To obtain a Georgia driver's license, identification card, or any other service provided by Georgia Department of Driver Services, a non US citizen must comply with the following eligibility requirements:

Previous Licenses or Instructional Permits: You should present your Out of Country/International License or Identification card to receive a Georgia license or Identification card. Out of country licenses/permits/ID cards are returned to non US citizens with the following exceptions: Commercial licenses and permits.

Social Security Number Requirements: An applicant must provide either a Social Security number or a letter of ineligibility for a Social Security number (Form SSAL 676).

Federal law requires that states collect social security numbers (SSN) from driver’s license applicants under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996.

• Letter of Ineligibility - You must obtain a letter of ineligibility, Form SSAL676, from the Social Security Administration if the Department of Homeland Security has not given you permission to work in the United States.
• Social Security Numbers Based on Work Authorization: Non-citizens who have permission from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to work in the United States can apply for a Social Security number. To apply for a Social Security number or for further details on social security numbers for non-citizens visit, www.ssa.gov.

Legal Presence Requirements: Present one of the following immigration documents in person at a Customer Service Center to prove legal presence in the US (only originals or certified copies accepted):

1. Valid (not expired) foreign passport with I-94 or I-551
2. Temporary resident alien card (I-688)
3. Permanent resident alien card (I-551)
4. Employment Authorization Card (I-766) or (I-688A)
5. Employment Authorization Document (I-688B)
6. Reentry Permit (I-327)
7. For Refugees/Asylees:  I-94 only, or Refugee Travel Document (I-571)

Note: Original immigration documentation must be submitted each time service is requested pertaining to a driver's license or identification card.

Proof of Residency:  Must provide one document from Proof of Residency document list.  Click here for standard list of residency documents.

Refugees only:  May present Form DS-20, Refugee Address Verification Affidavit in place of standard Proof of Residency document.

Effective January 1, 2008, Georgia law requires DDS to verify all immigration documents presented by non-citizens through the United States Custom and Immigration Service (USCIS) via a program known as SAVE (Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlement.) In most cases, the verification can be completed immediately during the customer’s driver’s license or identification card transaction. In some cases verification may take several days or several weeks. Until the documentation is verified by USCIS, DDS is unable to issue a driver’s license or identification card. If the verification is unsuccessful, the customer will be given a form with instructions and time frames to contact USCIS or return to the Customer Service Center at a later date.

Once immigration documentation is verified with USCIS, a Georgia driver's license or identification card may be issued with an expiration date that matches the immigration documentation expiration date, but no longer than 3 years. If there is no expiration date on the immigration documentation, a license/identification card can only be issued for a period of 1 year. The cost of the license/ID is $20.

Name and Address Change on License or ID:

Current DDS procedures for citizens and non citizens allow for one free address/name change per license term and $5 fee for a license replacement as long as the expiration date does not change from the original license/ID. When a replacement license/ID is issued with an expiration date different than the original, the system considers it a renewal and full fees apply.

• Must present original immigration document from list above for name/address change.
• For address change, no address proof is required.  Just advise the examiner of the new address.
• For name change, you must present a certified court document reflecting the new name (for example, marriage certificate, court name change, etc.)