To replace a lost driver’s license in Georgia, use the Department of Driver Services (DDS) online portal or visit a DDS Customer Service Center in person. The fee is $10 as long as your license has at least 150 days left before it expires.1Georgia Department of Driver Services. Replace a Lost or Stolen License, ID, or Permit You’ll get a temporary paper license right away, and the permanent card arrives by mail within about 45 days.
Replacing Online
The online route is faster, but you have to qualify. Your current license, ID, or permit must be active (not suspended, canceled, or revoked) and must already be REAL ID compliant. Look for a gold or black star in the upper right corner of your card. If that star isn’t there, you can’t use the online portal.1Georgia Department of Driver Services. Replace a Lost or Stolen License, ID, or Permit
Log into your DDS online account or create one, confirm your personal information and address, and pay with a credit or debit card. Once the payment clears, you can download and print your temporary paper license directly from the account. That paper license lets you keep driving legally while the permanent card is on its way.
Replacing in Person
Go to a DDS Customer Service Center if your card isn’t REAL ID compliant, your credential is suspended, or you’d rather handle it face to face. The DDS website shows real-time wait times so you can pick a less crowded office.
Bring original or certified documents in two categories. From Category A, bring one identity document, such as:1Georgia Department of Driver Services. Replace a Lost or Stolen License, ID, or Permit
- A valid U.S. passport or passport card
- An original or certified U.S. birth certificate
- A Certificate of Naturalization or Certificate of Citizenship
- An expired Georgia driver’s license, permit, or ID card
- A valid Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551)
From Category B, bring two documents. The accepted list is broader than most people expect: a Social Security card, a previous year’s W-2 or tax return, a current auto, home, life, or health insurance card or policy, a vehicle registration receipt, a voter registration card, a military ID, or a valid Georgia gun permit.1Georgia Department of Driver Services. Replace a Lost or Stolen License, ID, or Permit The names on every document must match the name on your driver’s license.
At the office, a representative verifies your documents, takes a new photo, and collects the fee. You leave with a temporary paper license.
If you also want to upgrade to a REAL ID while you’re there, bring additional paperwork: proof of your Social Security number (if DDS can’t verify it electronically) and two documents proving Georgia residency dated within the last six months, such as utility bills or bank statements from separate sources.2Georgia Department of Driver Services. Georgia REAL ID Information REAL ID upgrades can’t be done online.
What It Costs and When It Arrives
The replacement fee is $10 if your license has at least 150 days left before it expires.1Georgia Department of Driver Services. Replace a Lost or Stolen License, ID, or Permit With fewer than 150 days remaining, DDS processes the request as a renewal instead, which resets the expiration term and charges the full renewal fee of $32 for a regular Class C license.3Georgia Department of Driver Services. Fees and Terms
DDS mails the permanent card to the address on file. Allow up to 45 days.4Georgia Department of Driver Services. Replacements FAQs If you’ve moved, update your address in the DDS portal before you request the replacement, or the card goes to the wrong place.
Using the Temporary Paper License
Your paper license is good for driving and for most situations where you need to show ID. Two important exceptions.
First, the airport. TSA does not accept temporary paper driver’s licenses at security checkpoints.5Transportation Security Administration. Acceptable Identification at the TSA Checkpoint If you’re flying before your permanent card arrives, bring a U.S. passport, passport card, or military ID.
Second, Georgia’s digital driver’s license. The DDS mobile app offers a digital ID, but Georgia law requires drivers to have the physical license in their immediate possession while operating a vehicle, and the digital version does not satisfy that requirement.6Georgia Department of Driver Services. GA Digital ID The printed temporary license is what keeps you legal behind the wheel until your card shows up.
If Your License Was Stolen
The DDS replacement process is identical whether the license was lost or stolen. But a stolen card hands over your full name, date of birth, address, and license number, which is enough information to open fraudulent credit accounts or file a fake tax return in your name. Take a few extra steps.
The Georgia Attorney General’s office recommends contacting all three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) to place a fraud alert and a credit freeze.7Georgia Attorney General’s Consumer Protection. Identity Theft A freeze is free, blocks anyone from opening new accounts in your name, and must be processed within one business day when you request it online or by phone. You can lift it within an hour through the same channels when you need to apply for credit yourself.8USAGov. How to Place or Lift a Security Freeze on Your Credit Report
File a police report with your local department, build a recovery plan at identitytheft.gov, and pull your credit reports from annualcreditreport.com to look for accounts you don’t recognize. None of that speeds up your replacement license, but it can keep a stolen card from turning into months of financial cleanup.