{"id":306500,"date":"2025-12-31T16:02:21","date_gmt":"2026-01-01T00:02:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dmv.ca.gov\/portal\/?page_id=306500"},"modified":"2026-01-01T14:30:25","modified_gmt":"2026-01-01T22:30:25","slug":"dmv-notifies-customers-who-need-to-update-their-real-ids","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.dmv.ca.gov\/portal\/es\/news-and-media\/dmv-notifies-customers-who-need-to-update-their-real-ids\/","title":{"rendered":"DMV Notifies Customers Who Need to Update Their REAL IDs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Contact: \u00a0Office of Public Affairs
2415 First Avenue
Sacramento, CA 95818
(916) 657\u20136437 |\u00a0dmvpublicaffairs@dmv.ca.gov<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

PARA PUBLICACI\u00d3N INMEDIATA
December 31, 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lo que necesita saber:<\/strong> The California DMV is proactively taking steps to keep all Californians\u2019 REAL IDs compliant and is notifying some individuals that they must take action to keep their REAL ID valid. This will affect a limited number of customers, approximately 1.5% of California REAL ID holders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Sacramento<\/strong> \u2014 Following a self-initiated, proactive review of its data systems, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) identified a fraction of REAL ID records that require updates to ensure continued compliance with federal REAL ID regulations. The DMV is informing affected individuals of the steps they need to take.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only customers who receive a notice \u2014 approximately 1.5% of those holding California-issued REAL IDs<\/strong> \u2014 need to take action in the coming weeks and months. All other REAL ID holders do not need to take any action.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cWe proactively reviewed our records, identified a legacy system issue from 2006, and are notifying impacted customers with clear guidance on how to maintain a valid California-issued credential,\u201d said DMV Director Steve Gordon. \u201cFor nearly 99% of REAL ID holders, no action is required. The DMV remains committed to serving all Californians and ensuring REAL ID credentials meet federal standards.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The DMV will notify approximately 325,000 individuals on actions they must take in the coming weeks and months to be reissued a REAL ID or a non-REAL ID driver’s license, as eligible. The department will expedite the process and waive any associated fees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The DMV is taking these immediate steps to ensure compliance with federal requirements and is offering expedited processing to support impacted individuals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The DMV will not call, text, or email you to ask for your personal information or payment to address this issue. If you need to verify DMV action, please call 1-800-777-0133.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

How this Happened<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The REAL ID Act was signed into law by President Bush in 2005, establishing minimum security standards for state-issued IDs for federal purposes like boarding planes, with full enforcement beginning this year on May 7, 2025. As part of a proactive review of its legacy technology systems this winter, the DMV identified a software configuration dating back to 2006 under the Schwarzenegger Administration that affected how expiration dates were applied to a small subset of REAL ID records.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under federal rules enforced by the Trump Administration, immigrants with lawful presence in the U.S. \u2014 including those who are permanent residents, green card holders, and visa holders \u2014 may be issued REAL IDs. While the DMV\u2019s systems correctly verified legal presence with the federal government at the time of issuance, the legacy coding from 2006 automatically applied the standard credential renewal interval in some cases, instead of the expiration of a REAL ID holder\u2019s authorized stay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Importantly:<\/p>\n\n\n\n