Applying for your very own Texas Identification card is relatively simple compared to other government documents. In fact, you can most likely do all of the requirements in a single day and have your ID card mailed straight to your home address or PO Box.
Here’s our step-by-step guide on what you need to do to get your TX ID card as soon as possible.
Prepare all of the Necessary Documents
Like with any government card or ID, you need to have some evidence of your nationality and identity before you can register for a new card.
In Texas, you need to provide proof of four things:
- Your US citizenship
- Your Texas residency
- Your identity
- Your Social Security Number
Documents that will provide proof of these things include birth certificates, a US passport, a US certificate of naturalization, a US military card, a Social Security card and a driver’s license. The right combination of two or three of these documents is all you need to provide proof of your identity and other criteria.
Fill out the TX ID Application Form
Now you have to fill out the actual identification application form. You have the choice of doing this in person at a Driver’s License Office or printing off the form online and doing it at home. We recommend doing the latter as it will save you some time when registering at the office.
Make sure that you do not sign your signature until you are at the office, as they require to see you sign it yourself to make sure it is not a forgery.
Go to a Driver’s License Office
Now that the form is filled out and you have your documentation all ready, it’s time to head in person to a local License Office so you can get your TX ID.
When at the office, hand them your form and sign it in front of them after they have confirmed your identity by looking at your documents and papers. Keep in mind that when they take your signature, that will be exactly how it will appear on your Texas ID card.
They will also probably take your thumb fingerprint as an added measure of security.
Have Your Picture Taken
One of the last steps needed is to have your photo taken for the TX ID card. While you may have some unfulfilled wishes on how your picture will look, there’s nothing you can do about it right now. The photo you take at the office is the photo that will be used on your TX ID card.
You can request to have the photo replaced after it has been processed and sent to you. You can take a new photo and bring it to a Texas Driver’s License Office with your original Texas ID card.
If you need help taking the proper TX ID photo. AiPassportPhotos will give you all of the tools you need to not only have your photo meet all the basic requirements but to also look as clean and professional as possible.
TX ID photos need to be 2×2’’ in size, with your face taking up at least 1 inch of vertical size. Your face also needs to be looking directly into the camera lens at eye level, with no excessive jewelry or headgear covering your face or ears.
The photo also needs to have a clear white background, which our AI tools can handle easily. Just provide us a good photo with your visible face and the software will delete any colored background and replace it with a white background that’s indistinguishable from a white screen at a photo booth.
With AiPassportPhotos, you can even brush up the photo with color correction or blur removal as well.
Pay Your Application Fee
Once you’ve completed everything, including taking your photo, the only thing left to do is pay the fee. It will cost $16 for anyone under the age of 60, but cost only $6 for people 60+. This applies to new cards and renewals.
Patiently wait 4-6 weeks for your new TX ID card to arrive. That may seem like a long time but there is a chance that it could arrive even sooner than four weeks.
Conclusion
Getting an ID card in the state of Texas is a pretty straightforward process that anyone can do. Just make sure you are prepared and you have all of the documents you need in order to fulfill the requirements. Good luck!
Erin Lo 
Dolores Xiao