What Do You Need for a Real ID in Virginia? Documents and Cost

To get a REAL ID in Virginia you need four things: one document proving your identity and legal presence, one document showing your Social Security number, two documents proving your Virginia residency, and, if your name has changed, certified paperwork for every change from your birth name to now. You bring the originals or certified copies to a DMV customer service center in person. The finished card carries a gold star in the upper corner and, since May 7, 2025, is required to board domestic flights or enter secure federal facilities unless you use another accepted credential like a passport.¹²

One Proof of Identity

Most people use a valid, unexpired U.S. passport or passport card, or a certified birth certificate issued by a U.S. state, jurisdiction, or territory. Hospital-issued birth documents don’t count, and Puerto Rico birth certificates issued before July 1, 2010 are not accepted.³

Other accepted identity documents include:

Consular Report of Birth Abroad (Form FS-240), Certificate of Birth Abroad (FS-545), or Certification of Report of Birth (DS-1350)
U.S. Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550 or N-570) or Certificate of Citizenship (Form N-560 or N-561)
Valid, unexpired permanent resident card (Form I-551)
Unexpired foreign passport with either a valid U.S. visa and I-94 or an I-551 stamp
Unexpired Employment Authorization Document (Form I-766)
An existing REAL ID-compliant license or ID card from any state

Non-citizens with temporary legal status receive a limited-duration credential that expires when the authorized stay ends. If the authorizing document has no expiration date, the credential is valid for one year, and Virginia will not issue one at all if the authorized stay is less than 30 days from the application date.⁴

One Proof of Your Social Security Number

Any one of the following works:³

Social Security card (Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers are not accepted)
W-2 form
Payroll check stub issued by an employer
SSA-1099 or Non-SSA-1099 form

If you’re not eligible for a Social Security number, bring a denial letter from the Social Security Administration instead.⁵

Two Proofs of Virginia Residency

Both documents must show your name and current physical street address in Virginia. A P.O. Box will not do.⁶ At least one of the two has to come from the DMV’s primary list; the second can come from either the primary or secondary list.³

Primary residency documents include a deed, mortgage statement, or residential lease; a USPS change-of-address confirmation or postmarked mail with a forwarding label; a Virginia voter registration card mailed by your local registrar; a Virginia driver’s license or DMV-issued ID card showing your current address (unexpired or expired no more than one year); and a cancelled check no more than two months old. Utility bills, bank statements, and insurance documents with your Virginia address generally sit on the secondary list, so plan to pair them with a primary document.

Name Change Documents, If Any Apply

If the name on your identity document isn’t your current legal name, you need paperwork linking every change from birth name to present name. The DMV accepts marriage certificates filed with a government agency or court, divorce decrees, and court orders granting a name change.⁷

Marriage licenses, civil union documents, and marriage certificates signed only by a wedding officiant are not accepted. The decorative certificate from a ceremony is not the same as the certified government copy, and this trips people up. If your name has changed more than once, bring a document for each step in the chain.

Originals or Certified Copies Only

Every document across all four categories has to be an original or a certified copy with an official seal. Photocopies, scanner printouts, and images on a phone or tablet will not be accepted. Verify each document before you leave the house, because turning up with the wrong format means going home and starting over.

How to Apply

You apply in person at a Virginia DMV customer service center, but you can complete the application form (DL 1P, used for both driver’s licenses and ID cards) online first to save time at the counter.⁸ Documents themselves cannot be uploaded or submitted online, and any website claiming otherwise is not affiliated with the DMV.⁵

Locations offer a mix of appointments, reserved spots, and walk-ins; scheduling through the DMV’s website ahead of time is the safest option, especially at busier offices. At the counter, a clerk reviews your originals, scans them into the DMV’s verification system, takes a new photo, and returns the originals to you. You can pay by credit card, check, or cash.

You will not leave with the finished card. The DMV issues a temporary paper permit that serves as valid ID in Virginia while the permanent REAL ID is produced at a central facility and mailed to the address on your application.

What It Costs

Virginia adds a $10 REAL ID surcharge to the standard license or ID fee.⁵ A standard driver’s license renewal is $32, so a REAL ID renewal totals $42. Virginia licenses are valid for up to eight years.⁹ A license replacement, rather than a renewal, is $20 plus the $10 surcharge for a $30 total.

Non-driver ID cards run $2 per year with a minimum of $10 and a maximum of $16 depending on validity period, so a non-driver REAL ID falls between $20 and $26 with the surcharge.¹⁰

Do You Actually Need One

You don’t. A REAL ID is one way to satisfy federal identification requirements, not the only way. TSA also accepts a U.S. passport or passport card, a U.S. military ID, DHS trusted traveler cards like Global Entry, and several other credentials at airport checkpoints.¹¹ If you already carry a valid U.S. passport or passport card, you can fly domestically without a REAL ID.

Children under 18 are not required by TSA to show identification when flying domestically with an adult companion, so a child does not need a REAL ID for air travel.¹¹

1
Transportation Security Administration. Virginia Residents Will Need a REAL ID to Board an Airplane Starting May 7th
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Transportation Security Administration. Plan Ahead Virginia Residents REAL ID Enforcement for Air Travel
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Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Getting a Virginia Driver’s License or Identification Card
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Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code Title 46.2 Chapter 3 Section 46.2-330
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Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. REAL ID
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Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. REAL ID Document Requirements
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Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. REAL ID Frequently Asked Questions
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Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Driver’s License and Identification Card Application
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Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code Title 46.2 Chapter 3 Section 46.2-330 – Expiration and Renewal of Licenses
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Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Get an Identification Card
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Transportation Security Administration. Acceptable Identification at the TSA Checkpoint