How to Get a Replacement License in Georgia: Online, App, or In Person

To get a replacement driver’s license in Georgia, you can apply online through the DDS website, use the DDS 2 GO mobile app, or walk into any Department of Driver Services Customer Service Center.¹ The fee is $10 if your license has more than 150 days left before it expires, and $32 if it expires sooner, because DDS treats that as a renewal.² The new card arrives by mail within about 30 days, and you can drive on the printed receipt while you wait.³

The Fastest Way: Online or the DDS 2 GO App

For most people, the online portal or the DDS 2 GO app is the quickest option.⁴ You don’t need to upload or bring any documents. Log in to your DDS account (or create one), confirm your license number, date of birth, and the last four digits of your Social Security number, and pay the fee.

DDS accepts Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express, plus debit cards carrying a Visa or MasterCard logo.⁵

To qualify for online replacement, you must be a Georgia resident and U.S. citizen, hold a non-commercial license that’s in good standing (not suspended, canceled, or revoked), and already have a Real ID card, which shows a gold or black star in the upper right corner.¹ If your card doesn’t have that star, you’ll have to upgrade to Real ID in person before or during the replacement.

The online path also can’t handle a name change. Address changes are possible online through a separate video-verification feature, but a name update has to happen at a Customer Service Center.⁶

Replacing In Person at a Customer Service Center

Go in person if you don’t qualify for online (no Real ID, not a U.S. citizen, commercial license), if you need to change your name, or if you just prefer it. No appointment is needed for a replacement.⁷ Walk in, check in at the front, and wait to be called. The representative will verify your documents, take payment, and may take a new photo. A name change must be completed within 60 days as required by law.⁶

What to Bring

Replacement uses two document categories, and the lists are narrower than the ones for a brand-new license. Bring one item from Category A and two from Category B, all originals or certified copies in English, with your name matching across everything.¹

Category A (pick one):

Valid U.S. passport or passport card
Certified U.S. birth certificate (including territories and D.C.)
Consular Report of Birth Abroad (Form FS-240, DS-1350, or FS-545)
Expired Georgia driver’s license, permit, or ID card
Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550 or N-570) or Certificate of Citizenship (Form N-560 or N-561)

Category B (pick two):

Social Security card (original or copy)
Marriage license (original or copy)
Previous year’s income tax return or W-2
Current auto, home, life, or health insurance card or policy
Current automobile registration receipt
Voter registration card
Valid or expired military ID, Veterans Affairs card, or military orders
Valid Georgia firearms license

A common mistake: showing up with utility bills or bank statements. Those are residency documents used for new licenses, and they’re not on the replacement list. A Social Security card plus a car insurance card is one of the easiest combinations if you have both.

If you’ve moved and want to update your address at the same visit, a Real ID cardholder needs one document showing the new address. If you don’t yet have Real ID, you’ll need the full Real ID document set, including two proof-of-residency items dated within the past six months (utility bills, bank statements, mortgage documents, government correspondence). P.O. boxes don’t count.⁶

What It Costs

A straight replacement is $10.¹ If your current license expires within the next 150 days, DDS processes the transaction as a renewal, and the fee is $32 for the standard eight-year license.² The upside of paying the higher fee is that your expiration clock resets for a full eight years rather than replacing a card that’s about to expire.

After You Apply: The Receipt and the Wait

Whether you apply online or in person, DDS issues a printed receipt that acts as temporary proof of your license.³ Keep it with you when you drive. The receipt isn’t accepted as ID for other purposes like voting or buying alcohol.

Your permanent card should arrive by mail within 30 days.³ If it doesn’t, call the DDS Contact Center at (678) 413-8858, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.⁶ DDS doesn’t offer tracking numbers or expedited shipping.

Driving While You Wait

Georgia law requires you to carry your physical license while driving. Getting pulled over without it is a misdemeanor even if your license is valid, though if you produce a valid license in court afterward the maximum fine is $10. A DDS replacement receipt counts as having your license on you, provided DDS can confirm it’s valid, so carry the receipt everywhere you drive until the new card shows up.⁸

One caution: Georgia’s Digital ID in Apple Wallet and the DDS 2 GO app is not a legal substitute for your physical card behind the wheel. DDS states outright that the digital license does not replace the physical card while driving; it’s currently accepted only at select TSA airport checkpoints.⁹

If Your License Was Stolen

A stolen license is more than a lost card. Beyond the standard replacement, you can request a brand-new license number, which must be done in person at a Customer Service Center. Bring your current license or identity documents; normal licensing fees apply.¹⁰

After you receive a new number, notify your auto insurer, bank, and any other institution that uses your license number as an identifier.¹⁰ Placing a fraud alert on your credit reports through any of the three major credit bureaus is also worth doing, and a police report creates a record tying your old number to the theft rather than to your continued use.

Non-U.S. Citizens

The standard online replacement isn’t open to non-citizens. You’ll need to go to a Customer Service Center and bring valid immigration documents showing lawful status in the U.S.¹¹ Original immigration paperwork is required at every visit because DDS doesn’t keep copies from prior transactions.

You’ll also need a Social Security number or a completed Certification of Social Security Denial Status form (DDS-351) if you aren’t eligible for an SSN.¹¹ If you have DHS work authorization, you must apply for an SSN rather than using the denial form. All documents must be in English; refugees may use Form DS-20 (Refugee Address Verification Affidavit) in place of standard residency proof.

Military Stationed Outside Georgia

Active-duty military stationed out of state can renew by mail, and the same option covers a spouse and any licensed dependents living with them at the duty station.¹² DDS provides a mail-in renewal packet with instructions. For a replacement specifically, the online portal is usually the simplest path since it avoids the trip home.

1
Georgia Department of Driver Services. How to Replace a License, ID, or Permit
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Georgia Department of Driver Services. Fees and Terms
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Georgia Department of Driver Services. Online Services FAQs
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Georgia Department of Driver Services. License FAQs
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Georgia Department of Driver Services. Fees/Payments FAQs
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Georgia Department of Driver Services. Update License
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Georgia Department of Driver Services. Appointments
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Justia Law. Georgia Code Title 40 Chapter 5 Article 2 Section 40-5-29
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Georgia Department of Driver Services. GA Digital ID
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Georgia Department of Driver Services. License Fraud
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Georgia Department of Driver Services. Information for Non-US Citizens
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Georgia Department of Driver Services. Military, Veterans, and National Guard