To get a Maryland driver’s license replacement, apply through the Motor Vehicle Administration online, at a self-service kiosk, or in person at an MVA branch. The fee is $30, and your new card arrives by mail within about 10 business days.1Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Replacement of a License, Permit or Identification (ID) Card for Victims of Robbery Which route you can use depends on whether your identity documents are already on file and whether anything about your record needs to change.
Replace It Online or at a Kiosk
The quickest option is the MVA website or one of the self-service kiosks located at branches across the state. You’ll need your driver’s license number plus either your MVA PIN or the last four digits of your Social Security number. No physical documents are required because the MVA verifies you against records it already has.1Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Replacement of a License, Permit or Identification (ID) Card for Victims of Robbery
The online and kiosk paths won’t work if your license is expired, if your MVA records have discrepancies, if you need to update your name or address, or if you’re upgrading from a non-compliant card to REAL ID for the first time. In any of those situations, you need to go to a branch.
Replacements handled online or at a kiosk are mailed to the Maryland address on file. If your current license is federally non-compliant, you’ll get a paper interim receipt that works as a temporary license until the permanent card arrives.1Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Replacement of a License, Permit or Identification (ID) Card for Victims of Robbery
When You Have to Go to a Branch
An in-person visit is required whenever you can’t self-serve. If the MVA already has your identity documents on file, the visit is quick and you’ll be photographed for the new card. If your documents aren’t on file, bring originals or certified copies from three categories.2Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. How to Apply – Documents Required
- One proof of identity: U.S. birth certificate, unexpired U.S. passport, Permanent Resident Card, Certificate of Naturalization, or Certificate of Citizenship.
- One proof of Social Security: original Social Security card, W-2, or pay stub showing your full name and entire Social Security number.
- Two proofs of Maryland residency: vehicle registration or title, insurance card, utility or phone bill, bank statement, or property tax bill.
Photocopies, notarized copies, and altered documents are not accepted. Anything not in English must be professionally translated. If your current legal name doesn’t match your documents, bring a government-issued record of the name change, such as a marriage certificate or court order.2Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. How to Apply – Documents Required
One important boundary: a replacement is not a renewal. If your license has been expired for a year or more, you can’t just order a duplicate. The MVA will require you to retake the vision screening, knowledge test, and driving skills road test before reissuing the license.3Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Renewing Your Maryland Driver’s License
Cost and How Long It Takes
A duplicate Maryland driver’s license is $30 whether you apply online, at a kiosk, or at a branch.4Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. MVA Fee Listing Online and kiosk transactions accept card payments; branches take payment on site.
Cards ordered online or at a kiosk are mailed and generally arrive within 10 business days.1Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Replacement of a License, Permit or Identification (ID) Card for Victims of Robbery In-person visits can produce a card the same day for federally compliant licenses, though some card types are still mailed.
Should You Upgrade to REAL ID at the Same Time
Federal REAL ID enforcement took full effect on May 7, 2025. Boarding a domestic flight or entering certain federal facilities now requires either a REAL ID-compliant license or another acceptable ID such as a passport. Travelers who arrive at a TSA checkpoint with a non-compliant state ID and no alternative face additional screening, a $45 fee, and possibly being turned away.5Transportation Security Administration. REAL ID
If your current license is not compliant and you’re already replacing it, this is a natural time to upgrade. Maryland REAL ID uses the same three document categories listed above: one proof of age and identity, one Social Security document, and two proofs of Maryland residency.6Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. REAL ID If you already submitted these on a previous visit, you don’t need to bring them again. If you’re replacing a card that’s already REAL ID-compliant, the new one stays compliant as long as your documents remain on file.
If Your License Was Lost or Stolen
You don’t have to report a lost license to the MVA before requesting a replacement, and Maryland law doesn’t require a police report.1Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Replacement of a License, Permit or Identification (ID) Card for Victims of Robbery Filing one anyway creates an official record with a date and case number, which is useful if the card is later used to commit fraud in your name.
A stolen license carries your full name, date of birth, address, and photo, which is enough for someone to attempt identity fraud. Watch your bank and credit card accounts closely in the weeks after the loss. The strongest protective step is a credit freeze. Under federal law, all three major credit bureaus must place a freeze on your file for free, and an online or phone request must take effect within one business day. Lifting it later is also free and takes effect within one hour of an online or phone request.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 U.S. Code 1681c-1 – Identity Theft Prevention; Fraud Alerts and Active Duty Alerts A freeze blocks new credit accounts from being opened in your name while your existing accounts keep working.
A credit freeze is not the same thing as a credit lock. Locks are bureau products that may carry a monthly fee. The free freeze is the one guaranteed by federal law.8Federal Trade Commission. Free Credit Freezes Are Here
Don’t Drive on a Missing License
Under Maryland law, driving without a valid license is a misdemeanor. A first offense carries up to 60 days in jail, a fine up to $500, or both. A second or later offense carries up to one year in jail, a fine up to $500, or both.9Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Transportation 16-101 – Drivers Must Be Licensed The online replacement takes a few minutes, and the $30 fee is small next to what a traffic stop without valid ID can cost.