How to Get a CT State ID: REAL ID, Documents, and Fees

To get a Connecticut state ID, apply in person at a DMV office (or a participating AAA or Nutmeg State Financial Credit Union express location) using Form B-230, bring proof of your identity and Connecticut residency, and pay the $28 fee. The card is a non-driver identification card issued by the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles, and it’s valid for up to seven years from your next birthday.¹ It works in place of a driver’s license for banking, employment, age-restricted purchases, and other everyday identity checks.

Who Can Apply

Connecticut law opens the non-driver ID to any person who does not currently hold a valid motor vehicle operator’s license.² That covers people who have never been licensed, people who voluntarily surrendered a license, and people whose license is currently suspended.³ You must be a Connecticut resident when you apply.⁴

There is no minimum age. The statute uses the phrase “any person,” and neither the statute nor the implementing regulation sets an age floor or requires parental consent for a minor applying specifically for a non-driver ID.

Choose Between REAL ID and a Standard Card

Make this decision before you gather paperwork, because it changes what you need to bring. Federal enforcement of the REAL ID Act began on May 7, 2025.⁵ If your Connecticut state ID is your only government photo ID and you plan to fly domestically or enter certain federal facilities, get the REAL ID version. A standard card, marked “Not for Federal Identification,” still works for banking, employment verification, and age-restricted purchases.

Travelers without a REAL ID-compliant document can still fly using a U.S. passport, though TSA’s ConfirmID program charges $45 if you arrive at the airport without acceptable identification.⁵

Documents You Need

Every applicant completes Form B-230, the identification application, before the appointment. It’s a downloadable PDF on the DMV website.³ The form asks for your full legal name, address, date of birth, and physical descriptors such as height and eye color. Errors delay processing, so fill it out completely.

For a Standard Card

The statute requires your birth certificate. Formerly incarcerated applicants can substitute a certificate of identification issued by the Department of Correction.² You also provide your Social Security number, which the DMV verifies with the Social Security Administration. If you are not eligible for an SSN, present a non-eligibility statement from the SSA (Form SSA L676 or similar) instead.⁴ Birth certificates issued in Puerto Rico before July 1, 2010, are not accepted and must be replaced.³

For a REAL ID Card

Bring two forms of identification, and at least one must come from the primary document list. Two secondary documents alone won’t satisfy the requirement, and two versions of the same document don’t count either.⁶

Primary documents for U.S.-born applicants are a U.S. birth certificate or a U.S. passport or passport card. Non-U.S.-born applicants have additional primary options, including a certificate of naturalization, a permanent resident card, or a foreign passport with supporting immigration documents.⁶

Secondary documents include your Social Security card, a certified school transcript, a marriage or civil union certificate, a U.S. military ID, a Connecticut pistol permit, and several other government-issued credentials. A W-2 form does not prove your Social Security number for this purpose. You need the physical Social Security card, not laminated or metal, and signed if you are 16 or older.⁶

You also provide two different pieces of mail proving your Connecticut address, dated within 90 days and from two different sources. Acceptable residency documents include bills from a bank, mortgage company, utility company, or credit card company, and bank statements showing the institution’s name and address. These must be computer-generated hard copies. Handwritten documents are not accepted.⁶

If you already hold a REAL ID-verified license or permit that you’re exchanging for a non-driver ID, you don’t need to resubmit that paperwork.³

Book the Appointment

Schedule through the DMV’s online appointment system. Appointments are available at DMV hub and branch offices as well as at AAA and Nutmeg State Financial Credit Union express locations that offer limited DMV services.⁷ Walk-ins are accepted at most locations on weekdays, but expect much longer waits without an appointment. The Cheshire, Putnam, and Stamford offices don’t accept walk-ins at all, and no location offers walk-in service on Saturdays.³

At the appointment, a DMV representative reviews your documents and takes your photo. You sign the application in front of a DMV official, as the statute requires. If a health condition prevents you from signing, someone you designate can sign on your behalf.⁴

Fees and Payment

A new non-driver ID costs $28. The card is valid for up to seven years from your next birthday, so the exact expiration date depends on when in the year you apply.¹

DMV offices accept cash, personal checks and bank checks payable to “DMV,” money orders for the exact amount, and credit cards including American Express, Mastercard, Visa, and Discover. Most debit cards carrying a Mastercard or Visa logo also work. The Stamford DMV Express location doesn’t accept cash. Express offices at AAA and Nutmeg State Financial Credit Union may charge a convenience fee of up to $8 per transaction.¹

The fee can be waived in a few situations. If you’re currently unhoused or living in a shelter, you qualify for a free non-driver ID by providing proof of residency from an authorized shelter or transitional housing location. Certified homeless youth and homeless young adults need a signed certification on Form B-230 from a school district homeless liaison, shelter director, or qualifying nonprofit program director. Blind veterans who provide a certificate of blindness and a DD-214 showing honorable discharge also pay nothing.³ The commissioner can also waive the fee for anyone who voluntarily surrendered a license or was refused one under certain statutory provisions.²

After Your Appointment

You leave with a temporary paper receipt that serves as interim identification while the permanent card is produced at a secure facility. The plastic card arrives by mail within 20 business days.⁸ You can track delivery through the DMV portal. The card is mailed only to the address on file, so if you have mail forwarding active, it won’t reach you.

Later: Renewing or Replacing the Card

These are separate procedures from getting your first card, but worth knowing exist. The DMV mails a renewal notice before the card expires; renewed cards last either six years ($24) or eight years ($32), and your letter tells you which applies.⁹ A duplicate to replace a lost or stolen card costs $30 and can be ordered online, in person, or by mail.¹⁰ Keep your address current with the DMV: the commissioner won’t mail a renewal notice if the postal service has flagged your address as undeliverable.²

1
CT.gov. DMV Fees
2
Justia. Connecticut Code 1-1h – Identity Cards
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CT.gov. Get a Non-Driver ID
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Connecticut eRegulations. Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies 1-1h-4 – Requirements for Issuance
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Transportation Security Administration. REAL ID
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Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles. REAL ID Document Identity Verification Checklist
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CT.gov. Make or Change DMV Appointment
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Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles. Department of Motor Vehicles – Check Credential Delivery Status
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CT.gov. Renew Your Non-Driver ID
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CT.gov. Request a Duplicate Non-Driver ID