Moving to Kansas, REAL ID and renewals

By the end of this topic you can

• You can state how long a new resident has to get a Kansas license.
• You can describe what is usually needed to transfer an out-of-state license.
• You can explain the Kansas renewal periods by age.
• You can decide whether you need a REAL ID-compliant license.

What you need to know and understand

• New residents must get a Kansas license within 90 days of moving to Kansas.
• Every license applicant has their vision screened, with a standard of at least 20/40 in one eye.
• KDOR says testing is generally not required if your out-of-state license is still valid; an expired license means written and driving tests.
• You give up your out-of-state license when you get a Kansas one.
• Licenses for drivers aged 21 to 64 expire every six years; for drivers 65 and older, every four years.
• Licenses for drivers under 21 expire on the 21st birthday.
• KDOR sends a renewal notice at least 30 days before your license expires.

Transferring your license, step by step

1. Gather proof of identity and age, your Social Security number or proof of lawful presence, and proof of your Kansas address.
2. Bring your current out-of-state license; Kansas will make sure it is being terminated.
3. Visit a driver's license office that handles new licenses and transfers.
4. Pass the vision screening, and any tests the examiner requires.
5. Pay the fees and receive your Kansas license.

Who can keep driving on another license

The handbook lists people aged 16 and older who may drive in Kansas on a valid license from elsewhere without getting a Kansas one: active-duty military members and their families, out-of-state students who pay non-resident tuition, people here temporarily for job training, foreign visitors here for up to a year with valid immigration documents, and visitors with a valid license from their home state. If you have a license from another country and are moving here permanently, check with KDOR which tests you will need.

REAL ID and renewing

Since May 7, 2025, you need a REAL ID-compliant card or another accepted document, such as a passport, to board domestic flights and enter certain federal buildings. Kansas offers REAL ID-compliant licenses, but you must bring the required identity and residency documents. Check the current KDOR list before your visit.

At renewal, an examiner screens your eyesight, or you can bring an eye exam done within the previous 90 days. A written or driving test is not usually needed, but an examiner can require one. If your license has been expired for more than a year, expect full testing. Report a change of address or name within 10 days.

Common mistakes

• Waiting past 90 days after moving to swap your license.
• Letting an out-of-state license expire before transferring it, which can mean taking the written and driving tests.
• Arriving for a REAL ID without the required documents.
• Ignoring the renewal notice because it went to an old address.

Test yourself: Moving to Kansas, REAL ID and renewals

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

Go deeper

• Kansas 50 Hour Supervised Driving Affidavit
• Kansas Driving Test and the Driver’s Ed Waiver
• Kansas Farm Permit for Teen Drivers