Crime & Traffic

To apply for an Illinois driver’s license or State ID card, you must bring original, unexpired documents that prove:

• Your legal name and signature
• Your date of birth
• Your Social Security number A number that the federal government gives to each U.S. citizen. It keeps track of their earnings and retirement benefits. (or acceptable proof that you are not eligible for one)
• Your Illinois residency

You must show documents from Groups A, B, C, and D. The documents will be reviewed and scanned. Some documents may count for more than one group.

Learn more about getting a driver’s license or state ID in Illinois. 

Note: This page is updated regularly, but requirements can change. For the latest information, please check the Illinois Secretary of State Website. 

What do you need to bring?

Depending on what you are doing, you’ll be required to bring specific documents from each group. Scroll down for the types of documents that satisfy each group. 

• To get a first-time ID or REAL ID, you need to bring:
  • 1 document from Group A (signature)
  • 1 from Group B (birthdate)
  • 1 from Group C (Social Security)
  • 2 from Group D (Illinois residency)
• Renewing or correcting a standard ID
  • 1 from Group A
  • 1 from Group D if your address has changed
• Renewing or correcting a REAL ID
  • 1 from Group A
  • 2 from Group D if your address has changed
• Getting a duplicate
  • 1 from Group A
• Updating your name, date of birth, Social Security number, or gender
  • 1 document from Group A
  • Documents that link your old information to your new one. For example, a court order or amended birth certificate A legal document with a person's place of birth, time of birth, and parents . 

Accepted documents by group

Not all documents are accepted for a REAL ID. To find out whether a document can be used for a REAL ID, use the REAL ID interactive checklist or review the full list of acceptable documents (PDF) from the Illinois Secretary of State.

Group A: Proof of signature

• Canceled check (dated within 90 days of application)
• Consular card (current or expired less than 2 years)
• Cooperative driver testing program certificate
• Court order
• Major brand credit card or debit card (major brand like American Express, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, and Visa)
• Driver’s license or ID card (current) issued by an agency of the U.S. government
• Foreign passport A document that lets a person travel outside the country
• Illinois driver’s license (current or expired less than 1 year)
• Illinois ID Card (current or expired less than 1 year)
• Medicare card
• Mortgage A loan given by a bank that is used to help someone buy a home or installment loan documents
• Driver’s license or ID card from another state (current)
• Social Security card
• Temporary DL, CLP, or ID card
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) forms:
  • I-551 (Permanent Resident Card)
  • I-766 (Employment Authorization Card)
  • I-94 (Arrival/Departure Record) with Valid Passport
• U.S. military driver’s license or ID Card
• U.S. military service record (e.g., DD214)
• U.S. passport (current or expired less than 2 years)

Group B: Proof of birth date

• Adoption When an adult becomes a child's legal parent records
• Birth certificate
• Certified grade, high school, college, or university transcript
• Citizenship certificate (N-560 or N-561)
• Consular ID card (current or expired less than 2 years)
• Consular report of birth abroad 
• Court order showing legal change of birth date
• Illinois driver’s license (current or expired less than 1 year)
• Illinois ID card (current or expired less than 1 year)
• Naturalization certificate (N-550 or N-570) 
• REAL ID driver’s license or ID (current or expired less than 1 year)
• Social Security award letter (for primary beneficiary A person that gets property or money from someone when they die only)
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) forms:
  • I-551 (Permanent Resident Card)
  • I-571 (Refugee Travel Document)
  • I-766 (Employment Authorization Card)
  • I-797A (Notice of Action: Status Change)
  • I-94 (Arrival/Departure Record with valid passport)
• U.S. military driver’s license or ID (current or expired less than 1 year)
• U.S. military service record (e.g., DD-214)
• U.S. passport or passport card (current or expired less than 2 years)
• U.S. visa

You must bring a document that includes your full legal name and complete date of birth. The document must come from a source that can be verified by contacting the agency that issued it. 

Birth certificates must be original or certified by a government agency. Foreign passports and foreign birth certificates are accepted only if they are presented with another document from Group B.

Some of these documents are accepted as proof of lawful presence in the US. For example, a US birth certificate, passport, naturalization certificate, or certain immigration documents. To see the complete list, visit the Secretary of State’s official list of acceptable documents (PDF).

Group C: Proof of Social Security number

• Illinois driver’s license record (only if the state has already verified your SSN)
• Illinois ID card record (only if the state has already verified your SSN)
• Non-SSA-1099 form
• Pay stub or direct deposit receipt that shows your name and Social Security number
• Social Security award letter (for the primary beneficiary only)
• Social Security card (issued by the Social Security Administration)
• SSA-1099 form
• U.S. military driver’s license or ID
• U.S. military service record (such as a DD-214)
• W-2 form

You must bring a document that shows your full name and your full Social Security number.

If you don’t qualify for a Social Security number,  you don’t need to bring a document from Group C. Instead, you’ll need to sign a form that says you are not eligible to get a Social Security number.

Group D: Proof of Illinois residency

• Official electronic statement (dated within 90 days)
• Bank statement (dated within 90 days)
• Canceled check (dated within 90 days)
• Certified school transcript (grade school, high school, college, or university)
• Consular ID card (current or expired less than 2 years)
• Credit card statement from Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, or Diners Club (dated within 90 days)
• Credit report from Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion (dated within the past 12 months)
• Deed A legal paper that transfers ownership of real estate. It is recorded in the local land records. , title, mortgage, or lease agreement
• Homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy
• Letter on official school letterhead (dated within 90 days)
• Medical claim or benefit statement from a private insurance company or government agency (dated within 90 days)
• Official mail from a state, county, city, village, or federal government agency that includes your name and address. Examples:
  • Homestead exemption receipt
  • Jury duty A legal obligation to do something notice (dated within 90 days)
  • Selective Service card
  • Social Security annual statement
  • Social Security Disability A federal program that gives money to people who cannot work because of a disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income A federal program that gives money to low-income elderly, blind and disabled people on a monthly basis (SSI) statements
  • Voter registration card
• Pay stub or direct deposit receipt
• Pension Money paid to a person by an employer during retirement or retirement statement
• Phone book listing (produced by a phone book publisher)
• Report card (from grade school, high school, or college/university)
• Tuition invoice or official mail from a college or university (dated within the past 12 months)
• Utility bill (electric, water, garbage, telephone landline or cell, cable, or gas – dated within 90 days)

You must bring a document that shows your full name and current Illinois address. 

If you are applying for a standard ID or driver’s license, you only need one residency document. If you are applying for a REAL ID, you must bring two. To find out whether a document can be used for a REAL ID, use the REAL ID interactive checklist or review the full list of acceptable documents (PDF) from the Illinois Secretary of State.