Moving to Alaska, REAL ID and renewals

By the end of this topic you can

• You can state the deadline for new residents to get an Alaska license.
• You can say which tests a transferring driver takes.
• You can decide whether you need a REAL ID and what it costs.
• You can explain the turning-21 renewal rules.
• You can keep your license and records up to date.

What you need to know and understand

• Visitors aged 16 or older with a valid out-of-state or foreign license may drive in Alaska for up to 90 days.
• New residents must get an Alaska license within 90 days (30 days for commercial drivers).
• Transferring drivers take a written test and a vision test, and show identity and address documents.
• No road test is needed if you held a license from a US state, US territory, Canada or South Korea within the last 5 years. You surrender that license or provide a certified driving record.
• REAL ID is optional for non-commercial Alaska licenses. It costs $20 on top of the standard fee, so a REAL ID driver license is $40 instead of $20.
• Since May 7, 2025, you need a REAL ID or another accepted ID, such as a passport, for domestic flights and some federal buildings.
• You must notify the DMV in writing within 30 days of changing your name or address.

Transferring your license step by step

Members of the US armed forces, and spouses over 18, who keep permanent residence in another state and hold that state's license are exempt. Their other dependents are not. If you hold a foreign license from a country not listed above, ask the DMV whether you need a road test.

1. Fill in form D1 before you visit a DMV office.
2. Bring a primary identity document, proof of your Alaska physical address (not a P.O. box), your Social Security number and any name change papers.
3. Pass the written knowledge test and the vision test.
4. Surrender your old license, or provide a certified driving record.
5. Choose a standard or REAL ID license and pay the fee.
6. Register your vehicle too: new residents should apply within 10 days of arriving or starting work.

Getting a REAL ID

You must apply in person and bring original documents, even if the DMV has seen them before: proof of lawful status, two documents showing your Alaska residence, your Social Security number and any name change documents. Instruction permits have no REAL ID version.

Renewals and turning 21

The standard renewal fee is $20, or $40 for REAL ID. Some drivers can renew online or by mail if their details have not changed and they did not renew remotely last time. Rural residents without a DMV office can renew by mail. Everyone takes a vision test for an original, renewal or duplicate license, or provides a certified statement from an eye doctor.

A license issued before age 21 expires 90 days after your 21st birthday. You must pass an alcohol awareness test before renewing, and you then get a horizontal adult license.

Common mistakes

• Waiting until month four to apply. The 90-day limit starts when you enter Alaska.
• Bringing a P.O. box address as proof of residence.
• Assuming every license holder skips the road test. Check the DMV's list of exempt places.
• Forgetting the alcohol awareness test when your under-21 license is about to expire.

Test yourself: Moving to Alaska, REAL ID and renewals

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Alaska 40 Hour Supervised Driving Certification Checklist
• Alaska Off-Highway Driver’s License
• Alaska Permit Practice Test