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.
How a Texan living in another state or country keeps the Texas license or ID current: who qualifies, the mail renewal and its eligibility list and packet, a name change by mail, a replacement or address change by mail for $10, the active duty rules, and the motorcycle class and veteran designation by mail. The online and phone renewal, which DPS says to try first, is on the renewal page.
In this guide: Who qualifies, Renewing by mail, A name change by mail, A replacement or address change by mail, Active duty members, spouses and dependents, Adding a motorcycle class or a veteran designation by mail, Questions about renewing from out of state
Who qualifies
DPS's out-of-state page opens the out-of-state process to anyone whose permanent home is Texas while they live elsewhere and who meets the eligibility rules: active duty U.S. military members, spouses and dependents; students whose parents reside in Texas; and people temporarily living outside Texas for employment. Before the packet, DPS says to check eligibility for the online renewal at Texas.gov or call 1-866-357-3639 (1-866-DL RENEW), since many customers can renew online or by phone.
Renewing by mail
The license or ID must expire in less than two years or have been expired less than two years (active duty military excepted); the holder is 18 to 78, a U.S. citizen with the Social Security number on file, meets the Texas residency requirements, holds no limited term card, is not renewing or modifying a hazmat CDL, a non-domiciled CDL, a learner, provisional or occupational license, is not required to register under the sex offender, terrorist offender or trafficking of persons chapters, has had no change in vision or physical or mental condition that affects driving, has no suspension, revocation, cancellation or unpaid citation (checked on the License Eligibility page), and has no medical or administrative status needing periodic review.
The packet: the DL-14A application, with every question including the medical history answered for a license renewal and questions 1 to 10 for an ID; the CDL-2 as well for a non-CDL Class A or B; the CDL-1 for a commercial license, with an updated medical certificate signed by an FMCSA-approved examiner if required; proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful presence; the Social Security number on the application; the DL-63 eye specialist examination for a license renewal; proof of Texas residency; a 2 by 2 inch passport-style photo; the normal signature on a blank piece of paper in black ink; a copy of the TDLR motorcycle course certificate issued within 24 months to add a motorcycle endorsement; the name change documents if any; and the renewal fee by check or money order payable to Texas DPS. Everything goes to Texas Department of Public Safety, PO Box 149008, Austin, TX 78714-9008; the full procedure is in DPS's out-of-state packet, form DL-16P.
A name change by mail
Include with the DL-14A one proof of the new legal name, a marriage license, divorce decree, annulment, Department of State Health Services marriage verification letter, certified court order or amended birth certificate, with a certified English translation if it is not in English, and the signature in black ink on white paper. DPS says copies are acceptable for these documents and originals should not be sent.
A replacement or address change by mail
A Texan temporarily outside the state may replace a lost or stolen card or change the address by mail when citizenship or lawful presence and the Social Security number are already on file, the card has not expired and is within 90 days of its expiration date, the holder is 18 to 78, the card is not a hazmat CDL, non-domiciled CDL, learner, provisional or occupational license, no registration requirement under the sex offender, terrorist offender or trafficking chapters applies, the license is not suspended, revoked or canceled, and no modification such as a motorcycle endorsement or a name change is requested. Send the DL-64 application (with a Texas residence address for a CDL holder) and the $10 fee by check or money order payable to Texas DPS to PO Box 149008, Austin, TX 78714-9008. A replacement with the card information at hand can be done online instead, as the replacement guide explains.
Active duty members, spouses and dependents
DPS keeps special provisions for service members stationed outside Texas: the license remains valid beyond its expiration as long as it is not suspended, canceled or revoked, carried with the valid military ID, though DPS urges renewing on time since not every state, installation or country honors an expired license; after an honorable discharge it stays valid until the 91st day after discharge or the return to Texas, whichever is earlier; active duty members, spouses and dependents and those discharged within 90 days may renew a card expired more than two years; and only they may have the current out-of-state address printed on the card at a renewal. The veterans and military guide has the designations and the fee exemption.
Adding a motorcycle class or a veteran designation by mail
A Texan 18 or older living out of state adds Class M by mail with the DL-16P application, the TDLR motorcycle safety course certificate (MSB-8 or MSB-8R), proof of Texas residency (a military ID for active duty), and the fee by check, money order or cashier's check, as the motorcycle license guide explains. A veteran outside Texas requests the VETERAN designation with the DL-16P, a copy of the DD-214 or DD-215, residency documents, the DL-63 if a license is being renewed, and the fee payable to TX DPS, to Texas Department of Public Safety, Central Cash Receiving, PO Box 15999, Austin, TX 78761-5999. Cards arrive by mail in two to three weeks, with the status on DPS's card status page.
Questions about renewing from out of state
Who counts as out of state but still a Texan?
Someone whose permanent home, their domicile, is Texas while they live elsewhere: active duty military members with spouses and dependents, students whose parents live in Texas, and people working outside Texas temporarily, in DPS's examples.
Should I try online first?
Yes. DPS says many customers can renew online or by phone at 1-866-357-3639 (1-866-DL RENEW) after checking eligibility at Texas.gov; the mail packet is for those who cannot.
What goes in the mail renewal packet?
The DL-14A application (with the medical history questions answered for a license, questions 1 to 10 for an ID), a CDL-2 for a non-CDL Class A or B or a CDL-1 for a commercial license with an updated medical certificate if required, proof of citizenship or lawful presence, the Social Security number on the application, a DL-63 eye specialist examination for a license, proof of Texas residency, a 2 by 2 inch passport-style photo, the normal signature in black ink on blank white paper, and the fee by check or money order to Texas DPS.
Can I change my address or replace a lost card by mail?
Yes, within 90 days of expiration, with the DL-64 application and a $10 fee by check or money order, when citizenship and the Social Security number are on file, you are 18 to 78, the card is not a hazmat CDL, non-domiciled CDL, learner, provisional or occupational license, no registration requirement applies, the license is not suspended, revoked or canceled, and no change such as a new name or a motorcycle endorsement is requested. A CDL holder must give a Texas residence address.
My license expired more than two years ago while I was deployed.
Active duty members, spouses and dependents, and anyone discharged within the last 90 days, may still renew it; everyone else reapplies as an original applicant at an office and retakes the tests.
Where does the packet go?
Texas Department of Public Safety, PO Box 149008, Austin, TX 78714-9008, for renewals, replacements and address changes; the veteran designation and interlock or occupational fees go to Central Cash Receiving at PO Box 15999, Austin, TX 78761-5999.
Written by SearchSystems.net from the Texas DPS page on renewing or replacing a license or ID while out of state, its motorcycle license page, its veteran services page and its fee page, read on October 14, 2026.