Reviewed and updated October 12, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every fact on this page was read from the California DMV's own pages that day, and the DMV page each fact came from is linked where it appears.
How the California DMV replaces a driver's license or ID card that was lost, stolen or damaged: the online request for a regular license, the office visit for ID cards and commercial licenses, the fees, and the mailing time. A change of name or address is a different application, on the change guide; a card that has expired is a renewal, on the renewal guide.
In this guide: Replacing a regular driver's license online, Replacing an ID card or a commercial license, What a replacement costs, Questions about replacing a California license or ID
Replacing a regular driver's license online
A lost, stolen or damaged driver's license can be replaced with the DMV's online Replacement Driver's License Application. The DMV notes that ID cards and commercial driver's licenses are not eligible for this online request; they follow the office path below. The DMV's replacement page is the source for this guide.
Replacing an ID card or a commercial license
Complete a new application with the DMV's online application, then visit a DMV office to finish; the DMV says the request is not complete until you go in, and that you may make an appointment on its appointment page or check the current walk-in wait time of your local office. At the office you pay the replacement fee, the DMV validates your photograph, and your thumbprint is scanned.
The new card arrives by mail within three to four weeks. If it has not come after 60 days, check the DMV's license and ID card status page.
What a replacement costs
| Card | Fee |
|---|---|
| Driver's license, Class C, M1 or M2 (lost or stolen) | $37 |
| Noncommercial Class A or B license | $37 |
| Commercial Class A or B license | $44 |
| Regular ID card | $40 |
| Senior citizen ID card (age 62 or older) | No fee |
| Reduced fee ID card | $11 |
Source: the DMV's licensing fees page. A credit or debit card paid in an office carries a 2.1 percent service fee; the payment rules are on the California DMV fees page.
Questions about replacing a California license or ID
Can I replace an ID card online?
No. The DMV's online replacement request is for driver's licenses only; ID cards and commercial licenses start with the online application and finish at a DMV office.
Do I need an appointment for the office visit?
The DMV says you may either make an appointment or check the current walk-in wait time of your local office; every office page on SearchSystems carries the wait the DMV showed and the link to the live number.
What happens at the office?
You pay the replacement fee, the DMV validates your photograph, and your thumbprint is scanned, which the DMV says protects against identity theft.
When does the new card arrive?
Within three to four weeks by mail. After 60 days without a card, the DMV says to check its license and ID card status page.
Written by SearchSystems.net from the California DMV's replacement page, online application page and licensing fees page, read on October 12, 2026.