What Do You Need to Renew Your Georgia Driver’s License?

To renew your Georgia driver’s license, you need your current license, proof of identity, residency, and Social Security number if your license isn’t already Real ID compliant, and a $32 fee for a standard Class C license. You can renew up to 150 days before your expiration date through the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) online portal, the DDS 2 GO mobile app, in person at a Customer Service Center, or by mail if you qualify.¹

Your license also has to be in good standing. If it’s suspended, canceled, or revoked, you’ll need to restore your driving privileges before DDS will process a renewal.²

Documents to Bring

What you need depends on whether your current card is already Real ID compliant. Look at the upper right corner: a gold or black star means you have a Real ID. DDS changed the star’s color at one point, but both colors mean the same thing.³

If Your License Has a Star

Bring your current Georgia driver’s license. That’s all you need, unless your name or address has changed since your last renewal, in which case you’ll also need documentation of the change.¹

If Your License Has No Star

You’ll have to visit a Customer Service Center in person and bring the full Real ID document set:⁴

One identity document: a certified U.S. birth certificate, valid U.S. passport, Certificate of Naturalization, or Permanent Resident Card (I-551).
Your Social Security number, submitted on the DDS application and verified electronically. If it can’t be verified, bring your Social Security card, a W-2 or 1099, a pay stub showing your full SSN, or an SSA-1099.
Two proofs of Georgia residency, such as a utility bill, bank or credit card statement, or current rental agreement. Each must be dated within the last six months and show your name and residential address. Redact account numbers.

Non-U.S. Citizens

If you’re not a U.S. citizen, you can’t renew online. You’ll need to visit a Customer Service Center with your immigration documents. Typical combinations include an unexpired foreign passport with a U.S. visa plus a valid I-94, an I-797A Notice of Action, an I-20 (for F and M students) or DS-2019 (for J visa holders), or an I-551 green card for permanent residents. DDS publishes a chart matching each immigration status to the required documents.⁵

Ways to Renew

Online or Through DDS 2 GO

You can renew online or in the DDS 2 GO app if you’re a Georgia resident 18 or older, a U.S. citizen, have a Real ID compliant license, haven’t changed citizenship status since your last renewal, don’t have a pending print job from a prior DDS transaction, and are either under 64 or 64 and older with an approved vision report already on file. Meet all of those, log in, follow the prompts, and pay with a credit or debit card. You can print a temporary paper license from your DDS account immediately, and the permanent card arrives by mail within 45 days.¹

In Person

Walk into any DDS Customer Service Center. Renewals don’t require appointments. Bring your documents, have a new photo taken, and complete a vision screening. You’ll leave with a temporary paper license, and the permanent card arrives by mail within 45 days. In-person renewal is the only option when your license lacks a star, your citizenship status has changed, you need to update your photo or physical description, or you’re 64 or older without a current vision report on file.¹

By Mail

Mail renewal is limited to U.S. citizens who fall into one of these groups:²

Full-time students attending school outside Georgia
People working overseas or on active military duty
Spouses or dependents of active military personnel stationed outside Georgia
Senior drivers over 64

You can’t change your name, address, or other personal information through a mail renewal. Those updates require an in-person visit. DDS provides a downloadable renewal packet on its website.

Fees and Payment

A standard Class C license costs $32 for an eight-year term. Renewing online or through the app takes $5 off, bringing it to $27.⁶

Customer Service Centers accept cash, credit and debit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express), Apple Pay, and Google Pay. Online and app renewals accept only credit or debit cards.

Vision Screening

Every in-person renewal includes a vision exam, regardless of age. For online renewals, drivers under 64 don’t need a new vision test. If you’re 64 or older, you need an approved vision report already on file at DDS to renew online; without one, you’ll be routed to a center for in-person screening.¹ Removing a corrective-lenses restriction also requires an in-person visit.

Real ID and Air Travel

If you plan to fly, pay attention to the star on your card. As of May 7, 2025, TSA no longer accepts non-Real ID state driver’s licenses at airport security checkpoints.⁷ Without a gold or black star, your Georgia license alone won’t clear security.

Starting February 1, 2026, TSA offers a fallback: travelers without acceptable ID can pay a $45 fee to use the TSA ConfirmID identity verification process at the checkpoint.⁸ A valid U.S. passport, passport card, or military ID also works at the checkpoint. If your license is up for renewal, upgrading to a Real ID at the same time avoids the ConfirmID fee for future trips.

Name and Address Changes at Renewal

DDS allows one free name or address change during each eight-year license term; a second or subsequent change costs $10.⁹ If you’re within 150 days of expiration and need a name or address update, DDS routes you into the renewal process instead.

Name changes require certified legal documents: a marriage certificate, divorce decree specifying a name change, or court order for a legal name change. You have to visit a center in person for a name change, and if you’ve had multiple changes (for example, married, divorced, remarried), you need certified documents for each step in the chain.⁴

If You’ve Already Missed the Deadline

Driving on an expired license is unlawful in Georgia and can bring a traffic citation. It can also complicate an insurance claim: many auto policies exclude coverage for losses that occur while driving illegally, and an expired license qualifies. Your insurer won’t automatically cancel your policy when your license lapses, but if you’re in an accident, they may deny the claim or dispute the payout.

If your license has been expired for less than two years, you can renew normally without retesting. Past the two-year mark, DDS requires you to pass the road signs knowledge test, road rules knowledge test, a behind-the-wheel driving test, and a vision exam before it will issue a new license. Holding a valid license from another state may let you skip retesting even after the two-year mark.¹⁰

Commercial Driver’s Licenses

CDLs go through a separate DDS process and can’t be renewed through the regular online portal.¹ CDL holders driving in interstate commerce must also keep a valid federal Medical Examiner’s Certificate on file. It’s typically good for two years, though drivers with conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease, or diabetes may need annual renewal.¹¹ Give DDS a copy of each new certificate before the old one expires; otherwise, your commercial privileges are automatically downgraded and you can’t legally drive a commercial vehicle, even though you’d still have a regular license.¹²

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Georgia Department of Driver Services. Renew a License or ID
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Georgia Department of Driver Services. Renewals FAQs
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Georgia Department of Driver Services. Gold or Black Star Indicates Compliance
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Georgia Department of Driver Services. REAL ID Information
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Georgia Department of Driver Services. REAL ID Documents for Non-US Citizens
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Georgia Department of Driver Services. Fees and Terms
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Transportation Security Administration. Acceptable Identification at the TSA Checkpoint
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Transportation Security Administration. TSA Introduces New $45 Fee Option for Travelers Without REAL ID Starting February 1
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Georgia Department of Driver Services. Update License
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Georgia Department of Driver Services. License Expired
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Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. For How Long Is My Medical Certificate Valid
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Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Medical