How to Renew a CT Driver’s License: Documents, Fees, and REAL ID

To renew a CT driver’s license, you can go online, visit a DMV or AAA office in person, or in limited cases mail in Form B-350, starting up to six months before your license expires. Fees begin at $72 for a six-year license, and a first-time REAL ID upgrade must be done in person. Since federal REAL ID enforcement began on May 7, 2025, renewal is also the simplest moment to get a federally compliant card if you don’t already have one.¹

When You Can Renew

Your renewal window opens 180 days before the expiration date printed on your license.² You can renew any time inside that window, and there’s no advantage to waiting.

If your license has already expired, you can still renew for up to two years past the expiration date. Once it has been expired for two full years, renewal is off the table and you’ll have to apply as a new driver, which means retaking the knowledge and road tests.³ A suspended license can’t be renewed at all until the suspension is cleared.²

One boundary worth naming: if you’ve moved out of state and established residency elsewhere, you can’t renew your Connecticut license. You need to get one in your new state.

Choosing How to Renew

Online

Online is the fastest path, but the DMV blocks it for a long list of situations. You cannot renew online if any of these apply:

You didn’t get a new photo taken at your last renewal
You’re applying for a REAL ID for the first time
You’re not a U.S. citizen
You hold a commercial driver’s license
Your license is suspended or has been expired for two or more years
You have a drive-only license
You have an S, V, A, or F endorsement
You’re active-duty military or were honorably discharged in the last 60 days and want a no-fee renewal

If none of those apply, use the DMV’s online services portal, confirm your details, and pay with a credit or debit card.⁴

In Person

You can renew in person at a DMV branch, participating AAA offices, or Nutmeg State Financial Credit Union locations. DMV branches are appointment-only for license services; book through the DMV’s appointment system and check neighboring offices if your first choice is full.⁵

Some AAA offices accept weekday walk-ins, but expect long waits. Walk-ins are not offered at the Cheshire, Putnam, or Stamford locations, and no AAA office takes walk-ins on Saturday.⁶

By Mail

Mail renewal is reserved for Connecticut residents who are temporarily out of state or out of the country and cannot get to a DMV office. If that’s you, complete Form B-350 and send it with a check or money order drawn on a U.S. bank to the DMV’s Central Issuance Operations Unit at 60 State Street, Wethersfield, CT 06161.⁷ Send it early. A $25 late fee attaches the day after expiration.⁸ CDL holders and drivers with public passenger endorsements can’t use mail renewal.

What to Bring

For a standard in-person renewal, bring your current license. Lost it? Bring one acceptable form of ID, or two forms if the DMV doesn’t already have your photo on file.²

First-Time REAL ID Upgrades

A REAL ID (marked by a gold star on the card) requires an in-person visit with additional documents. In most cases you’ll need:

Proof of identity, such as a U.S. passport or U.S. birth certificate
Social Security verification. A Social Security card is no longer strictly required under the REAL ID Modernization Act but can still be used for identity verification
Two pieces of mail from two different sources proving Connecticut residency, each dated within the last 90 days

The full document list is on the CT DMV’s REAL ID checklist.⁹ If you already have a REAL ID from a previous renewal, you don’t need to go through this again.¹⁰

If you never fly or enter federal buildings, a standard license still works for driving and everyday ID. If you do fly, handling the upgrade at renewal is easier than making a separate trip later.

Vision Screening

Connecticut requires a vision screening at every other renewal. You can take it at the DMV during your visit, or have a licensed health care professional do it within the 12 months before your renewal date and submit the results to the DMV. The DMV can’t renew your license if you fail.¹¹ Your renewal notice will tell you whether a screening is due this cycle.

What It Costs

Connecticut is phasing in eight-year license terms, and the DMV’s system automatically assigns whether you get a six-year or eight-year license. Your renewal notice states which term applies.²

Six-year license: $72
Eight-year license: $96
Two-year license for drivers 65 and older: $24
Late fee for an expired license: $25

⁸

AAA offices charge a convenience fee of $6 for AAA members or $8 for non-members. Nutmeg State Financial Credit Union charges $8 per transaction, waived for credit union members.⁵ Online and in-person DMV transactions take credit and debit cards; mail renewals require a check or money order.

After You Renew

Your new card is printed and mailed to the address on file. Allow up to 30 days for delivery. The credential tracking system asks you to wait 20 business days before following up, and you can check the status online.²¹²

Watch out for one common trap. TSA does not accept a temporary paper license at airport checkpoints.¹³ If you have a flight while you’re waiting for the permanent card, bring a passport or another federally accepted ID, or renew early enough that the card arrives before you travel.

Driving on an Expired License

Driving on an expired Connecticut license is an infraction carrying a $75 fine if you’re caught within 60 days of expiration. After 60 days, the penalties escalate to those for driving without a license, which run from $75 to $350 and, for repeat offenses, can include jail time and mandatory community service.¹⁴ Two years past expiration, renewal is no longer an option and you start over as a new applicant.

CDL and Public Passenger Endorsement Renewals

Commercial license holders and drivers with S, V, A, or F endorsements have to appear in person. Online and mail renewal are not available to them.²

If you hold a public passenger endorsement (school buses, taxis, airport shuttles, and similar vehicles), a current medical certificate must be on file with the DMV before your appointment. The certificate has to be completed by a certified medical examiner and dated within one year. You also need to complete the DMV’s online self-certification and bring the printed confirmation to your visit.

Endorsement-specific requirements add to the list:

S endorsement (school bus): pass the endorsement road test within one year of renewal. Allow two to five business days after passing before the endorsement can be added to your license.
V endorsement (student transportation vehicle): present a school bus/STV driver training certificate (Form R-360) dated within one year.

1
Transportation Security Administration. REAL ID
2
CT.gov. How to Renew a Driver’s License
3
Justia Law. Connecticut Code Title 14 – Section 14-36
4
Department of Motor Vehicles. Connecticut DMV Online Renewal Services
5
CT.gov. Make or Change DMV Appointment
6
CT.gov. Make a AAA Office Appointment
7
Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles. Form B-350 – Request for a Connecticut Drivers License or Identification Card by Mail
8
Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles. DMV Fees
9
Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles. REAL ID Document Identity Verification Checklist
10
CT.gov. Get a REAL ID
11
Connecticut General Assembly. Vision Screening for Drivers License Renewals
12
Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles. Check Credential Delivery Status
13
Transportation Security Administration. Acceptable Identification at the TSA Checkpoint
14
Connecticut General Assembly. Penalties for Driving Without a License or Suspended or Revoked License