How to Renew Your Driver’s License in Minnesota

To renew your driver’s license in Minnesota, use the online portal at drive.mn.gov if you hold a standard license and nothing about your name or address has changed, visit any Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) exam station or deputy registrar office in person, or apply by mail if you’re a military member or seasonal resident living outside the state. Minnesota licenses expire on your birthday every four years, and DVS mails a postcard reminder about 45 days before that date.¹ The base Class D fee is $27.75 plus a $2.25 surcharge, though deputy registrar offices add their own filing fee on top.²

When Your License Expires

Your Minnesota license expires on your birthday in the fourth year after it was issued.¹ The postcard reminder is helpful but not a guarantee, so the responsibility stays with you.

There is no shorter cycle for older drivers. Everyone 21 and up renews every four years, and no age triggers a mandatory road test or written test. A vision screening is required at every renewal.

The Three Ways to Renew

Online

If you hold a standard (non-enhanced) license, you can renew at drive.mn.gov. Online works only when your license is currently valid or expired for less than a year, and only if you aren’t changing your name, address, or signature. This is the fastest route, and the new card is mailed to you.³

In Person

Visit any DVS exam station or deputy registrar office. You’ll fill out the application, take a new photo, pass the vision screening, and pay the fee. In-person is the only option if you’re upgrading to a REAL ID or an Enhanced Driver’s License, because staff must verify original documents. You’ll leave with a temporary paper license.

By Mail

Mail-in renewal is limited to Minnesota residents who genuinely can’t get to an office, primarily active-duty military members stationed elsewhere and seasonal residents living out of state. You can’t use mail renewal if your license is suspended, revoked, canceled, or has been expired more than a year. It works for standard and REAL ID licenses but not for Enhanced.⁴

Standard, REAL ID, or Enhanced

Which type you carry affects the documents you’ll need and your renewal options. Since May 7, 2025, a REAL ID (or a passport) has been required to board domestic flights and enter certain federal facilities.⁵

A standard (noncompliant) license works for everyday driving and general ID, but you’ll need a passport to fly domestically or enter federal buildings that require REAL ID.
A REAL ID meets the federal requirements and is accepted for domestic air travel and federal facility access. It costs the same as a standard license.
An Enhanced Driver’s License (EDL) does everything a REAL ID does and also serves as proof of U.S. citizenship at land and sea border crossings into Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. It costs $15 more than a standard or REAL ID license and contains an RFID chip that Customs and Border Protection reads as you approach the border.²⁶

If you fly domestically and prefer not to carry your passport to the airport, a REAL ID is worth the trip, since it costs nothing extra over a standard license.

Documents You’ll Need

Missing or incorrect documents are the most common reason renewal applications get rejected. Check what you need before you go.

Standard Renewal

A standard renewal with no name or address changes is the simplest transaction. Bring your current license and be ready to pass the vision screening. If your name has changed since your last renewal, bring a certified chain of legal documents linking your birth name to your current name, typically a certified marriage certificate or court order.

REAL ID

A REAL ID renewal or upgrade requires original documents in three categories:⁷

Identity and date of birth: a certified U.S. birth certificate, unexpired U.S. passport, certificate of naturalization, or certificate of citizenship. Non-citizens can use an unexpired permanent resident card, employment authorization document, or foreign passport with a valid visa and I-94.
Social Security number: you need to know the full number. DVS verifies it electronically, so the physical card isn’t required.
Minnesota residency: two different documents such as a utility bill, bank statement, or mortgage statement, each no more than 12 months old, with your name and current address.

Photocopies, faxes, and phone images aren’t accepted. Every document must be an original or certified copy.

Enhanced Driver’s License

An EDL requires all the same documents as a REAL ID, plus proof of U.S. citizenship specifically. A certified birth certificate or naturalization certificate covers this. Non-citizens aren’t eligible for an EDL.⁸

Vision Screening

Every renewal includes a vision test regardless of age. You need visual acuity of at least 20/40 in one or both eyes, with or without corrective lenses, and a horizontal visual field of at least 105 degrees.⁹ The screening happens at the office during your in-person visit.

If your vision is complex or borderline, you can skip the on-site test by bringing a completed Vision Examination Report from a licensed optometrist or physician. The exam must have been conducted within six months of the date on the report.¹⁰ Depending on your results, DVS may add restrictions such as corrective lenses, daytime driving only, or speed and area limits.

What It Costs

Minnesota Statute 171.06 sets the base fees, and every transaction includes a mandatory $2.25 surcharge on top. The Class D fees most people pay:²

Standard or REAL ID Class D: $27.75 plus $2.25 surcharge, or $30.00 total.
Enhanced Class D: $42.75 plus $2.25 surcharge, or $45.00 total.
Duplicate license: $12.75 plus $2.25 surcharge, or $15.00 total.

Those are the statutory fees. Deputy registrar offices add a filing fee of roughly $11, which brings a standard Class D renewal to about $41. Most people renew at deputy registrar locations because they’re more widely available, so that higher number is what you’ll usually pay. DVS offices accept cash, checks, and credit cards.

After You Apply

When you renew in person, you’ll leave with a temporary paper license valid for driving until your permanent card arrives. The plastic card is mailed to your home address and typically takes four to six weeks. Keep the temporary document with you whenever you drive; it’s your only proof of a valid license until the card shows up.

If you renewed online, you can track your application on the DVS website. Either way, confirm the mailing address on your application. A returned card creates delays and may require an office visit to sort out.

If Your License Has Expired

Driving on an expired Minnesota license is a misdemeanor, and any routine traffic stop will surface it. If your license has been expired for less than a year, you can still use the normal renewal channels with no retesting.

Once your license has been expired for more than a year, you’ll have to retake the knowledge test at a DVS exam station, which means studying the Minnesota driver’s manual and scheduling an appointment. The renewal itself follows the standard steps after that.

Military Members Stationed Elsewhere

If you’re on active military duty outside Minnesota, your valid license stays in force without renewal until one year after your separation or discharge. The same extension applies to your spouse. After that grace period, the license continues until your birthday in the fourth full year following your most recent renewal.¹ If you need to renew while still stationed away, mail-in renewal is designed for your situation.⁴

1
Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 171.27 – License Expiration and Renewal; Exceptions
2
Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 171.06 – Driver’s License Application Fees
3
Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Renew Your Driver’s License or ID Card
4
Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Renew Your Driver’s License or ID Card by Mail
5
Transportation Security Administration. REAL ID
6
U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Enhanced Drivers Licenses: What Are They?
7
Minnesota Department of Public Safety. REAL ID Document Requirements
8
Minnesota Department of Public Safety. REAL ID Driver’s License and ID Card
9
Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Rules 7410.2400 – Vision
10
Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services – Vision Report