Star on Your CT License: Requirements, Documents, and Appointment

The gold star in the upper right corner of a Connecticut driver’s license means the card is a REAL ID: a federally compliant credential you can use to board a domestic flight or enter a federal building. Since May 7, 2025, the Transportation Security Administration has enforced this at airport checkpoints, so a Connecticut license without the star no longer works on its own as ID for a plane.¹ Getting the star means booking an in-person DMV visit and bringing original documents; a card without one is still a valid driver’s license.

What the Star Signals

The star tells a TSA agent or federal security officer that Connecticut has already verified your identity, Social Security number, and lawful presence against the standards set by the REAL ID Act of 2005.² A card that passes those checks gets the star. One that doesn’t is marked “Not for Federal Identification” instead.¹

A REAL ID counts as valid identification for what the law calls “official purposes”: boarding domestic commercial flights, entering federal buildings, and accessing military installations and nuclear power plants.²

If Your License Doesn’t Have the Star

A standard Connecticut license without the star is still a fully valid driver’s license. You can drive on it, renew it, and use it as general photo ID.¹ It just won’t get you through a TSA checkpoint or past federal building security.

You can still fly domestically without a REAL ID if you carry another form of TSA-accepted identification. The common alternatives:

U.S. passport or passport card
Military ID, including dependent IDs
Permanent resident card
DHS trusted traveler cards such as Global Entry, NEXUS, or SENTRI
Tribal government photo ID
Veterans Health Identification Card

Any of these works at the airport in place of a REAL ID license.³ If you already fly with a passport, upgrading is less urgent. If your driver’s license is your only government-issued photo ID, it matters more.

The identification requirement applies only to passengers 18 and older. Children flying with an adult don’t need a REAL ID or any other photo ID to board a domestic flight.³

Documents to Bring

Connecticut requires an in-person visit with original documents. Photocopies aren’t accepted; government-certified copies of vital records are. You’ll fill out Form R-229, the Application for a Non-Commercial Learner Permit and/or Driver License, and bring documents from three categories.⁴

Proof of Identity

One document that establishes who you are. A valid U.S. passport or a certified birth certificate from a government vital records office both qualify. The DMV publishes a full REAL ID Document Identity Verification Checklist listing every accepted option.⁵

Social Security Number

Connecticut verifies your Social Security number directly with the Social Security Administration, so under the REAL ID Modernization Act you no longer need to bring physical proof of it to the appointment.¹ Non-U.S. citizens who aren’t eligible for a Social Security number must present an ineligibility letter from the Social Security Administration instead.⁵

Two Proofs of Connecticut Residency

Two documents from two different sources showing your current Connecticut address, generally dated within 90 days. A bank statement, utility bill, credit card statement, or medical bill all count. A residential mortgage or lease dated within the past 12 months also works.⁵ The detail people miss is the two-sources rule: two statements from the same bank won’t count as two proofs.

Name Change Paperwork

If the name on your identity document doesn’t match your current legal name, bring paperwork connecting the two. A certified marriage certificate, a civil union certificate, or a probate court name change decree all qualify.⁵ If you’ve changed your name more than once, you need documents for every step. A married name, a divorce, and a second marriage means three documents. Gaps in the chain will hold up the process.

Non-Citizens and Limited-Term Cards

Lawful permanent residents can apply for a REAL ID using a permanent resident card as their identity and lawful presence document. Connecticut also issues limited-term REAL IDs to people with temporary legal status, including DACA recipients, who need a valid Employment Authorization Document (Form I-766) with category C33, a secondary identity document, and the standard residency proofs.¹

One timing rule matters. Your legal status document must have at least six months of validity remaining for Connecticut to issue a limited-term REAL ID. With less than six months left, you may only be eligible for a standard credential.¹

Booking the Appointment

Schedule the visit through the Connecticut DMV’s online portal. You can go to a DMV hub or branch office, a participating AAA location, or a Nutmeg State Financial Credit Union branch.¹ AAA and credit union locations tend to have shorter waits than the larger state offices.

At the appointment, an agent reviews your original documents and processes the verification. You won’t leave with the finished card. The DMV gives you a temporary paper credential, and the physical REAL ID arrives by mail in about 30 days.⁶

What It Costs

Upgrading to a REAL ID outside your normal renewal cycle costs $30.⁷ If your license is already due for renewal, you pay the standard renewal fee instead: $72 for a six-year license or $96 for an eight-year license, with no surcharge for choosing the REAL ID version.⁶ If your renewal is close, waiting and upgrading at the same visit avoids the $30 mid-cycle charge.

1
Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles. Get a REAL ID
2
GovInfo. REAL ID Act of 2005
3
Transportation Security Administration. Acceptable Identification at the TSA Checkpoint
4
State of Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles. Application for a Non-Commercial Learner Permit and/or Driver License
5
Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles. REAL ID Document Identity Verification Checklist
6
Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles. How to Renew Driver’s License
7
CT.gov. DMV Fees