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.
Replacing a lost, stolen or damaged Texas driver license, commercial license or ID card: the online replacement through Texas by Texas, the office visit when the card information is gone, what to do after a theft, the mail option from out of state, and the $11 fee. A change to the name or address on the card is a replacement too; it is on the name and address guide.
In this guide: Online, when nothing on the front changes, At a driver license office, After a theft, From outside Texas, The fee, Questions about replacing a card
Online, when nothing on the front changes
DPS's replacement page offers the online card replacement through Texas by Texas at Texas.gov to anyone who needs a replacement without changing any information on the front of the card and has four things: the driver license or ID card number, the date of birth, the last four digits of the Social Security number, and the audit number from the most recently issued card, which DPS cannot provide. Non-U.S. citizens may use it, though they may not renew online. The temporary card and the receipt come by print or email, and the new card is mailed within two to three weeks, with its status on the DPS card status page.
At a driver license office
When the card is lost, stolen or destroyed and the information above is not at hand, book an appointment on the DPS appointments page at any office in Texas, complete the DL-14A application (available online or at the office), and give the specialist the application and proof of identity, for which DPS says only one primary, secondary or supporting document is required. Proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful presence and the Social Security number are presented as well if they were never provided before. Then the signature and thumbprints, the photo and the $11 fee. A commercial license is replaced the same way.
After a theft
If the card was stolen and used fraudulently, DPS says to file a police report so a record of the theft exists, then to bring a copy of the report to the office appointment, where staff evaluate the situation and decide whether a new license number is necessary. Its identity theft information guide adds the rest of the response: the criminal report, a notarized Forgery Affidavit at any driver license office, the Stolen Identity File that Texas sheriffs maintain and report to DPS (questions to the Error Resolution Unit at (512) 424-7256), notices to creditors, banks, the Social Security Administration's fraud line at (800) 269-0271, the Federal Trade Commission at (877) 438-4338, and a fraud alert with one of the three credit bureaus, which share it.
From outside Texas
A Texan temporarily living in another state replaces a lost card online when the four pieces of information are at hand, and otherwise by mail with the DL-16P out-of-state application packet, under the rules on DPS's out-of-state page: citizenship or lawful presence and the Social Security number already on file, a card not expired, age 18 to 78, no hazmat CDL, non-domiciled CDL, learner, provisional or occupational license, no registration requirement under the sex offender, terrorist offender or trafficking chapters, a license not suspended, revoked or canceled, and no change such as a motorcycle endorsement or a new name. The out-of-state guide has the mailing address and the forms.
The fee
$11 for a replacement driver license, CDL, CLP or ID card, whether lost, stolen or damaged, with the current expiration date unchanged, on the DPS driver license fees page; the $1 administrative fee inside it is not charged by mail. The fees page lists every other DPS charge.
Questions about replacing a card
How much is a replacement?
$11 for a duplicate driver license, commercial license or ID card; the expiration date does not change. DPS's lost card FAQ gives the same figure.
What is the audit number and where is it?
A number printed on the most recently issued card that the online replacement and renewal require along with the card number, date of birth and last four digits of the Social Security number. DPS says it cannot provide the audit number for security reasons; without the card, the replacement is done at an office by appointment, or by mail from out of state.
Do I have to go to the office in my own county?
No. Any driver license office in Texas can replace a license or ID card, and the online option needs no office at all.
Can a non-citizen replace a card online?
Yes. DPS says non-U.S. citizens are eligible for the online card replacement but not for online renewal; lawful presence documents are required for any in-office transaction.
My license was stolen and used by someone. What now?
File a police report to create a record of the theft, then book an appointment and bring a copy of the report; the office evaluates whether a new license number is needed to protect you. DPS's identity theft guide covers the rest, from the Stolen Identity File kept by sheriffs to the credit bureaus.
An officer in Texas kept my out-of-state license. Who replaces it?
Contact the law enforcement agency in the city or county where it happened, or the motor vehicle agency of your home state, in DPS's answer.
Written by SearchSystems.net from the Texas DPS pages on replacing a card, the lost or stolen card FAQ, the identity theft guide, the out-of-state process and fees, read on October 14, 2026.