What Do I Need to Renew My License in Indiana?

To renew your Indiana driver’s license, you need a current or recently expired license, a passed vision screening, and a fee between $7 and $17.50 depending on your age. If you’re upgrading to a Real ID, you’ll also need to bring documents proving your identity, Social Security number, and Indiana residency to a BMV branch. So what do you need to renew your license in Indiana beyond that? It depends on how you renew, whether your license has expired, and whether any medical conditions apply. Driving on an expired license is a Class C infraction with fines of up to $500, so it’s worth handling the renewal before your expiration date.¹

The Basics Every Renewal Requires

Three things apply to every Indiana renewal, regardless of method: a passed vision screening, the fee, and a license that isn’t currently suspended or revoked.

The vision standard is 20/40 acuity in both eyes (or your better eye), with or without corrective lenses. Bring your glasses or contacts if you wear them. If you fail the screening at a branch, the clerk fills out the top of a Vision Condition Report (State Form 22106) and gives it to you to take to an ophthalmologist or optometrist, who completes the medical portion and returns it to the BMV’s Driver Ability Department.²

Fees track the length of the license, which in turn tracks your age:³

Under 75: $17.50 for a six-year license
75 to 84: $11.00 for a three-year license
85 and older: $7.00 for a two-year license

Online and kiosk renewals accept credit cards, debit cards, and electronic checks; branches also take cash and money orders. If your license carries an active suspension or revocation, you’ll need to clear reinstatement requirements first — resolving a court-ordered suspension, having your insurer file proof of coverage with the BMV, or both — before you can renew.⁴

Indiana lets you renew up to 24 months before your expiration date, so you don’t have to wait until the last minute.⁵

Documents for a Real ID Upgrade

If you’re upgrading to a Real ID for the first time, you’ll need to visit a BMV branch and bring original or certified documents from four categories. Photocopies aren’t accepted. A Real ID (or a passport) is required to board domestic flights and enter certain federal buildings, so handling the upgrade during renewal saves a second trip.⁶

Proof of Identity and Lawful Status

One original or certified document proving identity. A U.S. birth certificate filed with a state vital statistics office or a valid U.S. passport works, and for most U.S. citizens either one also satisfies the separate lawful-status requirement.⁷

Proof of Social Security Number

One document showing your full Social Security number. An original Social Security card is the usual choice, but a W-2 form also qualifies.⁷

Two Proofs of Indiana Residency

Two separate printed documents with your name and current Indiana address. Acceptable options include a utility, credit card, or hospital bill issued within 60 days; a bank statement dated within 60 days; a pre-printed pay stub; or a Medicaid or Medicare benefit statement. Print electronic bills before your visit.⁸

Name Change Paperwork, If Applicable

If your current legal name doesn’t match your identity document, bring paperwork connecting the two: a marriage license, a divorce decree showing both your former and new name, or a court order approving a name change. If you’ve changed your name more than once, bring documentation for each link in the chain.⁹

Renewing a Real ID You Already Have

If you already hold a Real ID and you’re a U.S. citizen, you don’t have to bring the full document stack back for renewal. The BMV keeps your information on file from your initial application.⁵ Non-U.S. citizens do need to bring additional paperwork at each renewal. If you’re renewing a standard, non-Real ID license, you’ll still need proof of Indiana residency.

Medical Paperwork for Certain Conditions

Drivers with medical conditions that can cause fainting, seizures, or impaired consciousness need a Physician’s Certificate of Medical Impairment (State Form 50018), completed by a licensed physician and dated within 30 days of your renewal application.¹⁰ If you already have a medical restriction on your license, get this form completed before your branch visit so you’re not turned away.

What You Need Depends on How You Renew

Online Through myBMV

Online renewal is the lightest option: no documents, no branch visit. But eligibility is narrow. You qualify only if all of the following are true:⁵

You’re a U.S. citizen and Indiana resident
Your name, address, and personal information haven’t changed
Your last renewal was completed in a BMV branch, not online
Your license isn’t expired by more than 180 days
You’re under 75 (drivers 75 and older can renew online only if they’ve submitted a vision screening from a licensed eye doctor and plan to renew within 30 days of it)
You have fewer than six active points on your driving record
You’re at least 21
Your license doesn’t carry a J restriction or restrictions 2 through 9, which cover things like habitual traffic violations, ignition interlock, and medical restrictions

Because online renewal requires the previous renewal to have been in person, most drivers alternate methods and end up in a branch roughly once every ten to twelve years.

BMV Connect Kiosks

Self-service BMV Connect kiosks operate outside normal branch hours in locations like grocery stores and government buildings. Eligibility rules match online renewal.⁵

In Person at a BMV Branch

You’ll need to go to a branch if you don’t qualify for online renewal, want to update your photo, need a vision test, or are upgrading to a Real ID. You’ll receive a temporary paper credential valid for 30 days; the permanent card arrives by mail in about 14 days.¹¹

If Your License Has Already Expired

You can still renew an expired license, but the requirements escalate the longer you’ve waited. Driving on the expired credential is illegal in the meantime, even on the way to the BMV.

Expired less than 180 days: standard renewal, and you can still use online renewal if you otherwise qualify.
Expired 180 days to five years: branch visit, a $6.00 administrative penalty on top of the renewal fee, a written knowledge exam, and a vision screening.
Expired more than five years: branch visit, the $6.00 penalty, a written knowledge exam, a driving skills test, and a vision screening.

The five-year mark is the one that catches people out, since you’re essentially retaking the tests you passed when you first got licensed.⁵

Military Exceptions

If you’re an active-duty service member, your Indiana license stays valid for 90 days after discharge or return from deployment, regardless of the printed expiration. A Military Extension Letter from the BMV serves as proof until you can get to a branch. Members who apply within 90 days of discharge and present proof of separation are exempt from both the written and driving skills tests, no matter how long the license has been expired. Out-of-state service members may be able to renew online or request a 30-day interim credential using State Form 54580.¹²

1
Justia. Indiana Code Title 9 Article 24 Chapter 3 – Operators License
2
Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Vision Condition Report – State Form 22106
3
IN.gov. BMV Fee Chart
4
Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Reinstating Your Driving Privileges
5
Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Renewing a Drivers License, Learners Permit, or Identification Card
6
Transportation Security Administration. Are You REAL ID Ready?
7
IN.gov. Real ID Documentation Checklist
8
Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Real ID Overview
9
Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Amending Your Drivers License or Identification Card
10
Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Physicians Certificate of Medical Impairment – State Form 50018
11
Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Receiving Your Drivers License or ID Card Through the Mail
12
Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Military Families