California Driver's License Renewal: 2026 Guide

Short answer: A California driver’s license generally expires on your fifth birthday after you apply, and the DMV sends a renewal notice about four months ahead. Many drivers can renew online, by mail or at a DMV kiosk. As of November 2026, the renewal fee is $46. Since October 1, 2024, most renewals don’t need a written test, but drivers 70 and older must still renew in person.

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How often does a California license expire?

The DMV says every original driver’s license expires on the applicant’s fifth birthday after the application date. If your identity document expires sooner, you get a “limited term” license that expires on the same date as that document. Drivers 70 and older renew in person every five years.

The DMV sends a courtesy renewal notice to your address about four months before your license expires (its 70+ guide says about 60 days for senior drivers). If you don’t get one, you can request a paper notice or sign up for paperless notices. Don’t let it lapse: the handbook says it is against the law to drive with an expired license.

Ways to renew and who can use each one

Method	Who can use it (per the DMV)
Online	You are within 90 days before or 12 months after your expiration date, you don’t need to change your address or description, you aren’t getting a REAL ID for the first time, and it isn’t a commercial license. You need a MyDMV account.
Mail	You can answer “no” to every question on the DMV’s mail renewal list (below).
DMV kiosk	The DMV lists license and ID renewal among kiosk services at select offices and retail locations. Its kiosk pages don’t spell out separate eligibility rules.
In person	Your notice tells you to renew at an office, or one of the situations in the next section applies.

The DMV’s mail renewal questions

To renew by mail, the DMV says you must answer “no” to all of these:

Does your license expire more than 120 days from today?
Are you on any type of driving probation or suspension?
Did you violate a written promise to appear in court within the last two years?
Have you already received two consecutive five-year extensions by mail or internet?
Do you have a license from more than one state or jurisdiction?
Are you applying for a REAL ID for the first time?
Are you renewing a commercial license?

Online renewal can’t change your address, date of birth, physical description or license class. The DMV asks you to update your address a few days before you renew online (its pages say three to five days). Name or gender identity changes must be done at a DMV office.

How to renew online, step by step

Check your renewal notice. It tells you whether you must visit an office or take a knowledge test.
Update your address first if it has changed.
Sign in to MyDMV and choose to renew your license. Have your payment information ready.
Pay the fee. As of November 2026, the DMV lists $46 for a Class C renewal.
Watch your mail. The DMV says your new card should arrive within a few weeks (its pages say two to four or three to four weeks). If it hasn’t come after 60 days, check your license status online.

When you have to visit a DMV office

The DMV does not offer counter service for renewals unless your notice says otherwise. You will need an office visit if:

Your renewal notice says to renew in person.
You are 70 or older. You’ll take a vision test and have a new photo taken. You can start the application online first.
You are getting a REAL ID for the first time.
You need to change your name, gender identity or description.
Your vision changed. After surgery that corrects one eye for distance and the other for close-up, you may not meet the DMV’s standard of 20/40 with both eyes and 20/70 in the weaker eye.
You recently developed a disability that affects safe driving. The DMV may ask for a behind-the-wheel test.
You are renewing a commercial license.

At the office you’ll have your thumbprint scanned, pass a vision exam, have your photo taken and pay the fee. You can fill out an application or bring your mailed notice. The DMV says a temporary license is valid for 60 days. If you need an appointment, our DMV appointment guide explains how to book.

How much does it cost to renew?

As of November 2026, the DMV’s Licensing Fees page lists $46 for a Class C license renewal, the same as an original application. The fee is nonrefundable, and the application and fee are valid for 12 months. The DMV says there are no late fees to renew a license that has already expired. Fees change, so check the fees page before you pay.

Do you need a written test to renew?

Usually not. Starting October 1, 2024, the DMV dropped the knowledge test for most renewals. It still requires one if your record shows any of these:

Two or more accidents in the two years before your license expires
Three or more accidents in the three years before it expires
A DUI suspension in the two years before it expires
More than one violation point in the two years before it expires

Your renewal notice shows whether you need a test. If you do, the DMV offers an eLearning course instead. It is a pass-only, no-fail online course for non-commercial Class C renewals, in English, Spanish and Traditional Chinese. It works on a phone, tablet or computer. After you finish, you still visit a DMV office to complete your renewal. The DMV has been moving eLearning to a new platform, and a course left unfinished during a switch may have to be restarted. Check the DMV’s Online Learning and Tests page for current details and deadlines before you start.

If you test in an office instead, you get three attempts per required test, and the DMV doesn’t give knowledge tests within 30 minutes of an office’s closing time. Drivers 70 and older can read our full guide to the senior written test. Want a quick refresher on today’s rules? Take the free 10-question practice test.

Upgrading to REAL ID when you renew

Renewal is a natural time to switch. The DMV’s online renewal page has an option to convert a standard card to REAL ID while renewing, and the DMV suggests applying at your regular renewal cycle. A first-time REAL ID can’t be finished by mail or fully online: you upload documents, then visit an office with one proof of identity and two proofs of California residency. Since May 7, 2025, you need a REAL ID or another federally accepted ID, such as a passport, to board domestic flights. Once you have a REAL ID, you can renew it online. Details are in our California REAL ID guide.

Out of state when your license expires?

The handbook says that if you are out of state and can’t renew, you may request a one-year extension before your license expires by emailing dl-extensions@dmv.ca.gov with your name, license number, birth date, California address and out-of-state address. Limited-term licenses are not eligible.

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Frequently asked questions

How often do you renew a California driver's license?

The DMV says an original license expires on your fifth birthday after the application date. Drivers 70 and older renew in person every five years.

How early can I renew my California license online?

The DMV says you may be able to renew online if you are within 90 days before or 12 months after your expiration date, with no address or description changes.

How much is a California driver's license renewal?

As of November 2026, the DMV's Licensing Fees page lists $46 for a Class C renewal. There are no late fees for renewing an expired license.

Do I have to take a written test to renew in California?

Most drivers don't, since October 1, 2024. You may still need one if your record shows recent accidents, a DUI suspension or more than one violation point. The DMV's no-fail eLearning course can count as that test.

Do drivers 70 and older have to renew in person?

Yes. The DMV says drivers 70 and older must renew in person every five years, with a vision test and a new photo. You can start the application online.

Can I get a REAL ID when I renew online?

Not for a first-time REAL ID. You can start online and upload documents, but you must finish at a DMV office. If you already have a REAL ID, you can renew it online.

California Driver’s License Renewal: Online, Mail, Fees and Tests (2026)