Reviewed and updated October 14, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every fact on this page was read that day from the Texas agency that publishes it, the Department of Public Safety for driver licenses and the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles for titles and registration, and the official page each fact came from is linked where it appears.
Changing the address, ZIP code or name on a Texas driver license or ID card, which DPS handles as a replacement card for $11: the three ways to change an address and the 30-day rule, the alternative address for officers, judges and court staff, the name change and its documents, the Address Confidentiality Program, and the communication impediment indicator. A lost card is on the replacement guide.
In this guide: Changing your address within 30 days, The alternative address for officers, judges and court staff, Changing your name, A substitute address through the Address Confidentiality Program, A communication impediment notice on the card, Questions about name and address changes
Changing your address within 30 days
DPS's change of information page requires the address on a license or ID card to be changed within 30 days after moving, by applying for a replacement card and paying the fee. Three ways:
Online, which DPS calls the fastest, through Texas by Texas at Texas.gov after checking the eligibility rules on the Texas.gov eligibility page.
By mail, with the Application for Change of Address (DL-64), signed, with the fee, sent to the address at the top of the form, for a holder who meets all of these: the license is not expired; it is a non-commercial Class C or CM, or a Class A or B non-CDL (a commercial license cannot change its address by mail); the holder is at least 18 and the license is not provisional or learner; the license is valid, not suspended or revoked; the Social Security number is on file; and the holder is a U.S. citizen. DPS says to allow ten extra days for the mailing.
In person, with the completed application taken to any driver license office by appointment on the DPS appointments page.
The alternative address for officers, judges and court staff
A qualified peace officer, parole officer, probation officer, prosecutor, special investigator, federal judge, state judge, U.S. Marshal, U.S. Attorney, or court administration employee (court clerks, coordinators, administrators, juvenile case managers, law clerks, staff attorneys, employees of a county or district clerk or of the Office of Court Administration, and commissioners or employees of the State Commission on Judicial Conduct), and in most of those cases a spouse, minor child or adult child living in the home, may have an alternate address printed on the face of a non-commercial license or ID instead of the residence. The application is in person at any office, since employment is verified: the fee is paid, any earlier card surrendered, the current residential address still given for DPS records and mail, and the proof presented, for example a TCOLE license with the agency identification card and badge for a peace officer, an official ID or an employment letter on agency letterhead for parole and probation officers, the Administrative Office of United States Courts card for a federal judge, the Secretary of State card for a state judge, a letter from the elected prosecutor for prosecutors and U.S. Attorneys, and an employment letter, badge or payroll record for court staff, with proof of relationship for family members.
Changing your name
Visit any driver license office within 30 days of the change and present one original document that verifies it; copies are not accepted and a document not in English must come with a certified English translation. For a marriage-related change DPS accepts a marriage license, a divorce decree, an annulment or a Department of State Health Services marriage verification letter; for any other change, a certified court order, an amended birth certificate or a Certificate of Naturalization (N-550, N-570 or N-578). Certified documents should not be laminated. The new card costs $11, and every other eligibility rule for the card applies. A name change from out of state goes by mail with the DL-14A and copies of the proof, as the out-of-state guide explains.
A substitute address through the Address Confidentiality Program
Victims of family violence, sexual assault and abuse, stalking or trafficking enrolled in the Attorney General's Address Confidentiality Program may use its substitute post office box address on the license or ID, for voter and school registrations and for most court and government documents, as DPS's Address Confidentiality Program page explains. To change the card to the substitute address: complete the DL-14A, make an appointment, present the ACP authorization card with the application, and pay the fee. Enrollment starts with a local domestic violence shelter, sexual assault center, or law enforcement or prosecution staff, who discuss a safety plan; the Attorney General issues the authorization card after approval.
A communication impediment notice on the card
Under Transportation Code Section 521.142 a person with a health condition that may impede communication with a peace officer may have a notice placed on the license or ID, DPS's communication impediment page explains. It takes a replacement card by appointment with the DL-14A, one identity document, citizenship or lawful presence and the Social Security number if not on file, a written statement from a licensed physician or psychiatrist on form DL-101, a thumbprint, the photo and the fee. On cards issued since August 18, 2025 the indicator is on the front; DPS says the medical information is protected and not released under the Public Information Act.
Questions about name and address changes
How soon must I change my address?
Within 30 days after moving to the new residence, on DPS's change of information page. A name change also takes an office visit within 30 days.
What does an address or name change cost?
$11. DPS treats both as a replacement (duplicate) card, with the expiration date unchanged.
Can I change my name online?
No. A name change is done at any driver license office within 30 days, with an original document that verifies it; copies are not accepted, and a document not in English needs a certified English translation.
Does the license address change also update my vehicle registration?
No. The vehicle record is the TxDMV's; its owner address changes with Form VTR-146 at the county tax office, and the TxDMV's online address change moves only the renewal recipient address. The registration guide explains the difference.
Who can use an alternative address?
Qualified peace officers, parole and probation officers, prosecutors, special investigators, federal and state judges, U.S. Marshals, U.S. Attorneys and court administration employees, with their family members in most cases, may have an alternate address printed on a non-commercial license or ID, in person only, with the employment proof DPS lists.
Must a non-citizen prove lawful presence for an address change?
Yes. DPS says a non-U.S. citizen provides lawful presence documentation for any driver license or ID card transaction.
Written by SearchSystems.net from the Texas DPS pages on changing information on a license or ID, the Address Confidentiality Program, the communication impediment indicator, the application and renewal FAQ and fees, read on October 14, 2026.