Texas Drivers License Indentification

Identification Requirements for a
Texas Driver License or Identification Certificate

A driver license is no longer used solely as a document demonstrating authorization to drive. The driver license or identification certificates are the nationally accepted form of identification and both are used daily to establish identity at airports, banks, when writing checks, voting, or applying for governmental aid. Due to their extensive use as a person's primary source of identity the department has the responsibility to correctly determine an applicant's identity.

All original applicants for a Texas driver license or identification certificate must present proof of identity satisfactory to the department. (All applicants for a driver license must also provide proof of their social security number). All documents must be verifiable by the source that issued the document.

There are three categories of documents that may be presented to establish proof of identity. Every original applicant must present:

one piece of primary identification; or
one piece of secondary identification plus two pieces of support identification; or
two pieces of secondary identification.

PRIMARY	SECONDARY	SUPPORTING*
MUST INCLUDE PHOTO, FULL NAME AND DOB	RECORDED US GOVERNMENTAL DOCUMENTS (INCLUDES NAME & DOB)	ADDITIONAL RECORDS AND DOCUMENTS THAT AID IN ESTABLISHING IDENTITY
Accepted for Identification Without additional documentation	An applicant must present one secondary and two supporting or two secondary documents to establish identity
Texas driver license (DL) or identification certificate (ID) within two-years of expiration. Unexpired United States passport United States Citizenship Certificate or Certificate of Naturalization ( N-560, N-561, N-645, N-550, N-55G, N-570 or N-578) Unexpired Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) or US Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration document. with verified data specifically: US Citizen Identification Card (I-179 or I-197) Resident Alien Card (I-551) Temporary Resident Identification Card (I-688) Employment Authorization Card (I-688A, I-688B or I-766) Border Crosser Card (USA B1/B2, VISA/BBC A Foreign Passport with a visa (valid or expired) and: Form I-94 with status code F1or F2, an unexpired Form I-20, and evidence of current enrollment in an educational institution located in Texas or sponsorship in a visiting working program: Form I-94 with status code J-1 or J-2 and an unexpired Form IAP-66 or Form DS-2019 or: Unexpired Form I-94 with a defined expiration date: Form I-94 must have been issued for a period of at least one year and have at least six months validity remaining. Unexpired United States military ID card for active duty, reserve or retired personnel.	Original or certified copy of a United States birth certificate issued by the appropriate State Bureau of Vital Statistics or equivalent agency. U.S. Territory or the District of Columbia. Original or certified copy of United States Department of State Certification of Birth (issued to United States citizens born abroad). Unexpired photo DL or photo ID issued by the United States, another US state, US territory, the District of Columbia, or Canadian province. Original or certified copy of court order with name and date of birth (DOB) that directly affirms or modifies a person’s identity. For applicants born before 1961, the following items are acceptable: Original or certified copy of Form DD-214; original or certified copy of other state or federal governmental record that states name and DOB (such as United States census records or Social Security records).	School records Insurance policy (valid continuously for the past two years) Vehicle title Military records Unexpired military dependant identification card (actual card) Original or certified copy of marriage license or divorce decree Voter registration card (actual card) Social Security card (actual card) Pilot's license (actual card) Concealed handgun license (actual card) Texas Driver License or ID temporary receipt (actual receipt) Expired DL or ID issued by another state, territory, District of Columbia or Canadian province that is within two years of the expiration date (actual card) A foreign passport (actual document) A consular document issued by a state or national government (actual document) Texas Inmate ID card (actual Card)
* Items in the supporting category are not all inclusive. Supervisory personnel may determine that an unlisted document meets the department’s needs in establishing identity in the supporting category only. Additional documentation may be required by DL personnel to verify conflicting information, incomplete names and DOB. Revised 10/06/06

Primary Identification:
These items are complete within themselves and require no supporting instruments: These documents must contain the applicant's complete name and full date of birth.

Secondary Identification:
These items are recorded governmental documents (United States, one of the fifty states, a United States territory, District of Columbia, or Canadian province).

Supporting Identification:
These items consist of other records or documents that aid examining personnel in establishing the identity of the applicant. The following items are not all inclusive. The examining or supervisory personnel may determine that an unlisted document meets the department's needs in establishing identity.

Information obtained from Texas Department of Public Saftey http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/