My CA drivers license is soon due for renewal. The DMV lists a lot of documents that I could bring to get a new drivers license with RealID. E.g., an electric utility bill with my home address as evidence of California residency. But I don’t have them because I’ve “gone paperless” for all such. My T-Mobile “bill” is a text message saying that $50 will be taken from my checking account, then another text message when that happens. And I don’t have a printer.

However, my current CA driver’s license has RealID, as indicated by the small golden bear with a white star.

So my question for other California folks that have recently renewed a driver’s license: Is my current driver’s license all I need to get RealID for the new one? The DMV web site doesn’t say.

Go on the web page for your power company, even if you are paperless you can print a pdf of your bill.

Once you have the Real ID, you don't have to renew it or establish eligibility.

Of course they also implant a chip in your arm.

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Originally posted by Flashlightboy:
Once you have the Real ID, you don't have to renew it or establish eligibility.

Thank you! That’s what I was hoping to hear. You’re in California?

What do you normally bring with you when you buy a gun for proof of residency? I'd imagine it's similar.

I am not in California. But I do know that one of the things Virginia accepts is a postmarked piece of mail addressed to you. I mailed an envelope with a blank piece of paper in it so I could get it postmarked.

Dropped it off at my local post office. It took three days to get to me.

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:

quote:

Originally posted by Flashlightboy:
Once you have the Real ID, you don't have to renew it or establish eligibility.

Thank you! That’s what I was hoping to hear. You’re in California?

Yes. I obtained mine last year.

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Originally posted by Nismo:
What do you normally bring with you when you buy a gun for proof of residency? I'd imagine it's similar.

That won't do it.

You need one or two documents (I don't recall) that show residency AND either of the following to establish you are a US citizen - a current passport or a certified copy of your birth certificate. An expired passport won't work. I couldn't find my birth certificate so I ordered a couple from the state where I was born.

When you renew you license, see if there's a DMV that only does license and registration. They are very fast. From the time I walked in until I was done, including taking a new photo, was 25 mins.

quote:

Originally posted by Flashlightboy:
Once you have the Real ID, you don't have to renew it or establish eligibility.

You don't have to renew a Real ID D/L? Mine has an expiration date on it.

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Originally posted by kkina:

quote:

Originally posted by Flashlightboy:
Once you have the Real ID, you don't have to renew it or establish eligibility.

You don't have to renew a Real ID D/L? Mine has an expiration date on it.

You just don't have to show all the documents again, it still has an expiration date.

quote:

Mine has an expiration date on it.

Renew. They just want to keep getting money from you.

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Originally posted by HRK:

Go on the web page for your power company, even if you are paperless you can print a pdf of your bill.

OP, first paragraph, last sentence, "And I don’t have a printer."

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Originally posted by TomV:

quote:

Originally posted by kkina:

quote:

Originally posted by Flashlightboy:
Once you have the Real ID, you don't have to renew it or establish eligibility.

You don't have to renew a Real ID D/L? Mine has an expiration date on it.

You just don't have to show all the documents again, it still has an expiration date.

That's as I thought. You don't need the extra documentation, but you still need to renew it like any D/L.

quote:

Originally posted by TomV:

quote:

Originally posted by kkina:

quote:

Originally posted by Flashlightboy:
Once you have the Real ID, you don't have to renew it or establish eligibility.

You don't have to renew a Real ID D/L? Mine has an expiration date on it.

You just don't have to show all the documents again, it still has an expiration date.

This.

After you have the Real ID, it's just a standard DL renewal.

quote:

Originally posted by Fenris:
Of course they also implant a chip in your arm.

What do you think those covid shots were for?

I thought I had lost my soc sec card and ordered a new one. Since Found the original. So now I have 2, anyway the SSN card on the blue paper with my then CA address not detached from the perforation was deemed proof of residency. I also brought in my utility bill and passport and birth certificate to prove many times over I was a real tax paying captive of the state of CA.

quote:

Originally posted by Nismo:
What do you normally bring with you when you buy a gun for proof of residency? I'd imagine it's similar.

Real ID driver's license and CCW permit. I'm not sure I'd want to show the CCW at the DMV.

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
However, my current CA driver’s license has RealID, as indicated by the small golden bear with a white star.

So my question for other California folks that have recently renewed a driver’s license: Is my current driver’s license all I need to get RealID for the new one? The DMV web site doesn’t say.

You're fine. You've already gotten it.
The Real ID fiasco was a bureaucratic compliance exercise. When I went to get it updated, I only had one utility bill with me but, I did have the notice letter form the state to update so, they said that was good enough as the second 'bill'.

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
However, my current CA driver’s license has RealID, as indicated by the small golden bear with a white star.

I thought the "official, government mandated symbol" for the RealID was a gold star? Does yours also have a gold star? The bear thing could be just a CA add-on.