As a US citizen I "just" needed to present my birth certificate and Social Security card to the DMV along with my "normal" license, and a print-out of a paystub from my employer online (that they didn't even look at).
Of course, the second factor is "going to the DMV", which depending on area can either be an all-day hellscape, or if you're rural, five minutes in and out.
As a US citizen, I don't have a social security card (though I have a passport) and I think I probably have a birth certificate somewhere though I don't really know. Going to AAA where I am is sorta exurban and pretty easy.
Do yourself a favor and contact the social security administration for a replacement card. It's a lot easier to get it now and keep it somewhere safe then be screwed when you suddenly need it for a second form of ID.
I probably should although I also have Passport, RealID, and a Global Entry card--the latter of which I use for flying now given that it doesn't really matter if I lose it.
As a legal immigrant, you get used to dealing with government bureaucracy, and the demands are usually higher than for citizens. Places where you get the same treatment as citizens then don't feel so bad in comparison.
I had trouble getting one. I thought I was prepared. I brought in my passport, my social security card, my paystubs, and stacks of utility bills to prove my residence.
They told me bills needed to be physically postmarked, not printed, so what I brought didn't count. The problem was I had gone digital/paperless, so I hardly ever received physical bills in the mail.
I eventually had to switch two of them to paper billing, wait a month or two, get the bill, and then use that before switching back, then go back to the DMV. It was really annoying.
I haven't had a social security card in decades since a wallet was stolen. I do have a passport (and global entry card) but I basically get almost no paystubs/utility bills/etc. in the mail.
When I got my RealID license I forget what I needed to dig out but it was annoying. (Was able to handle through AAA rather than DMV though.)
Renewing non-REAL ID driver's license is online.
Getting a REAL ID requires a trip to DMV, and this is why I am avoiding it. Essentially for this reason, i am just choosing to renew my regular ID instead of getting a REALID one.
The good thing is I have many ids that can be used in lieu of REAL ID:
- Passport card
- Passport
- Global entry card
So I will probably never get a REAL ID until California does away with non-REAL ID ids.
Getting a real id requires you to bring in paperwork that doesn't exist for me anymore. They want a utility bill? I do everything paperless. I am unable to get a real id because of their ridiculous "proof" requirements.
It's not about identifying people. I have a passport and can show that to them. I have a global entry card. Both qualify as a substitute for a real id. But I cannot use the global entry card as a form of proof of identity. No, please bring a landline telephone bill to us.
They accept PDF printouts. The documentation burden is not a lot, but the timing can be inconvenient especially when you already have alternatives you can rely on.
I do expect that a lot of the proofs of state residency are things that people increasingly don't have any more--especially given strict proof requirements. And this is of course even truer of people who don't even really have a permanent address even though that's perfectly legal in the US.
The annoying extra steps involve stuff like authenticating your residence address with additionjal documents. Enough hassle that I didn't bother with mine, as it would have taken extra time and I waited til the last minute before renewing. It's also a privacy invasion. And to do it now I'd have to pay a bunch extra to get a replacement license when I otherwise don't need to. I hope someone can get this new TSA fee blocked by a court.
Added: I think Real ID may also require your license to show your residence address (mine only has my mailing address). California's DMV collects residence addresses but treats them as confidential, ever since actress Rebecca Schaefer got murdered by a stalker who got her address from the DMV. There is a separate space on the application form where you can write the address you want them to print on your license.
Not to mention that the list of acceptable documents has changed multiple times, compliant IDs usually cost extra, issuing clerks often didn't accept digital bills or state documents like voter registration, and some states (e.g. Arizona) only started issuing compliant IDs within the last few years.
It's a rollout practically designed for noncompliance.
I did have to get some additional docs and come back to the AAA office, Not really a big deal but you did need one or two additional docs even though I have a passport.
What are the annoying steps others have faced?