Free and Reduced-Fee California ID Cards in Los Angeles 2026–27: The $11 ID, the No-Fee ID, and the Senior ID Explained
Updated: 8 hours ago
A regular California ID costs $40, but state law offers three ways to pay less or nothing. Here is how Los Angeles residents qualify for the $11 reduced-fee card, the no-fee card for people experiencing homelessness and the free senior ID, and how to get the forms the DMV accepts.
AT A GLANCE
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A state ID card is one of those things you do not miss until you need it: to apply for benefits, cash a check, rent an apartment, start a job, or pick up a prescription. In California a regular ID card costs $40. That fee can be the barrier, and California law offers three ways around it. Many Angelenos qualify for one and never hear about it.
This guide explains the three options side by side, then walks through exactly how someone in Los Angeles gets the paperwork that unlocks the lower fee, and what to do if a DMV office turns the form away.
The Three Ways to Pay Less
Card | Cost | Who qualifies | Paperwork you bring |
|---|---|---|---|
Regular ID card | $40 | Anyone | Application, identity document, SSN, residency proof if first California card |
Reduced-fee ID card | $11 | People whose income qualifies them for, or who receive, certain public assistance programs | Completed DL 937 form from a qualified verifier |
No-fee ID card | $0 | People who are homeless under the federal McKinney-Vento Act, including those fleeing domestic violence | Completed DL 933 form from a qualified verifier |
Senior citizen ID card | $0 | Anyone 62 or older | Standard ID application; no extra form |
Fees and categories come from the California DMV's ID Cards and Licensing Fees pages. The DMV lists the same $11 reduced fee and no-fee status for an original card, a renewal, a replacement of a lost or stolen card, and a change of information.
Option 1: The Reduced-Fee ID ($11)
Who qualifies
California's regulation on reduced-fee ID cards (Title 13, California Code of Regulations, section 15.07) defines a qualified low-income person as someone whose income meets the eligibility rules of, or who receives benefits from, any of these programs:
CalWORKs
SSI/SSP (the Burton-Moscone-Bagley Citizens' Income Security Act for Aged, Blind, and Disabled Californians)
County or city General Assistance programs (in Los Angeles County, this is General Relief)
CalFresh (SNAP)
California Food Assistance Program (CFAP)
Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI)
Notice the wording: you can qualify if your income meets the eligibility requirements of one of these programs. The regulation does not require you to be enrolled.
Who fills out the form
You cannot print the DL 937 yourself and fill it in. The regulation says it must be completed by a qualified verifier of income: an employee or volunteer of a government agency or of a California nonprofit (with a physical location in the state) who regularly verifies income for those programs. The verifier reviews your documents, signs the form under penalty of perjury, and keeps copies for a year.
Two protections in the regulation are worth knowing:
The verifier may not charge you a fee for completing the form.
The certification must be dated within 90 days of your ID application.
Getting a DL 937 in Los Angeles
Los Angeles County's Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) addresses this directly in its General Relief policy on identification. According to that policy:
Applicants and participants who meet General Relief eligibility, or are determined potentially eligible for GR, are eligible for a reduced-fee DMV ID.
Homeless GR applicants and participants are eligible to receive an ID at no cost.
DPSS staff complete the DL 937 (reduced fee) or DL 933 (no fee), as applicable.
If you are applying for or receiving CalFresh, CalWORKs or General Relief in LA County, the most direct path is to ask your DPSS eligibility worker for a DL 937 (or DL 933 if you are homeless). If you get CalFresh or other benefits through a nonprofit that helps people apply, ask whether it is registered with the DMV's reduced/no-fee ID program; the DMV says only registered organizations receive the forms.
The reduced-fee and no-fee forms only work for an ID card, not a driver's license.
Option 2: The No-Fee ID ($0) for People Experiencing Homelessness
The DMV says you may be eligible for a no-fee ID card if you are a "homeless person" as defined by the McKinney-Vento Act. That definition, as the DMV describes it, includes a homeless child or youth, a homeless person, or an individual or family fleeing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or another dangerous, life-threatening condition.
The form for this card is the DL 933, No Fee Identification Card Eligibility Verification. According to the DMV's page for organizations, government agencies and nonprofits must verify and document your housing status and issue the DL 933. Nonprofits that issue it must show government funding for homeless services or membership in the local Continuum of Care.
Can someone without an address get a REAL ID?
Yes, according to the DMV. A REAL ID requires an identity document, a Social Security number (if applicable), and two proofs of California residency. For people who are unhoused, the DMV says the applicant may use the DL 933 plus a letter on letterhead from a shelter, a shelter for abused women, a nonprofit, a faith-based organization, an employer, or a government agency attesting that the applicant lives in California.
Option 3: The Senior ID ($0, age 62+)
This is the simplest of the three. The DMV says seniors 62 or older are eligible for a no-fee senior citizen ID card, valid for eight birthdates after the application date (a standard ID is valid for six). The DMV's Senior Drivers guide adds that applying for, renewing, or replacing a senior ID is free, and that you use the standard ID card application. No verification form is needed; your identity document shows your age.
How the DMV Visit Works
The DMV's ID Cards page lists the steps for any ID card:
Complete a Driver's License or ID Card Application.
Visit a DMV office and provide your Social Security number.
Verify your identity with an acceptable identity document; your current name must match the name on it.
Submit acceptable residency documents if you have never had a California license or ID.
Pay the fee (or present your DL 937 or DL 933).
Have your thumbprint scanned and photo taken.
Your card arrives by mail in three to four weeks. If it has not arrived after 60 days, the DMV says to check Driver's License and ID Card Status online.
A REAL ID requires proof of identity, SSN, and two proofs of residency. A standard ID still proves identity and age, but since May 7, 2025, it is not accepted for boarding domestic flights or entering certain federal facilities.
If the DMV Rejects Your Form
The DMV's organization FAQ lists why field offices reject a DL 937 or DL 933. Forms must be:
printed and legible (except the signature);
filled out completely, with no errors or scratch-outs;
signed and dated; and
submitted no more than 90 days after being issued.
LA County's DPSS policy adds that the DMV accepts original, numbered DL 937 and DL 933 forms only. Copies or reproductions are not accepted.
If a form is rejected:
Go back to the verifier and ask for a new original form. A corrected copy will not work.
If the 90 days have passed, you need a newly dated form.
Remember that the reduced-fee and no-fee forms only work for an ID card, not a driver's license. The DMV says so directly.
If you were turned down because you do not meet a program's income rules, you may still qualify for a no-fee card if you meet the McKinney-Vento homelessness definition, or for a senior card at 62.
Before you call
Before you go, gather:
☐ your completed DL 937 or DL 933 (original, within 90 days), if using one;
☐ an acceptable identity document in your current legal name (see the DMV's list);
☐ your Social Security number;
☐ residency documents if this is your first California card, or two if you want a REAL ID; and
☐ the $11 fee for a reduced-fee card (no fee for a no-fee or senior card).
WHAT TO DO THIS WEEK
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More help in Los Angeles
Related guides
Official sources
This guide gives general information, not legal advice. Fees and forms can change; check the official sources above before your DMV visit.
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