California state ID card
Get a California ID card so you can stop carrying your passport.
How it goes
- 1You arriveYou have moved to California and you need ID you can carry.
- 2Your documentsYou gather proof of who you are, where you live, and your status.
- 3You applyYou take them to the office that issues ID cards.
- Your cardYour ID card is issued, and your passport stays at home.
What it costs
A first ID card
A first ID card costs $40.
Whether you can get one
If you are not a US citizen
California issues an ID card only to someone who is legally present in the United States.
Documents you need
- Proof of who you are
- An unexpired foreign passport with an approved I-94 arrival record proves who you are.
- An unexpired Employment Authorization Document, the I-766 card, is accepted on its own.
- Address proofs you needYou have to show acceptable proof that you live in California.
Your Social Security Number
What proves your number
Every applicant gives the DMV their Social Security Number.
If you cannot get a number yet
If you are legally present but cannot get a Social Security Number yet, California exempts you from the requirement instead of asking for a letter.
If your status has an end date
When your card expires
To extend a limited-term ID card, your legal presence document has to run 60 or more days past the day you apply.
Where to go
How to apply
After you submit the application you still have to visit a DMV office to finish it.
The application form
California takes the application online, in the same place you would apply for a driver's licence or a learner's permit.
Other states
Every source, quoted10 sources
Every fact on this page is quoted from the page that publishes it, in the words it uses.
“Regular ID card / Application– Original / Fee$40”
dmv.ca.gov/portal/driver-licenses-identification-cards/licensing-feesChecked August 25, 2026
“California law does not allow for an ID card to be issued to individuals who are not legally present in the United States.”
“Valid/unexpired foreign passport with an approved Record of Arrival/Departure (I-94).”
dmv.ca.gov/portal/file/federal-non-compliant-dl-id-card-documents-list-pdfChecked August 25, 2026
“Valid/unexpired Employment Authorization Document (EAD) Card (I-766).”
dmv.ca.gov/portal/file/federal-non-compliant-dl-id-card-documents-list-pdfChecked August 25, 2026
“Federal Non-Compliant applicants must submit acceptable proof of residency in California.”
dmv.ca.gov/portal/file/federal-non-compliant-dl-id-card-documents-list-pdfChecked August 25, 2026
“All applicants must submit to DMV their social security number (SSN).”
dmv.ca.gov/portal/file/federal-non-compliant-dl-id-card-documents-list-pdfChecked August 25, 2026
“If you are legally present in the U.S., but ineligible for an SSN, you are exempt from SSN requirements.”
dmv.ca.gov/portal/file/federal-non-compliant-dl-id-card-documents-list-pdfChecked August 25, 2026
“If your limited-term DL/ID card expires and you need an extension, you must provide a BD/LP document that expires 60 or more days from the day you apply.”
dmv.ca.gov/portal/driver-licenses-identification-cards/limited-term-for-legal-presenceChecked August 25, 2026
“After submitting your application, you will need to visit a DMV office to complete it.”
dmv.ca.gov/portal/driver-licenses-identification-cards/dl-id-online-app-edl-44Checked August 25, 2026
“Apply for, replace, or update your driver's license, identification card, or learner's permit”
dmv.ca.gov/portal/driver-licenses-identification-cards/dl-id-online-app-edl-44Checked August 25, 2026
Applying for a state ID card in California?
Answer a few questions and see the steps that apply to you.