Kansas ID Card Requirements: Documents, Fees, and Renewal

A Kansas ID card is issued by the Department of Revenue’s Division of Vehicles to any resident who does not hold a valid Kansas driver’s license. The base fee is $14 for most adults, $10 if you are 65 or older or have a qualifying disability, and free for any resident aged 17 or older who needs the card to satisfy Kansas voter ID rules. You apply in person, bring documents from three categories, and receive the permanent card by mail.

Standard Card or Real ID

At the counter you pick between a standard identification card and a Real ID-compliant version. The Real ID carries a gold star in the upper right corner and is accepted for boarding domestic flights, entering federal buildings, and accessing military installations.¹ A standard card is labeled “NOT FOR FEDERAL USE” and will not clear a TSA checkpoint on its own.

Federal enforcement of Real ID for domestic air travel began May 7, 2025.² A U.S. passport, passport card, or military ID also works at checkpoints if you prefer to keep a standard state ID.³ The application process is the same for both cards. Only the document list differs, and Real ID residency documents must be dated within the past year.

Who Can Apply

Any Kansas resident of any age can apply, provided they do not already hold a valid Kansas driver’s license. You cannot carry both at once; if you have a license and want an ID card instead, you surrender the license.

Minors under 16 must have a parent or guardian present, and that adult needs to bring their own photo identification.⁴ Applicants 16 and older can appear on their own. Cards issued to anyone under 21 are printed vertically with “UNDER 21” across the face and expire on the holder’s 21st birthday rather than following the standard six-year cycle.⁵

Documents to Bring

Showing up short on paperwork is the most common reason people waste a trip. Gather everything before you schedule.

Proof of Identity and Lawful Presence

You need one document. A state-issued birth certificate from your birth state’s vital statistics agency or an unexpired U.S. passport are the usual choices. Hospital-issued birth certificates and census registrations do not count. A permanent resident card, employment authorization card, naturalization certificate, or Consular Report of Birth Abroad also works.¹

Proof of Social Security Number

One document showing the full number and your current name. Your Social Security card works, as does a current W-2, 1099, or pay stub that displays the full number.⁴

Two Proofs of Kansas Residency

You need two separate documents showing your current Kansas residential address. A utility bill no more than two months old, a bank statement, a deed or mortgage document, a lease or rental agreement, or a vehicle registration all qualify. Junk mail and personal letters do not. Real ID applicants need documents dated within the past year.¹

Kansas does not publicize a formal state-level accommodation for residents without a fixed address. The City of Wichita runs a separate municipal ID program that accepts a shelter or outreach letter as proof of residency, but that card is not a state ID and is not valid for federal purposes.⁶

At the Office

Initial applications are processed in person at a Division of Vehicles office. Walk-ins are accepted, but the state also runs Q-Flow, a virtual line system that lets you check in from your phone or computer before you arrive.⁷ You can also book a formal appointment through the Division of Vehicles website; customers with appointments receive priority.⁸

A clerk reviews and scans your documents, a technician takes your photo and captures a digital signature, and you leave with a temporary paper document. The permanent card is produced at a central facility and mailed to the residential address on your application. TSA does not accept the temporary document for air travel, so plan around any upcoming flight.³

Fees, and the Free Card for Voters

The base application fee is $14 for most adults and $10 for residents who are 65 or older or have a qualifying disability. A separate photo fee applies on top of the base amount, so your total is higher than the base alone.⁹

Kansas waives all application and photo fees for any resident aged 17 or older who needs the ID to meet the state’s voter ID requirements. The statute is explicit that the Division of Vehicles “shall not require or accept payment” from these applicants.⁹ If you are registering to vote or need photo ID to comply with Kansas election law and have no other qualifying identification, the card is free.

Renewal, Expiration, and Replacements

A standard adult card is valid for six years, expiring on the holder’s sixth birthday after the date of original issue. The Division of Vehicles mails a renewal notice at least 30 days before expiration. If you let the card lapse by more than 90 days past the expiration date, your next application is treated as a brand-new original rather than a renewal.¹⁰

Cards issued to anyone under 21 expire on the holder’s 21st birthday no matter when issued.⁵ After 21, you apply for a regular adult card on the six-year cycle.

Renewal costs the same as the initial card: $14 for most adults, $10 for the reduced-fee groups.¹⁰ Kansas operates the iKan platform at ikan.ks.gov, and some renewals can be completed there or on a mobile device if no information changes. A new photo or any change of details still requires an office visit.

Lost, stolen, or damaged cards can be replaced with a duplicate. The statutory duplicate fee is lower than a new application, but the photo fee still applies.

Name and Address Changes

A legal name change through marriage, divorce, or court order has to be updated in person. Bring your current card, the legal name-change document (a government-issued marriage certificate, a divorce decree restoring your name, or a court order), and a piece of mail showing your Kansas address; the mail can still be in your previous name.¹¹ Church-issued ceremonial certificates and “duplicate” marriage licenses do not qualify; you need the government-issued original.

Update your Social Security card with the Social Security Administration before or around the same time, since the names on both records need to match. An address-only change can often be handled without a full new application, but the photo and processing charges still apply.

Veteran Designation

Kansas will print “Veteran” on your card. Bring a DD-214 showing honorable discharge or discharge under honorable conditions, an NGB-22 with the same discharge status, or a VA card or retired military ID.¹¹ Request the designation at your first application or at any later renewal or name-change visit.

Organ Donor Registration

During the application or renewal, the state provides written information about anatomical gifts and asks whether you want to join the Kansas organ donor registry. If you opt in, the Division of Vehicles forwards your name, gender, date of birth, and address to the federally designated organ procurement organization within 10 days, and the designation appears on the card itself.¹⁰

1
Kansas Department of Revenue. Kansas Department of Revenue Division of Vehicles – Real ID
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Transportation Security Administration. REAL ID
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Transportation Security Administration. Acceptable Identification at the TSA Checkpoint
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Kansas Department of Revenue. Kansas Department of Revenue Division of Vehicles – Driver’s License Proof of Identity
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Kansas State Legislature. Kansas Code 8-1329 – Same; Cards Issued to Persons Under 18 or 21 Distinguishable
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City of Wichita. City of Wichita ID
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Kansas Department of Revenue. Q-Flow Wait Line Management System
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Kansas Department of Revenue. Kansas Department of Revenue – Appointment Information
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Kansas State Legislature. Kansas Code 8-1324 – Identification Cards; Issuance; Fees
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Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes. Kansas Code 8-1325 – Identification Cards; Expiration and Renewal
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Kansas Department of Revenue. Required Documents and Appointment Scheduling