Indiana Driver’s License Expiration Dates and Renewal

Renewing an Indiana driver’s license costs between $7 and $17.50 depending on your age, and you can do it online, by mail, or at a BMV branch as early as 24 months before your expiration date. Miss the deadline and the consequences climb quickly: a $6 late fee if you act within 180 days, a written knowledge test if you wait longer, and a full driving test if your license has been expired more than five years.

How Long Your License Lasts

Indiana ties your renewal cycle to your age. If you’re under 75, your license expires at midnight on your birthday six years after it was issued. From 75 to 84, the cycle drops to three years.¹ At 85 and older, it drops to two years.²

Drivers under 21 are on a different schedule. Your license expires 30 days after your 21st birthday no matter when it was issued, and then you move onto the standard six-year cycle.¹

The BMV sends renewal notices, but tracking your own date is worth the effort. You can start the process up to 24 months before your license expires, so there’s no reason to cut it close.

Renewal Fees

Fees as of January 1, 2026 are set by the age you are at renewal:

Under 75: $17.50
75 to 84: $11.00
85 and older: $7.00

If your license has already expired when you renew, the BMV adds a $6.00 administrative penalty on top of the standard fee.³

How To Renew

Most drivers can renew through the myBMV online portal. To use it, you must be a U.S. citizen and an Indiana resident, and you’ll provide your full name, date of birth, residential address, and Social Security number.³ Non-U.S. citizens must renew in person, and those with temporary lawful status can only renew within 30 days of their current license’s expiration.

Drivers 75 and older can still renew by mail or online, but you must submit proof that you’ve passed an eyesight examination within 30 days before your renewal.⁴ Renew in person at a branch instead and the BMV handles the vision screening on-site.

Documents You’ll Need

What you bring depends on your renewal method and whether your current license is REAL ID-compliant.

If you’re a U.S. citizen renewing a REAL ID-compliant license, you don’t need to re-provide identity and residency documents. The BMV already has them on file from your original REAL ID application.⁵

If you’re applying for a REAL ID for the first time or need to update your information, you’ll have to visit a branch. Identity and citizenship can be established with a U.S. birth certificate (original or certified copy) or an unexpired U.S. passport. If your name has changed since that document was issued, bring proof of the change, such as a marriage license, divorce decree, or court order.⁵ Non-citizens must provide valid immigration documents such as a foreign passport with a visa and I-94 form, with additional paperwork depending on immigration status.

REAL ID and Flying

REAL ID enforcement at TSA checkpoints began May 7, 2025.⁶ If your Indiana license reads “NOT FOR REAL ID PURPOSES” across the top, it will no longer get you through security by itself. A U.S. passport or other TSA-approved document works instead. Compliant cards carry a gold star in the top right corner.⁵

What Happens If Your License Already Expired

Indiana has no grace period after expiration. Once the date passes, the license is expired, and the requirements to renew get progressively steeper the longer you wait.³

Expired less than 180 days: pay the $6.00 administrative penalty and pass a vision screening.
Expired 180 days to five years: pay the $6.00 penalty, pass a written knowledge test, and pass a vision screening.⁴
Expired more than five years: pay the $6.00 penalty and pass a written test, a behind-the-wheel driving test, and a vision screening.

The written knowledge test is the same exam you took as a first-time applicant, covering road signs, traffic laws, and safe driving practices. The driving test requires a properly insured vehicle at the BMV branch. Letting a license sit expired for years essentially starts you over.

Military Extensions

If you’re an Indiana resident serving in the U.S. armed forces and temporarily living outside the state, your license stays valid for 90 days after your discharge or post-deployment, even if the printed expiration date has passed.⁷ The same 90-day extension applies to a spouse, parent, or guardian who was temporarily residing outside Indiana because of the military assignment.

To use the extension, apply during the 90-day window and show proof of discharge or post-deployment status.⁷ A commercial license that expired during service can be renewed as if it had never expired. Miss the 90-day window and you may need a vision screening, knowledge exam, or skills exam depending on how long the license has been expired.⁸

Driving on an Expired License

Getting pulled over with an expired license means a citation and a potential fine. A Class C infraction in Indiana carries a maximum judgment of $500, though the amount you actually pay scales with your prior driving record in the same county.⁹

The bigger risk is insurance. If you’re in an accident while your license is expired, your insurer may argue the policy doesn’t cover you or deny the claim outright. The financial exposure from an uninsured accident dwarfs any traffic fine, and that’s the piece most people don’t think about until it’s too late.

1
Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code Title 9 – 9-24-12-1
2
Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 9-24-12-10 – Driver at Least 85 Years of Age; Renewal
3
Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Renewing a Driver’s License, Learner’s Permit, or Identification Card
4
Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 9-24-12-5 – Renewal Requirements; Fees
5
Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Real ID Overview
6
Transportation Security Administration. REAL ID
7
Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 9-24-12-6 – Individuals Temporarily Residing Outside Indiana; Renewal
8
Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Military Extension Letter
9
Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code Title 34 – 34-28-5-4