To surrender your driver’s license in Texas, you can walk into any DPS driver license office, mail the card to DPS headquarters in Austin, or, if you’re 65 or older, complete the surrender online through your Texas by Texas account. DPS records the change in its database as soon as the surrender is processed, and if the surrender is tied to a suspension or revocation, it also reports the action to the National Driver Register.
Surrender in Person
Go to any DPS driver license office and tell the staff you want to surrender your license. DPS may ask for a brief written statement confirming the decision. Hand over the physical card, and the office will mark it surrendered in the system.
If DPS sent you a formal notice requiring surrender for a medical or legal reason, bring the notice along with anything it references, such as a court order or a physician’s letter. Ask for a receipt or acknowledgment confirming the surrender and keep it. That receipt is the cleanest proof if a question ever comes up about when you stopped holding the license.
Surrender by Mail
If DPS’s notice allows a mailed surrender, or you’re simply returning a license you no longer need, send it to:
Texas Department of Public Safety
PO Box 4087
Austin, TX 78773-00011Department of Public Safety. Contact Us
Use certified mail so you have proof of delivery. Write your full name, date of birth, and driver license number on any documents you enclose. If DPS sent you a suspension or revocation notice, include a copy so staff can match your submission to your record. Allow at least 21 business days for processing.
Online Surrender if You Are 65 or Older
Texas lets residents 65 and older voluntarily give up a driver’s license and switch to an identification card without setting foot in an office. You must be a U.S. citizen and currently hold a REAL ID-compliant Texas driver’s license or commercial driver’s license.2Department of Public Safety. Senior Drivers – Age 65 or Older
Log in to your Texas by Texas (TxT) account, select the “Surrender DL for ID” option, and follow the prompts to verify identity, citizenship, and age. To check on a pending request, call 1-866-357-3639.
What to Bring Based on Why You’re Surrendering
There is no single mandatory form for a voluntary surrender, but the reason behind the surrender changes what DPS will want to see.
Voluntary Surrender
If you’re stepping away from driving on your own, no supporting paperwork is required beyond the physical card and your identifying information. Many older drivers choose this route to keep the action recorded as voluntary rather than as a revocation.
Medical Surrender
DPS can revoke or suspend a license if it receives information that a medical condition makes someone unsafe to drive. A written concern can be submitted to the Medical Advisory Board by anyone, anonymously, and a panel of licensed physicians reviews the case.3Department of Public Safety. Section 11: Medical Advisory Board (MAB) Conditions that commonly trigger a referral include epilepsy, severe vision loss, and neurological disorders.
If the board finds you shouldn’t be driving, DPS will notify you and may require you to turn in the license. You have the right to request a hearing to contest a MAB revocation, and updated medical evidence such as a physician’s clearance can be presented there.3Department of Public Safety. Section 11: Medical Advisory Board (MAB)
Court-Ordered Surrender
A judge can order a license suspended as part of sentencing for DWI, reckless driving, or habitual traffic violations. Bring the court order with you when you surrender the card. Failing to comply with a court-ordered surrender can extend the suspension and add new charges.
Moving Out of State
You don’t have to visit a DPS office before you leave Texas. Under the Driver License Compact, most states collect your old license when you apply for a new one and notify Texas that you’ve been issued a license elsewhere. DPS then voids the Texas record. Some people still mail their old card back or drop it off in person to make sure the cancellation happens cleanly and to keep a stale credential from floating around under their name.
What Changes Once DPS Records the Surrender
You Can’t Legally Drive
Driving after surrendering your license is a criminal offense. Under Texas Transportation Code Section 521.025, operating a vehicle without carrying a valid license is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $200 for a first offense. A third or subsequent conviction within a year raises the fine ceiling to $500 and adds the possibility of up to six months in county jail. If the unlicensed driving causes a serious-injury or fatal crash, the charge becomes a Class A misdemeanor.
The penalties are steeper if the license was suspended or revoked rather than simply surrendered voluntarily. Driving while a license is invalid after a suspension or revocation can be charged as a Class B misdemeanor, which carries up to 180 days in jail and fines of up to $2,000.
National Driver Register Reporting
If the surrender is tied to a revocation or suspension, DPS is required to report it to the National Driver Register’s Problem Driver Pointer System within 31 days. The PDPS tracks drivers whose licenses have been revoked, suspended, canceled, or denied across the country.4National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. National Driver Register: Frequently Asked Questions When you apply for a license in another state, that state checks the PDPS, and if your name appears it can deny the application until you resolve the issue with Texas. Moving states does not erase a Texas suspension. Voluntary surrenders without an underlying suspension or revocation don’t produce a PDPS entry.
Insurance and Identification
Auto insurers may cancel a policy or adjust coverage once they learn you no longer hold a valid license, and reinstating later usually brings higher premiums because of the gap in your driving history. You also lose what most Texans use as their primary photo ID for banking, boarding flights, and voting, which is why most people who surrender a license apply for a state ID card at the same time.
Getting a Texas ID Card in Place of the License
DPS won’t issue you both a driver’s license and an ID card at once. If you hold a license, you have to surrender it to get an ID card.5Department of Public Safety. How to Apply for a Texas Identification Card The fees: $16 if you’re 59 or younger, $6 if you’re 60 or older. Both cards are valid for six years.6Department of Public Safety. Driver License Fees Disabled veterans with at least a 60 percent VA disability rating may qualify for a fee exemption.
To apply, complete the ID card application (available online or at any DPS office), bring your documents, and pay the fee. For a REAL ID-compliant card, bring an original or certified birth certificate or unexpired U.S. passport, your Social Security card, and proof of Texas residency such as a current vehicle registration or insurance statement.7Texas.gov. Texas REAL ID A REAL ID-compliant card carries a gold star in the upper right corner. As of May 2025, cards without the star are no longer accepted for boarding domestic flights.8Transportation Security Administration. Acceptable Identification at the TSA Checkpoint
A Note for CDL Holders
Commercial drivers face an extra layer. Since November 2024, the FMCSA’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse requires state licensing agencies to downgrade a CDL if the driver has a “prohibited” status in the Clearinghouse, meaning a failed or refused drug or alcohol test with no completed return-to-duty process.9Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. CDL Downgrades A downgrade removes commercial privileges but leaves a standard Class C license.
If you’re voluntarily surrendering a CDL to step away from commercial driving, the DPS process looks the same as for a standard license. Confirm with DPS that your record shows a voluntary downgrade rather than a disqualification, because that distinction affects any future commercial application.
If You Still Need to Drive During a Suspension
If the reason for your surrender is a suspension or revocation and you can’t function without some driving, Texas offers an occupational driver license (also called an essential need license) for cases not involving a medical condition or delinquent child support.10Department of Public Safety. Occupational Driver License It’s a court-issued restricted license covering work travel, essential household duties, and school-related trips. You petition a justice of the peace, county, or district court, provide an SR-22 certificate, and pay outstanding reinstatement fees. An occupational license cannot be used to operate a commercial motor vehicle.
Getting Your Driving Privileges Back
The path to reinstatement depends on why you lost the license.
After a Voluntary Surrender
If nothing on your record is flagged as a suspension or revocation, reinstatement is a standard new-license application at any DPS office. Bring your identity documents, pass the required tests, and pay the license fee. If a lot of time has passed, DPS may require a full driving test rather than a simple renewal.
After a Medical Surrender
You’ll need written medical clearance from a licensed physician confirming the condition is controlled or resolved. DPS or the Medical Advisory Board reviews the clearance and may require you to pass a vision, written, or driving test before reissuing the license. For conditions that can recur, expect periodic medical reviews going forward.3Department of Public Safety. Section 11: Medical Advisory Board (MAB)
After a Court-Ordered Suspension
Complete every requirement the court and DPS imposed: serve out the full suspension, finish any mandatory alcohol education or substance abuse program, and pay reinstatement fees, which run $100 for departmental, safety responsibility, and education program suspensions and $125 for Administrative License Revocation suspensions.11Department of Public Safety. Section 7: Reinstatement Fees and Special Licenses
If your suspension required an SR-22, submit a valid SR-22 insurance certificate to DPS and maintain it for the required period. An SR-22 verifies motor vehicle liability insurance, and a regular insurance card won’t substitute.12Department of Public Safety. Financial Responsibility Insurance Certificate (SR-22) Missing the deadline on a required alcohol education program triggers an additional 180-day suspension and another $100 reinstatement fee.13Department of Public Safety. Alcohol-Related Offenses