If you are experiencing homelessness in Oregon, you can get a state ID card for free. Oregon waives the $47 fee for a free ID card for homeless residents under ORS 807.410, and the waiver covers your first card, renewals, and up to two replacements before the card expires.1Oregon State Legislature. Oregon Code 807.410 – Fees To use the waiver you need one specific form signed by a homeless service provider, proof of who you are, and an in-person visit to a DMV office.
Get the Determination of Homelessness Form First
Nothing else in this process matters until you have the DMV’s Determination of Homelessness Form in hand. The form is not available at DMV offices. You have to get it from a nonprofit organization or state agency that serves people experiencing homelessness.2Oregon Department of Transportation. Community Partner Resources Shelters, transitional housing programs, and street outreach teams typically stock it and have staff authorized to sign.
You fill out your section; the service provider fills out theirs and signs to verify your housing status. That signature is what gives the DMV authority to waive the fee. Pay attention to the deadline: the signed form must reach the DMV within 60 days of the provider’s signature. Wait longer and you will need a fresh one signed again. Line up your DMV visit soon after you get the form.
Who counts as homeless for this purpose is broad. Oregon uses the federal definition, which covers anyone without a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 11302 – General Definition of Homeless Individual That includes shelters, transitional housing, cars, campgrounds, places not meant for sleeping, and staying temporarily with other people because you have nowhere else to go.
What To Bring to the DMV
For a standard Oregon ID, you need to prove your full legal name and date of birth and provide your Social Security number.4Oregon Driver & Motor Vehicle Services. Oregon Identification Cards A certified birth certificate or a valid passport covers the identity piece. You do not have to produce a physical Social Security card. If you know your number, the DMV can verify it electronically with the Social Security Administration.5Oregon Driver & Motor Vehicle Services. Oregon REAL ID FAQs
If you do need a replacement Social Security card, those are always free from the Social Security Administration and typically arrive within 5 to 10 business days.6Social Security Administration. Replace Social Security Card
You also have to surrender any current driver license, permit, or ID card from Oregon or another state when you apply.4Oregon Driver & Motor Vehicle Services. Oregon Identification Cards
If You Need a Birth Certificate
Oregon-born residents can order a certified copy from the Oregon Health Authority for $25 by mail.7Oregon Health Authority. Order a Birth Certificate The state also runs a grant program that helps people experiencing homelessness get a birth certificate at reduced cost or free.8Oregon State Legislature. Oregon Code 432.450 – Grant Program for Issuance of Certified Copy of Record of Live Birth to Individual Who Is Homeless The grants flow through local agencies that serve homeless populations, so the same shelter helping with your DMV form can often help with the birth certificate too.
Born in another state? You will need to request a certified copy from that state’s vital records office. Fees and waivers vary. Ask your service provider; some have staff who do this work routinely.
How To Prove an Address With No Housing
Oregon’s address rules are built with this situation in mind. A homeless applicant can give a descriptive residential address of where they actually sleep. The administrative rule itself uses “under the west end of Burnside Bridge” as an acceptable example.9Oregon Secretary of State. OAR 735-062-0030 – Proof of Residence Address No lease, no utility bill required.
You also need a mailing address so the DMV can send you the card. A letter from a homeless shelter, transitional service provider, or similar organization confirming it will receive mail for you satisfies that requirement.9Oregon Secretary of State. OAR 735-062-0030 – Proof of Residence Address Pick a place where you can actually and reliably collect mail, because that address goes on your DMV record and the card will be sent there.
At the DMV
You have to appear in person. Every Oregon DMV office takes walk-ins, and some let you book an appointment online.10Oregon Driver & Motor Vehicle Services. DMV Offices An appointment usually means less waiting. If you are walking in, early on a weekday beats mid-afternoon or the end of the month.
At the counter, the technician reviews your Determination of Homelessness Form, checks your identity documents, verifies your Social Security number, and takes your photo. If everything is in order, no fee is charged.
After You Apply
You leave with an interim paper card the same day. It works for many everyday purposes but has real limits: TSA, the Social Security Administration, and some other government agencies will not accept it as proof of identification.4Oregon Driver & Motor Vehicle Services. Oregon Identification Cards Confirm with any specific agency before relying on the interim card alone.
Your permanent card arrives by mail within about 20 days.4Oregon Driver & Motor Vehicle Services. Oregon Identification Cards The DMV does not forward ID cards, so if your mailing situation changes before it arrives, contact the DMV right away to update the address. You can also check status online through DMV2U. Once you have the card, it is typically valid for eight years, matching the driver license schedule.11Oregon State Legislature. Oregon Code 807.400 – Issuance, Application, Proof of Address If it gets lost or stolen during that window and you still qualify, the waiver covers up to two replacements at no cost.1Oregon State Legislature. Oregon Code 807.410 – Fees
Standard ID or REAL ID?
Since May 7, 2025, TSA and other federal agencies require a REAL ID-compliant card, a valid passport, or a military ID for domestic flights and entry to certain federal buildings.12Transportation Security Administration. REAL ID A standard Oregon ID without the gold star in the corner does not meet that requirement.
The fee waiver covers both options. The difference is the paperwork. REAL ID requires original or certified documents proving legal presence, your Social Security number, and two separate proofs of your residential address, which is a tall order when you are in a housing crisis.4Oregon Driver & Motor Vehicle Services. Oregon Identification Cards For most people in that situation, the practical move is to get a standard ID now and upgrade to REAL ID later when the documents are easier to pull together. A standard Oregon ID still works for employment, opening a bank account, accessing benefits, and most daily situations where you need to show who you are.