Virginia ID Laws: REAL ID, Renewal, and Fraud Penalties

A Virginia state ID is a photo identification card issued by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles to residents who do not hold a driver’s license or learner’s permit from any U.S. state. The card costs $2 for each year of validity, with a $10 minimum and a $16 maximum for a full eight-year card.¹ You apply in person the first time, bring documents proving identity and Virginia residency, and receive the card in the mail about 15 days later.² Rules shift a bit depending on your age, your citizenship or work status, and whether you want the REAL ID version needed for domestic flights.

Who Can Get a Virginia ID

Any Virginia resident age 15 or older can apply, so long as they do not already hold a driver’s license or learner’s permit from any U.S. state.³ The card expires on your birthday at the end of the validity period you chose, which runs from three years up to eight.⁴

Residents age 70 or older can trade in a valid Virginia driver’s license for an ID card once at no charge; any card after that costs the normal fee.³ Virginia does not issue non-expiring IDs to older residents, despite what you may have heard. Every card carries an expiration date.

Homeless youth, as defined in state education law, pay no fee at all.³ If a disability or other qualifying circumstance keeps you from visiting a DMV office, the agency may allow an alternative application method.

Children Under 15

A parent or legal guardian can apply for a child’s ID using a separate DMV form.⁵ Child IDs expire on the child’s 16th birthday rather than following the adult validity window, so a card issued at age five lasts far longer than one issued at fourteen.³ Once the child turns 15, they qualify for a standard adult ID.

What to Bring to the DMV

The DMV wants originals or certified copies. Photocopies and notarized copies are not accepted, and the DMV’s Form DMV 141 lists every acceptable document by category.⁶ Pull the paperwork together before your visit; a missing document means a second trip.

Proof of Identity and Legal Presence

You need one document that establishes both who you are and that you are legally present in the United States. Common options:

Unexpired U.S. passport or passport card (temporary passports do not count)
Certified birth certificate from a U.S. state, jurisdiction, or territory (hospital-issued birth records do not qualify)
Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550 or N-570)
Unexpired Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551)
Unexpired Employment Authorization Document (Form I-766)
Foreign passport with an unexpired U.S. visa and an I-94 record

If your name today differs from the name on that document, bring the paperwork that links them: a marriage certificate, certified court order, or similar record.⁶

Two Proofs of Virginia Residency

You need two documents showing your current Virginia address. Acceptable choices include a deed or mortgage statement, a residential lease, and a utility bill issued to you within the past two months. Cell phone bills do not qualify.⁶ The two-month freshness rule applies to utility bills specifically; leases and deeds just need to be current.

Minors and applicants without their own residency documents can have a parent or legal guardian certify residency using a DMV form, with the guardian’s own proof of address attached.

Social Security Number

Virginia requires your Social Security number on the application. If you are not authorized to work in the United States and do not have one, present documentation of your non-work-authorized status instead. This disclosure is not optional under state law.⁷

REAL ID: The Version You Need to Fly

As of May 7, 2025, boarding a domestic flight or entering certain federal facilities requires a REAL ID-compliant credential. Look at the upper-right corner of your ID: if there is no gold star, it is not REAL ID-compliant, and TSA will not accept it without another federal form of identification.⁸

Upgrading to REAL ID costs a one-time $10 fee on top of the regular card fee.⁹ You have to visit a DMV office in person and bring the same core documents: proof of identity, legal presence, Social Security number, and two residency documents. You can upgrade at any time; you do not have to wait for your next renewal.

A standard ID is still fine for state and non-federal purposes, and TSA accepts several alternatives to a REAL ID at the airport: a U.S. passport or passport card, a Department of Defense ID, a DHS trusted traveler card, or a photo ID from a federally recognized tribal nation.¹⁰ A standard Virginia ID without the gold star will not get you through the checkpoint, even if it is otherwise unexpired.

Renewing and Replacing Your Card

If you do not need to change anything and do not want a REAL ID, you can renew online or by mail for a standard eight-year card at the same $2-per-year fee.¹¹¹²

Watch one fee quirk: if you are eligible to renew online or by mail but choose to walk into a customer service center anyway, the DMV tacks on an extra $5 processing fee.¹² You still have to visit in person to update your photo, change personal information, or upgrade to REAL ID.

Replacing a lost, stolen, or damaged card costs $10 and can be done online or in person.¹³ Report a lost or stolen card quickly. A missing ID in the wrong hands creates trouble that outlasts a $10 fee.

Using Your ID at a New Job

A Virginia state ID counts as a Form I-9 “List B” document, which proves your identity but not your authorization to work. You will still need a separate List C document, such as a Social Security card or birth certificate, to complete employment verification.¹⁴ The card must carry a photograph to qualify.

Penalties for ID Fraud and Misuse

Virginia treats the various forms of ID misuse as separate offenses with different classifications, and the differences matter.

Fake ID Used for Alcohol

An underage person who uses a forged, fake, or borrowed ID to buy alcohol commits a Class 3 misdemeanor under Virginia Code 46.2-347. The maximum penalty is a $500 fine with no jail time.¹⁵¹⁶ The court must also revoke the person’s driver’s license for 30 days to one year. That suspension is mandatory upon conviction, not left to the judge’s discretion.

Fraud on the Application

Using a false name or address, making a false statement, or committing any other fraud on a license or ID application is a Class 2 misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail and a fine up to $1,000.¹⁷¹⁶ The charge rises to a Class 4 felony if the fraudulently obtained ID is used to buy a firearm or to satisfy residency requirements for the sex offender registry, which carries a potential multi-year prison sentence.

Lending Your ID or Using Someone Else’s

Letting another person use your ID is a separate offense under Virginia Code 46.2-346, which also covers displaying a revoked or suspended license, using someone else’s license, and possessing a license obtained through fraud.¹⁸ Unless a specific statute says otherwise, any Chapter 3 violation not already classified as a felony defaults to a Class 2 misdemeanor, with the same six-month and $1,000 ceilings.¹⁹

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Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. DMV Fees
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Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Transaction: Renew ID Card
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Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 46.2-345 – Issuance of Special Identification Cards; Fee; Confidentiality; Penalties
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Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Adult ID Card
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Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Identification Card Application for Minors Under Age 15
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Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Getting a Virginia Driver’s License or Identification Card
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United States Department of Justice. Disclosure of Social Security Numbers
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Transportation Security Administration. REAL ID
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Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. REAL ID
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Transportation Security Administration. About TSA ConfirmID
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Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Renew Your ID Card Online
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Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Renew Your Identification Card
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Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Replace Your Identification Card
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 13.2 List B Documents That Establish Identity
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Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 46.2-347 – Fraudulent Use of Driver’s License or Department of Motor Vehicles Identification Card to Obtain Alcoholic Beverages; Penalties
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Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 18.2-11 – Punishment for Conviction of Misdemeanor
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Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 46.2-348 – Fraud or False Statements in Applications for License; Penalties
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Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 46.2-346 – Unlawful Acts Enumerated
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Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 46.2-350 – Penalty for Violation