Which specific documents does my state DMV accept as proof of U.S. citizenship for REAL ID?
Executive summary
Most U.S. state DMVs require original or certified documentary proof of citizenship to issue a REAL ID and the specific acceptable documents vary by state, but a stable set of documents — certified state birth certificate, U.S. passport, Certificate of Naturalization or Citizenship, and Consular Report of Birth Abroad — appear across multiple states’ lists and federal guidance [1][2][3][4][5].
1. Core documents nearly every state accepts as proof of U.S. citizenship
The baseline documents that recur on state REAL ID checklists are an original or certified U.S. birth certificate issued by a state or vital records office, a valid U.S. passport or passport card, a Certificate of Citizenship or Naturalization (forms N-560, N-561, N-550 series), and a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (FS-240, DS-1350, FS-545) — these are explicitly listed by multiple state DMVs and consolidated REAL ID guidance [2][3][4][1][6].
2. How federal guidance frames “lawful status” and the minimum documentation requirements
Federal guidance and TSA/RD programs set minimum categories states must verify — full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, two proofs of principal residence, and lawful status — but they leave the exact list of acceptable source documents to each state’s licensing agency, which is why states publish their own checklists [7][5].
3. Examples showing state-by-state lists and small but important differences
State websites demonstrate the variation: Wisconsin’s DMV explicitly lists foreign passports (valid or expired) and certain immigrant documents alongside U.S. Department of State-issued CRBAs (FS‑240/DS‑1350/FS‑545) as acceptable proof in different contexts [8], Florida’s DMV emphasizes certified birth certificates and Certificates of Citizenship (N-560/N-561) and excludes hospital-issued “birth” papers [3], and Pennsylvania, Michigan, Illinois, Texas and Washington each publish similar but not identical lists that include certified birth certificates, passports, and citizenship/naturalization certificates, while also clarifying which adoption or Puerto Rico-born documents meet requirements [9][6][2][4][10].
4. Documents that prove lawful presence but are not proof of citizenship
Many states accept immigration documents that establish lawful presence (and therefore can be used for a REAL ID by noncitizens) — for example, Permanent Resident Cards (I-551), certain USCIS travel documents, or Employment Authorization Documents — but those prove lawful status rather than U.S. citizenship and are treated differently on state lists [8][6][7].
5. Practical caveats: originals, certified copies, and excluded items
States uniformly require originals or certified copies; photocopies and hospital-issued “birth” certificates or souvenir documents are commonly not accepted (Florida explicitly forbids hospital birth certificates) and some states note that certain older Puerto Rico birth certificates or unsealed adoption records may be invalid without further certification [3][4][2].
6. What readers should do given state variation and federal minima
Because the REAL ID Act delegates the exact acceptable documents to state DMVs, applicants must consult their own state’s REAL ID checklist or DMV page for the precise, up-to-date list of acceptable citizenship documents and presentation rules (originals vs. certified), as shown by the state examples and federal guidance advising applicants to check local DMV sites [5][7][8].
7. Sources, agendas, and where confusion commonly arises
State DMVs publish checklists to reduce confusion but differences in wording, historical rules (Puerto Rico changes, adoption records), and the separate category of “lawful presence” vs. “citizenship” create room for misunderstanding; readers should treat state DMV pages and federal USDA/TSA guidance as authoritative and be cautious of secondary summaries that may blur lawful presence documents with proof of citizenship [4][7][1].