Yes—you can apply now for a Colorado standard ID in your married name using your August 2026 I-797C and foreign passport, without waiting for your green card or first obtaining an EAD.
“I entered the US on a K-1 visa, got married in Colorado, and have a pending I-485 (filed August 2026). I didn't file for an EAD. My SSA record is updated to my married name, but the Colorado DMV refused to issue a state ID in my married name. I brought my I-797C receipt notice (in my married name) and my foreign passport, but they rejected it without running a SAVE verification. How can I get a Colorado state ID in my married name during AOS using an I-797C, or is there another route besides waiting for my green card?”
Summary
The current Colorado checklist specifically covers your document combination, so an EAD is not a prerequisite. The key is to apply under the temporarily-lawfully-present standard-ID procedure and use the I-797C plus passport as Colorado’s required married-name link.
You have one route available with documents you already hold, an EAD backup, and one route that is not presently available under Colorado’s policy.
Apply as a resident for a standard CO-RCSA ID. DR 2300B expressly accepts an I-797C showing receipt of an application to register permanent residence or adjust status when issued within five years; your August 2026 receipt fits that rule. Colorado separately accepts an I-797 Notice of Action accompanied by a foreign passport to support your married name [Colorado DMV Form DR 2300B (07/07/26), p. 1; Colorado DMV Name Changes].
As a backup, file Form I-765 under category (c)(9) based on your pending . Because your fee-paid I-485 was filed after April 1, 2024, the current fee is $260 online or on paper; the resulting I-766 is another Colorado-accepted name and identity document [Form I-765 Instructions (08/21/25); Form G-1055 (09/09/26); Colorado DMV Name Changes].
Colorado currently directs temporarily lawfully present residents like you to its standard-credential program. An EAD supplies another acceptable document but does not move you into Colorado’s permanent-resident REAL ID document track [Colorado DMV Standard Licenses and IDs; DR 2300B].
Both pre-green-card routes produce a three-year standard Colorado ID—not a REAL ID.
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Next steps
These steps present your documents under the correct Colorado category and preserve the EAD route if DMV still will not process them.
Before another appointment
Build the exact TLP document packet
Use DR 2300B at https://dmv.colorado.gov/sites/dmv/files/documents/DR%202300B%20TLP%20Checklist.pdf. Your I-797C supplies the listed pending-I-485 evidence; your passport supplies identity and accompanies the I-797 for the married-name connection. Bring original immigration documents—photocopies and online printouts are not accepted. An electronic bank statement, lease, utility bill, pay stub, insurance policy, first-class government mail, or similar document is acceptable for the single Colorado-address proof if it shows your name, physical address, and a date within one year.
Requirements
After assembling the originals
Pre-register and book a state driver-license-office appointment
Start at https://dmv.colorado.gov/pre-registration-get-ready-for-your-first-dmv-visit and pre-register for a first Colorado ID. Then use the “Make an Appointment” link at https://dmv.colorado.gov/drivers/standard-license-and-ID-cards to schedule a state driver license office—not a county vehicle-registration counter. Select a first identification card appointment and request a standard CO-RCSA ID as a temporarily lawfully present applicant.
Requirements
At the DMV counter
Present the I-797C under DR 2300B
Say: “I am applying for a standard ID as a temporarily lawfully present resident under DR 2300B. The checklist accepts my I-797C for a pending I-485, and the I-797 plus my passport supports my married name.” If the clerk rejects the packet, ask a supervisor to identify the unmet DR 2300B line. For Driver License/ID General Questions, Colorado DMV’s official number is 303-205-5600, Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Requirements
If immigration verification is needed
Ask DMV to complete SAVE verification
Ask DMV to create the case using the I-797 receipt number or A-Number. If SAVE prompts for additional verification, USCIS says the agency must submit the case and may upload your I-797C. SAVE verifies immigration information; DMV—not SAVE—makes the ID eligibility decision. If USCIS data returns the wrong name, use https://egov.uscis.gov/e-request/ for a typographic error or call USCIS at 800-375-5283. When approved, Colorado issues a temporary paper credential immediately and mails the permanent card within 30 days.
Requirements
Only if you want an EAD too
File Form I-765 as the backup route
File Form I-765 under category (c)(9) at https://my.uscis.gov/file-a-form; the current online fee is $260. If filing on paper, use https://www.uscis.gov/i-765 for the current form and address, pay $260, and include the listed evidence. Because USCIS announces a new 09/15/26 edition with no grace period, do not send the 08/21/25 edition once the revised edition takes effect. An approved I-766 can then serve as another Colorado-accepted USCIS name and identity document, but it is not necessary for the I-797C route.
Requirements
Legal sources
The answer comes from Colorado DMV’s July 2026 TLP checklist and credential pages, USCIS SAVE procedures, and the current USCIS I-765 instructions and fee schedule.
Colorado DMV Form DR 2300B
Colorado expressly lists a recent I-797C for a pending I-485 and a foreign passport as acceptable documents.
pages 1–2, Proof of Lawful Presence and Proof of Identity
I-797C Notice of Action demonstrating receipt of an application: To register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status issued within 5 years of the date of application. ■ All documents must be **unaltered certified originals, certified amended originals, or true copies certified by the issuing agency.** Photocopies, notarized documents and online printouts are not accepted.
Colorado DMV Standard Licenses and IDs
Colorado places temporarily lawfully present residents in its three-year standard, non-REAL-ID program.
These credentials are for Colorado residents who are non-lawfully present/undocumented or temporarily lawfully present (TLP). Standard credentials are NOT REAL ID compliant, meaning they cannot be used for federal purposes (e.g., boarding commercial airplanes, entering federal facilities), voting, or federal public benefits. Standard credentials are a valid Colorado identification. Standard credentials are valid for 3 years from the date of issuance (Minor driver's license is 3 years or expires 20 days after 21st birthday, whichever is first).
Colorado DMV Name Changes
This is the controlling Colorado rule for connecting your maiden-name passport to your married-name I-797.
For Temporarily Lawfully Present
Name changes must be supported by an updated USCIS document such as a Form I-94 with a foreign passport, an Employment Authorization Card (I-766), or an I-797 Notice of Action accompanied by a foreign passport. Marriage certificates and certified court-ordered name changes cannot be used to change a name on a TLP record. The name on the Colorado credential must match the current USCIS data for the customer.
USCIS SAVE Verification Process
SAVE can use an I-797 receipt number, and an agency prompted for additional verification must submit the case.
Minimum Requirements; Additional Verification Process
Card Number/I-797 Receipt number. If the user agency receives a prompt to request additional verification, they must submit the case for additional verification to receive a SAVE response. When submitting the additional verification request, the user agency may include more information and/or a copy of the applicant’s immigration document, if needed or as required.
Colorado DMV 2026 Fee Notice
Colorado’s current fee for a CO-RCSA identification card is $14.
Credential-fee table
The updated credential fees take effect starting **June 30, 2026** . |CO-RCSA ID Card |$13.30 |$14.00 |
Form I-765 Instructions
A person with a pending I-485 may file I-765 separately under category (c)(9) using the I-485 receipt.
Eligibility Category (c)(9)
Adjustment Applicant under Section 245--(c)(9). File Form I-765 together with Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, or if filing separately, submit a copy of your Form I-485 receipt notice or other evidence that your Form I-485 is pending.
Form G-1055
This current fee schedule sets the reduced I-765 fee for someone whose fee-paid I-485 remains pending.
Appendix C, Form I-765
If you filed Form I-485 with a fee on or after April 1, 2024 and your Form I-485 is still pending. Paper Filing: $260 Online Filing: $260
USCIS Form I-765 Alert
A paper I-765 filer must account for the imminent no-grace-period edition change.
Alert
**ALERT:** On Sept. 15, 2026, we will publish a revised edition of Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization (edition date: 09/15/26). There is no grace period for the revised edition of Form I-765 because the revised edition is necessary for USCIS to apply the final rule.
These are the official Colorado DMV, USCIS, and DHS rules published on the cited dates; rules and fees can change.
This is general information about official processes, not legal advice; SettleKit is not a law firm.
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