To get your ID at 16, make an appointment at your state’s motor vehicle agency and bring a parent or legal guardian along with four things: proof of identity (usually a certified birth certificate), your Social Security number, two documents showing your home address, and a parent’s valid ID for the consent signature. You’ll decide at the counter whether you want a non-driver state ID card or a learner’s permit, pay the fee, take a photo, and leave with a temporary paper ID. The permanent card arrives in the mail within a few weeks.
Non-Driver ID or Learner’s Permit
Your first choice is what kind of card you want. If you don’t plan to drive, a non-driver state ID card is the simplest option. It looks like a driver’s license, counts as government-issued photo identification, and works for opening a bank account, starting a job, or picking up packages. Every state issues them, and many charge lower fees for minors than for adults.
If you want to start driving, apply for a learner’s permit instead. Every state uses a graduated driver licensing system with three phases: a learner’s permit, an intermediate or provisional license, and eventually a full, unrestricted license.1NHTSA. Graduated Driver Licensing A permit lets you practice driving only with a licensed adult in the car. Nearly every state requires you to hold that permit for at least six months before moving to the next phase, and several states require a full year.2NHTSA. GDL Learners Permit The intermediate license that follows lets you drive alone, usually with a nighttime curfew and passenger limits.
One boundary worth naming: if you want a U.S. passport card as a separate federal ID, that’s a different application through the U.S. Department of State using Form DS-11, not the DMV. It costs $65 for applicants 16 and up and requires that at least one parent or guardian be aware you’re applying.3U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees4U.S. Department of State. Apply for Your Passport as a 16-17 Year Old
Ask for the REAL ID Version
Since May 7, 2025, TSA and other federal agencies require a REAL ID-compliant license or state ID (or another acceptable document like a passport) for boarding domestic flights and entering certain federal buildings.5TSA. REAL ID When you apply, ask for the REAL ID-compliant version. In most states the process is identical; you may just need to bring one or two additional documents.
You can spot a REAL ID by the star in the upper right corner of the card.6USAGov. How to Get a REAL ID and Use It for Travel A card without the star still works as general identification but won’t get you through a TSA checkpoint. Children under 18 don’t actually need ID to fly domestically,7TSA. Do Minors Need Identification to Fly Within the US but you’ll turn 18 soon enough, and upgrading later means another trip and another fee.
Documents to Bring
Exact lists vary by state, but nearly every motor vehicle agency asks for the same four categories. For a REAL ID-compliant card, the categories come from federal law.6USAGov. How to Get a REAL ID and Use It for Travel
- Proof of identity and date of birth. An original certified birth certificate with a state or county seal, a valid U.S. passport, or a Permanent Resident Card. Hospital souvenir certificates don’t count.
- Proof of your Social Security number. Your Social Security card, a W-2, or a pay stub showing the full number.
- Proof of residency. Usually two documents showing your home address. Since you probably don’t have utility bills in your name at 16, school records, a parent’s bank or mortgage statement, or a parent’s ID at the same address usually work.
- Parental or guardian consent. Because you’re under 18, a parent or legal guardian almost always has to come with you, sign the application, and show their own valid ID. A few states accept a notarized consent form if no parent can attend, but that’s the exception.
Print your state’s checklist from the motor vehicle agency website before you go. Showing up missing one item is the most common reason first-time applicants get turned away.
If You Don’t Have a Birth Certificate
If yours was lost, damaged, or you never had a copy, order a certified replacement from the vital records office in the state where you were born.8USAGov. How to Get a Certified Copy of a US Birth Certificate Costs and processing times vary; most states let you order online, by mail, or in person. If you were born abroad to U.S. citizen parents, you’ll need a Consular Report of Birth Abroad from the U.S. Department of State instead.
If you’ve lost every identification document, it’s harder but not hopeless. Most vital records offices offer alternative identity verification, such as a sworn statement of identity or a notarized letter and photo ID from a parent listed on the birth certificate.8USAGov. How to Get a Certified Copy of a US Birth Certificate Start with the birth certificate. Once you have that, the rest of the chain gets easier.
What Happens at the DMV
Book an appointment online if your state offers it. Walk-in waits at busy offices can run past two hours, while appointments usually get you to the counter in under thirty minutes.
At the counter, a clerk reviews every document you brought against the state’s list. If your name on your birth certificate doesn’t match your school records, expect to be asked for additional paperwork. You’ll take a vision screening: reading letters on a chart or looking into a screening machine. Bring your glasses or contacts if you use them. Failing the screening doesn’t disqualify you; the card will just carry a corrective lens restriction.
If you’re applying for a learner’s permit, you’ll also take a written knowledge test covering traffic laws, road signs, and safe driving practices. Your state’s driver manual, usually a free PDF on the motor vehicle agency site, is the best study resource, and some states offer online practice tests. A non-driver ID doesn’t require the written test.
Then comes the photo. Remove hats and sunglasses, and check whether your state prohibits smiling with teeth. Finally, you pay the fee. Amounts vary widely: non-driver IDs for minors are often cheaper than permits, and some states waive fees for minors entirely. A number of states charge under $15 for a non-driver ID, while learner’s permit fees run higher because they bundle testing costs. Check the fee schedule ahead of time; not every office accepts credit cards.
If you pass the written test for a permit, you won’t take the driving skills test that day. That comes later, after you’ve held the permit for the required period and logged enough supervised practice hours.
Your Temporary Card and the Wait for the Real One
You’ll leave with a temporary paper ID or permit that’s valid identification until the permanent card arrives. Some businesses are skeptical of paper temporaries, so carry a backup form of ID when you can.
The permanent card comes by mail to your home address. Delivery ranges from about two weeks in fast states to 60 days in slower ones. If it hasn’t arrived within the window your state quoted, contact the issuing agency and confirm the address on file. A wrong digit in an apartment number is a surprisingly common reason cards go missing.
Two Optional Choices You’ll Be Asked About
Organ Donor Registration
You’ll be asked during the application whether you want to register as an organ donor. Saying yes adds a donor designation (usually a heart or a “donor” label) to your card. It’s opt-in; nobody is enrolled automatically. If you’re under 18, a parent or legal guardian must give permission for an actual donation to proceed regardless of what your card says, so at 16 this registration is closer to a stated preference than a binding commitment.9Organdonor.gov. Organ Donation and Children
Voter Pre-Registration
Eighteen states and Washington, D.C. let you pre-register to vote starting at 16.10National Conference of State Legislatures. Preregistration for Young Voters Pre-registration adds your name to the voter rolls ahead of time so you’re automatically registered when you turn 18, and some states fold it directly into the ID application. If your state doesn’t allow pre-registration at 16, you can register when you turn 18, and some states allow registration at 17 if you’ll be 18 by Election Day.