To renew your driver’s license online in Mobile County, Alabama, go to alabamadl.alea.gov, the official portal run by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA). The renewal fee is $36.25 plus a $2.75 online convenience fee, for a total of $39.00.1Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Document Requirements And Fees2Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. ALEA Alerts Customers Concerning Third-Party Website Upcharging Driver License Renewals With your current license and Social Security number in hand, the process takes only a few minutes. Not every driver qualifies, and if you plan to fly domestically, you’ll want to think about a STAR ID before you decide.
Who Can Renew Online
Alabama runs an alternating renewal system. If you renewed in person last time, you can renew online this time. If you renewed online last time, you have to go in person. Since Alabama licenses are valid for four years, most drivers end up at a physical office roughly every eight years.
Even if you’re on the online side of the cycle, the portal won’t work for you if any of these apply:
- You need a legal name change (marriage, divorce, court order).
- You’ve moved since your last renewal and need to update your address.
- You want a STAR ID, Alabama’s REAL ID–compliant credential, which is only issued at ALEA driver license exam offices.3Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Star ID
- You hold a commercial driver’s license (CDL), which has separate renewal requirements.
The online system opens about 180 days before your license expires and stays available through a 60-day grace period after expiration. Alabama treats your license as valid during those 60 days. Once that window closes, you can only renew in person.
What to Have Ready Before You Start
Every field you enter has to match ALEA’s record exactly. An abbreviated middle name or the wrong date format will cause the system to reject the application, and you’ll have to start over.
- Your driver’s license number. Alabama began issuing eight-digit numbers in December 2018 but still supports the older seven-digit format.4Alabama MVTRIP. Alabama Driver License Number Changes
- Your Social Security number, used for identity verification.
- The audit number printed on the front of your current license, usually near the physical description.
- A credit or debit card. The portal does not accept checks or cash.
- A working printer for your temporary license.
Submitting the Renewal
Open alabamadl.alea.gov and enter your license number, Social Security number, and audit number. The system pulls up your current record for you to confirm, then moves you to the payment screen. Total charge: $39.00.
Be careful about the site address. ALEA has warned that third-party websites mimic the official portal and add inflated processing fees.2Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. ALEA Alerts Customers Concerning Third-Party Website Upcharging Driver License Renewals The only legitimate renewal site is alabamadl.alea.gov.
Once payment goes through, a confirmation screen shows a transaction ID. Save it or print it. That receipt is both your payment confirmation and the entry point for your temporary license.
Your Temporary License and When the Card Arrives
Print your temporary license right after the transaction completes. It’s valid for 30 days, and it isn’t optional if you plan to drive before your plastic card arrives. Keep the printout in your vehicle. Law enforcement recognizes it as proof of a valid license while the permanent card is being manufactured.
ALEA mails the new card to the address on file. County sources report delivery in anywhere from about a week to three weeks, so two weeks is a reasonable expectation for most Mobile County addresses. If three weeks pass with nothing in the mailbox, confirm the address on your license is current and contact ALEA about a reissue. A duplicate card costs $31.25.1Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Document Requirements And Fees
Think About STAR ID Before You Click Renew
As of May 7, 2025, federal REAL ID enforcement is in effect. A standard Alabama driver’s license is no longer accepted for boarding domestic flights or entering certain federal facilities.5Transportation Security Administration. REAL ID For air travel you need either a STAR ID or another acceptable document such as a U.S. passport, passport card, or military ID.6Transportation Security Administration. About TSA ConfirmID
Here’s what matters for online renewers: you cannot upgrade to a STAR ID through the portal. First-time STAR IDs are only issued at ALEA exam offices, and you have to bring identity documents in person — a birth certificate, Social Security card, and two proofs of Alabama residency.7Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. STAR ID Frequently Asked Questions If you already hold a STAR ID and are simply renewing, the online option works as long as you meet the other eligibility rules. If you don’t have one yet and you fly, renewing online just to skip a trip can leave you without valid ID at the airport. In Mobile County, the STAR ID location is the ALEA Driver License Office at 3400 Demetropolis Road, Mobile, AL 36693.8Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Mobile County
If Your License Has Already Expired
You still have 60 days after the expiration date to renew online. During that grace period, Alabama treats the license as valid. Past 60 days, the online option goes away and you’ll have to visit an office in person.
Recent Alabama legislation also provides that an officer will not impound your vehicle if the license expired within the preceding 180 days and you were otherwise properly licensed. After 180 days, that protection is gone, and if your license has been expired long enough, reinstatement may require a written exam or road test. The longer you wait, the more the process costs you.
Military and Out-of-State Renewals
If you’re temporarily outside Alabama for military service, employment, college, or medical care, ALEA offers a mail-in renewal using Form DL-100, available on ALEA’s website.9Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Driver License Forms The standard $36.25 fee applies, and you don’t have to return to Alabama in person.