cheshire, Putnam, or Stamford offices, and no office takes walk-ins on Saturdays.
Bring your identity document, Social Security proof, two residency documents, and any name-change paperwork.
Pay the $28 fee at the office.
Wait for the card to arrive by mail. The DMV estimates roughly 20 business days for a REAL ID, and standard non-driver IDs follow a similar timeline.²

Fees and Free IDs

The standard non-driver ID is $28 for seven years.¹ A replacement for a lost, stolen, or damaged card is $30, as is a new card reflecting a name or address change.⁴

Two groups pay nothing:

People who are currently unhoused or living in a shelter, with proof of residency from an authorized shelter or transitional housing location.
Blind veterans with a Certificate of Blindness from the Bureau of Education and Services for the Blind (or a doctor’s letter confirming blindness) plus a DD214 showing honorable discharge.¹

Standard ID or REAL ID

Since May 7, 2025, boarding a domestic flight or entering certain federal buildings and military bases requires a REAL ID-compliant card, a U.S. passport, or another federally approved form of identification. A standard Connecticut non-driver ID no longer works for those purposes.⁵

You can tell the two apart on sight. A REAL ID has a gold star in the upper right corner. A standard card is marked “Not for Federal Identification.”

The application is the same in-person visit with the same document categories. The one procedural difference worth knowing: under the REAL ID Modernization Act, you are no longer required to provide documentation of your Social Security number when applying for a REAL ID, though a Social Security card can still be used as part of identity verification.²

If you only need identification for banking, cashing checks, and everyday purposes, and you have no plans to fly domestically or enter federal facilities, a standard non-driver ID is enough.

Renewing, Replacing, and Updating Your Card

You can renew online, by mail, or in person. Online renewal takes about seven minutes and opens 180 days before your card expires.⁶ The renewal fee is $28 for another seven years.¹

Online renewal is not available if:

You did not have a new photo taken at your last renewal.
You are applying for a REAL ID for the first time.
You are not a U.S. citizen.
Your ID has been expired more than two years, in which case you have to apply for a new card from scratch.
You are homeless or a blind veteran requesting a fee waiver.⁶

After an online renewal, the new card arrives within 30 days. You can keep using the expiring card in the meantime, as long as the only change was an address update.⁶

A replacement for a lost, stolen, or damaged card costs $30. You may be asked for proof of identity and residency. Reporting a stolen ID to law enforcement creates a paper trail against misuse.⁴

For a legal name change through marriage, divorce, or court order, you have to appear in person with the certified documentation. Update the name with the Social Security Administration first so records match when the DMV verifies your information. A new card with the updated name is $30.⁴

One deadline that catches people out: Connecticut requires you to notify the DMV of an address change within 48 hours of moving.⁴ You can do that online, by mail, or in person. A new physical card showing the updated address is optional and costs $30.

1
DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES. Get a Non-Driver ID
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DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES. Get a REAL ID
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CT.gov. REAL ID Document Identity Verification Checklist
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DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES. Make Changes to a Driver’s License or Vehicle Registration
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Transportation Security Administration. Countdown Is On for Connecticut Residents to Obtain a REAL ID Before May 2025
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DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES. Renew Your Non-Driver ID