To obtain or renew your license or ID card as quickly as possible, make sure you have the correct documents.
You may also be able to apply for a renewal or duplicate license online to save time.
Obtain or Renew a Driver License or ID Card
For driver license and ID card renewal, you may be able to apply online. If you are not eligible to apply or renew online or by mail, please schedule an appointment to visit a driver licensing location. Only U.S. citizens and permanent residents can renew online. The documents you’ll need are:
Renewals, Duplicates, or Replacement Driver License or ID Card
If you currently have a South Dakota federally compliant card with a gold star in the upper right corner, you may renew up to 180 days prior to your expiration date. You will need to provide:
- A completed license application form. Applications will not be accepted without an original signature and date included on the bottom of the form. Electronic, digital, or stamped signatures not allowed. Applicants under 18 must have a parent or guardian sign.
- TWO documents proving your residential/physical address. They cannot be handwritten documents. These documents must show your name, your physical /residential address, and be less than one year old. Examples of such documents are a utility bill, pay stub, renter receipt, phone bill, bank statement, mortgage document, homeowner's insurance policy/bill, tax document, vehicle registration, etc.
- If you use a PO Box, one of your address documents can show that address. However, your other address document MUST show your physical/residential address.
- Parent or guardian mail is acceptable for use by minor under the age of 18.
- If your name has changed, you'll need to provide proof of name change by providing a certified copy of a marriage certificate from a government entity, a divorce decree, or court order. Applicants with name changes must apply at a Driver Licensing location. We can only accept original, certified documents. No photocopies!
- If you are not a U.S. Citizen, or were not a citizen when you last applied, you will need to provide a Certificate of Citizenship/Naturalization, a Permanent Resident Card, and Employment Authorization Card, or a Foreign Passport with a valid U.S. Visa/I-94.
New Applicants and Out of State Transfers
If you are a new applicant, a non-U.S. citizen, or a transfer from another state, you must provide proof of lawful status in the United States by providing a certified U.S. birth certificate (state certified only -- photocopies and hospital-issued certificates will not be accepted), a valid, non-expired U.S. Passport/Passport Card, a Certificate of Citizenship/Naturalization, a Permanent Resident Card, an Employment Authorization Card, or a Foreign Passport with a U.S. Visa/I-94.
If your name is different than what is on your proof of lawful status document, you'll need show the progression of each name change by providing proof of each name change with a certified copy of a marriage certificate (from a government entity -- not from the church), a divorce decree, and/or court order. We can only accept original certified documents -- no photocopies.
If you are a new applicant or a transfer from another state and your current driver license DOES NOT have a gold star in the upper corner, you will also be required to provide, your Social Security Card (showing your full social security number), a W-2 (showing your full social security number), a 1099 (showing your full social security number), or a pay stub (showing your full social security number). We can only accept original documents. No photocopies!
All applicants are required to provide two documents proving your residential/physical address. These documents must show your full name, your physical/residential address, and be less than one year old. Examples of such documents are a utility bill, a pay stub, a rent receipt, a phone bill, a bank statement, a mortgage document, a homeowner's insurance policy/bill, a tax document, your vehicle registration, etc. No photocopies and no handwritten mail/addresses!
| COMMERCIAL DRIVERS LICENSE |
|
Applicants must apply for a CDL at a state driver exam station. You may click here to schedule an appointment or you may walk in at any open exam station. Required documents include:
Note that CDL driving tests must be administered at a third party testing site and must be scheduled at least two business days in advance. You must drive on a commercial learner’s permit for 14 days prior to taking a drive test. Third party testers charge $90 plus tax.
|
| MINOR'S PERMIT UPGRADE TO OPERATOR'S LICENSE |
|
Permit upgrades can be completed by mail or at a driver licensing location. You may click here to schedule an appointment or walk in at any open exam station. Required documents include:
|
| MILITARY PERSONNEL |
|
Military personnel and their dependents stationed overseas may use two address documents proving their APO/FPO address. Military personnel and their dependents stationed in another state may provide two address documents proving their out-of-state residential address.
|
| VETERANS |
|
Veterans who have been honorably discharged from the military have the option of adding the word "Veteran" to the front of their South Dakota Driver’s License or Identification Card. In addition to the other required documents, veterans need to present one of the following:
|
| FULL-TIME TRAVELERS |
|
If you are a South Dakota resident who travels full time, you can renew your license or apply for a duplicate license online or by mail. In addition to the standard renewal documents listed above, you’ll also need to provide:
If you have friends or family in South Dakota and plan to use their address, you must complete the Consent for Use of Address form.
|
| DOCUMENTS |