Apply for a Virginia Non-Driver ID Card

Choose the appropriate identification route

A Virginia ID card supplies state-issued identification without authorizing driving. DMV's identification-card overview allows resident applicants of any age who do not hold a conflicting U.S. learner permit or driver license. It divides the application into adult and child procedures. Decide whether you are applying for an original card, exchanging a valid Virginia license because you will stop driving, or renewing an existing ID. These choices affect the form, fee, and evidence. An ID application should not be used casually when the actual goal is to replace a driver's license that you intend to keep using.

The adult ID category begins at age 15, while the child ID process covers children under 15 (read October 21, 2026). Here, adult is the name of DMV's card category and does not mean every applicant using it has reached legal adulthood for other purposes. Check the actual application form for the age group. A family seeking cards for several children may need different forms and attendance arrangements. The child's own identity and legal-presence records remain important even when a parent supplies the residency evidence.

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Decide whether the card should be REAL ID compliant

Virginia offers an optional REAL ID identification card for applicants who meet the federal document requirements. The first compliant card requires an in-person review and adds a one-time $10 charge to the underlying ID transaction (read October 21, 2026). A standard ID has federal-use limitations, while a REAL ID can serve as the state credential accepted for covered federal identification purposes. Check TSA's accepted ID list and the specific facility's rules before deciding. An identification card still does not grant permission to drive, regardless of whether it has the compliance star.

If you cannot meet Virginia's legal-presence requirements, review the separate identification privilege card route. DMV identifies that as a non-driving credential for qualifying noncitizen residents, with its own identity, residence, and tax-document requirements. It is not REAL ID compliant. Do not apply the ordinary ID document list to that route or assume that one application's fee covers either card automatically. Examine the eligibility conditions and select the form appropriate to the credential you can obtain. A driving privilege card is another distinct product and is not the same as an identification-only card.

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Prepare the ordinary ID document packet

For a first ordinary ID, DMV requires proof of identity, legal presence, two Virginia residency documents, and Social Security verification if a number has been issued. Use DMV 141 to select accepted records and combinations. The residency packet must include at least one primary-list document; the other can come from either residency list (read October 21, 2026). Original qualifying documents are required, although accepted online residency statements may be printed. Verify the dates and residence address before the visit. A document that identifies the applicant may not establish the current Virginia home address.

The legal-presence instructions explain when proof must be supplied and when previously verified status can affect a later transaction. For REAL ID, an EAD holder must use the additional legal-presence guidance rather than relying on the employment authorization card alone. A known Social Security number can be verified electronically, avoiding separate paper proof when verification succeeds. Bring name-change evidence when needed to connect the identity records. The personal-information page describes the marriage, divorce, and court-order documentation used to update a Virginia record.

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Complete the adult or child application

For an adult-category ID, complete DL 1P online or on paper through the official process. Use the full legal name, current residence, and correct mailing information. Do not leave uncertainty about an existing license for staff to discover only after the application is submitted. DMV allows one appropriate credential status, not simultaneous ordinary driving and non-driving credentials from the same application. Read the optional selections separately from the mandatory fields so a voluntary indicator or registration choice accurately reflects what you want recorded.

For a child under 15, use DL 5, Identification Card Application for Minors. The child must appear in person for original and replacement transactions, and the parent or legal guardian certifies identity and residency. Bring the child's identity, legal-presence, and applicable Social Security evidence, plus the adult's identification and two Virginia residency proofs (read October 21, 2026). If the child's name differs across documents, bring the legal explanation. An appointment attended only by the parent cannot supply the child's required appearance and photograph.

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Understand fees and expiration

An ordinary ID costs $2 per year, with a $10 minimum and $16 maximum, according to DMV's fee schedule and ID instructions (read October 21, 2026). Adult cards generally expire on the birthday after a term of up to eight years, subject to the applicable category. A temporary-lawful-status REAL ID may have a shorter authorized-stay expiration. The current ID page describes a different ordinary term for a non-REAL-ID card, so do not assume that every noncitizen receives the same limited-duration product. Review the type and expiration on the actual issued paperwork.

Child ID expiration uses its own schedule. DMV describes expiration at the end of the birth month in a year when the child reaches an age divisible by five, with cards issued at ages 13 or 14 expiring on the sixteenth birthday and additional limited-duration conditions where applicable (read October 21, 2026). Check the printed expiration rather than calculating the next renewal from an adult-card rule. The child guidance also explains how previously established citizenship or permanent residency and a limited-duration REAL ID affect the documentation for a later card.

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Exchange a license only if you intend to stop driving

The license-to-ID exchange service lets an eligible holder surrender a valid Virginia license and receive an ID card. After completion, that person is no longer licensed to drive. The exchange costs $10 for a person under 70 and is free beginning at 70; a license expiring within 30 days cannot be exchanged online (read October 21, 2026). In-person applicants surrender the license during the transaction, while online applicants receive instructions for returning it. Understand that change in status before choosing exchange as a convenient way to obtain another identification card.

Use the customer service center directory and service scheduling page for transactions requiring a visit. DMV's photograph policy applies to the new image. A DMV Select office does not issue or renew ID cards, so choose the appropriate service site. DMV mails the completed card to the address in its record and says the Postal Service will not forward it. Review the receipt and delivery instructions, and retain the current card as directed while a renewal is being processed.

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Renew or replace through the correct service

The ID-renewal page allows eligible holders to renew online every other cycle and describes the $1 online saving. Its exclusions include an expired card, an applicant under 18, required legal-presence proof, a name change, or a needed photograph, among other record conditions (read October 21, 2026). Review that list before assuming renewal works exactly like a driver-license renewal. Child cards issued before July 1, 2026, require an in-person renewal and new photograph under the child-specific instructions (read October 21, 2026). Use the more specific rule for the card involved.

A lost, stolen, or damaged ID uses the ID replacement process, with a $10 replacement fee (read October 21, 2026). Online replacement has separate eligibility restrictions and uses the existing photograph. A replacement corrects the missing physical document; it does not necessarily renew the term or solve a legal-name change without the supporting transaction. If the address changed, update it before ordering. Keep the completed transaction details so you can follow up about a missing delivery without immediately purchasing another duplicate.

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Review optional features and actual uses

DMV's disability information explains available medical indicators and other programs. A medical indicator on an ID is different from permission to use accessible parking, which requires the applicable parking credential. The card application also describes voluntary emergency-contact information and blood-type selections. Read those choices carefully and keep any recorded contact information current. Virginia's Mobile ID program may provide a digital companion for eligible cardholders at participating locations, but it does not turn the ID into a driver license or guarantee acceptance wherever a phone can display it.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does the adult ID category require an applicant to be 18?
Virginia calls its age-15-and-older product the adult ID card. Applicants younger than 15 use the child ID process and the corresponding minor application.

Can I obtain an ID while keeping a valid driver license?
DMV requires surrender of a conflicting license before ordinary ID issuance. If you choose the license-exchange transaction, you give up the authority to drive.

Must my child attend an ID replacement appointment?
The child ID instructions require the child to appear in person for originals and replacements. The parent or guardian also supplies the required certification and documents.

Is exchanging a license for an ID always a paid transaction?
DMV lists a $10 exchange charge below age 70 and no charge at 70 or older. The exchange still ends the holder's licensed-driver status.

Does an ID card's medical indicator authorize accessible parking?
The indicator communicates specified information on the identification record. Parking privileges require the separately issued placard or plate and its applicable eligibility process.

Will replacing my ID automatically extend its expiration?
Use the renewal service when the card's term needs to be extended. A replacement is the separate transaction for a missing, damaged, or otherwise qualifying updated card.

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More Virginia DMV guides

The other Virginia DMV guides, 52 of them:

The records side of the same subject, state by state on SearchSystems: Virginia birth certificates and birth, death and marriage records in Virginia.