Giving up a driver's license doesn't have to mean giving up photo ID: some states trade the license for an ID card at no charge when a health condition is the reason for stopping., After that swap, what's left is a short list of errands with the car's plates, its insurance and the parking placard. The rules differ from state to state, so this guide uses state examples to show how to surrender a driver's license and what to ask your own DMV.

In This Guide

Giving Up a Driver's License in Four Steps

Once the decision to stop driving has been made, whether your parent reached it alone or after a hard conversation (our guide on when to stop driving covers that part), the practical work happens in roughly this order. Doing the steps in sequence keeps your parent from being without ID for a stretch, and keeps the car's paperwork from tripping over its insurance.

  1. Surrender the license to the state's driver licensing agency, using whatever form or online option your state offers.
  2. Get a state photo ID card in its place, ideally in the same visit or application, since some states tie a no-fee card to the surrender itself.
  3. Settle the car's plates, registration and insurance, in the order your state's DMV requires.
  4. Keep or apply for a disability parking placard if your parent has trouble walking, and check how your state lets a placard be used by a passenger.

Each step is covered below, with real rules from named states. They're examples, not a full list: call or check the website of your own state's DMV before you go.

How to Surrender a Driver's License

How you turn in a license depends on the state, and the states below show how much the process varies. Some want a specific form brought to an office, one takes the request by mail through a medical unit, and one lets older drivers do it entirely online or over the phone.

In Idaho, a driver who decides to stop for medical or vision reasons takes the license and a completed Form 3220 to a county DMV office, according to the Idaho Transportation Department.

In Oregon, the Oregon DMV asks the driver to complete its Quit Driving form, marking the first checkbox, and bring it to any DMV field office.

In Massachusetts, the Registry of Motor Vehicles routes surrenders through its Medical Affairs division at (857) 368-8020. For a surrender for medical reasons, the RMV's License Surrender Affidavit is mailed to Medical Affairs with the original license if the license hasn't expired; if it has expired or is about to, the person books an RMV Service Center visit and brings the affidavit and proof of lawful presence. The affidavit is only for medical reasons, and someone surrendering for any other reason books a Service Center visit to apply for an ID card instead.

In Texas, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) lets a driver who is 65 or older, a U.S. citizen, and holds a REAL ID-compliant Texas driver license or commercial driver license surrender it without visiting a driver license office. The driver picks the "Surrender DL for ID" option in their Texas by Texas online account, or calls 1-866-DL-RENEW (1-866-357-3639). DPS announced the option on November 6, 2025.

In California, the license can be exchanged for an ID card when the person has a physical or mental condition and asks the California DMV to cancel the license.

If your state isn't one of these, search its DMV website for "voluntary surrender" or "surrender license for ID card", or call and ask two questions: is there a form, and does surrendering for a medical reason change the cost of the ID card?

Getting a Photo ID After You Surrender Your License

Losing the license shouldn't mean losing ID for the pharmacy counter, the bank or the doctor's office. The six states below show that the replacement card can be free, either because of why the license was surrendered or because of the person's age. The conditions are where families get tripped up, so read your own state's rules closely.

State Who qualifies Cost of the ID card How it works
Idaho Drivers who surrender for medical or vision reasons No charge for a four-year card, renewable at no cost while the license stays canceled Bring the license and Form 3220 to a county DMV office
Oregon Drivers who surrender the license because they recognize they can no longer drive safely No additional charge; the card expires when the license would have, then renews at regular ID fees Quit Driving form, first checkbox, any DMV field office
Massachusetts Drivers who voluntarily surrender (the RMV's older-driver page); the affidavit covers medical surrenders Free, per the RMV's older-driver page; no fee after a medical surrender, per the affidavit Contact RMV Medical Affairs, or book a Service Center visit for a non-medical surrender
California Drivers of any age who can't keep driving safely because of a physical or mental condition may be eligible; separately, anyone 62 or older No fee for the condition-based exchange; the senior ID card is free and valid for eight birthdates Request cancellation and exchange at the DMV, or apply for the senior ID
Rhode Island Anyone 59 or older; under 59, a license holder whose eye doctor or physician certifies they can no longer drive (or who has an SSA permanent and total disability designation) No fee at 59 and older; under 59, free for the rest of the license's unexpired term, then the $25 statutory fee Apply for a State ID; you can't also hold a valid license in any state
Texas Drivers 65 or older who are U.S. citizens with a REAL ID-compliant Texas license Check the current ID card fee with DPS Surrender and apply online through Texas by Texas or by phone

A few details in that table matter more than they look.

Oregon's no-charge Quit Driving ID card doesn't stay free forever. Under Oregon law (ORS 807.400), the card expires when the surrendered license would have expired, and renewing it after that costs the same as any other Oregon ID card. Idaho's card works differently: the Idaho statute lets it renew at no cost for as long as the driver's license remains canceled.,

California has two separate free cards, and it helps to know which one applies. California's senior citizen ID card is free for anyone 62 or older, whatever the reason for stopping driving. California's no-fee exchange for a surrendered license is for a driver of any age with a physical or mental condition who asks the DMV to cancel the license.

Rhode Island's rule turns on age 59. Under Rhode Island law, a person 59 or older doesn't pay the State ID fee at all. Someone younger can get a free Rhode Island ID card for the unexpired term of the license if an optometrist, ophthalmologist or physician certifies they can no longer drive, or if the Social Security Administration has designated them permanently and totally disabled; after that term, renewing the card means paying the State ID fee, which Rhode Island law sets at $25, until the person turns 59.

Massachusetts describes its free ID two ways. The RMV's page for older drivers says drivers who voluntarily surrender their licenses are eligible for a free Massachusetts ID card, and the License Surrender Affidavit says a person surrendering for medical reasons can get an ID card for no fee. If the surrender isn't for a medical reason, ask the RMV about the fee when you book.

What to Do With the Car's Plates, Registration and Insurance

One mistake to avoid with the car is cancelling the insurance first, because the car isn't being driven anymore, and dealing with the plates later. In New York, that order backfires.

The New York DMV says that before you cancel a vehicle's liability insurance coverage, you must surrender its plates and registration. If the plates aren't turned in, the New York DMV will suspend the registration and can suspend the driver license. In New York, plates can go back by mail with a Plate Surrender Application (PD-7) or at a DMV office, and county motor vehicle offices charge a $1 fee to process the surrender. New York's Vehicle and Traffic Law (section 318) protects an owner from a suspension over a lapse in insurance when the registration and plates are surrendered before the insurance termination takes effect.

That is New York's rule, and other states set their own. Before cancelling the policy anywhere else, ask your state's DMV how plates are returned and whether the plates need to go back before the insurance ends.

This guide doesn't cover whether the car can stay insured if a relative will drive it, or who can sell or give it away. Ask the insurer about coverage, and an elder law attorney about the legal side, before acting.

Can You Keep Using a Disability Parking Placard as a Passenger?

For a parent who has trouble walking, a close parking space can matter more than ever once someone else is doing the driving. Federal guidelines set the basic shape. Under the federal guidelines for a uniform system of parking for people with disabilities (23 CFR Part 1235), a state issues a removable windshield placard on the application of a person whose disability limits or impairs the ability to walk, with a licensed physician's certification, and issues one additional placard on request to an applicant without special license plates. Special disability license plates, by contrast, are issued for a vehicle registered in the applicant's name. The placard hangs from the rearview mirror (or sits on the dashboard) of the vehicle using the reserved space, and each state recognizes placards issued by other states.

How the placard can be used day to day is up to state rules, and two states spell it out plainly. Pennsylvania says its Persons with Disability Parking Placard is issued to the person with a disability for use in any vehicle transporting them, and may only be used when that person is actually being transported. Illinois issues one placard per person and says it can be used in any vehicle when the holder is the driver or a passenger and will be getting in or out while it's parked in the disability space.

So if your parent already has a placard, check your state's rules and, if they match these examples, the placard can ride along in your car. If your parent has disability plates rather than a placard, ask the DMV about a placard before the plates go back.

If Your Parent Isn't Ready to Give Up the License

Everything above assumes the decision is made. If it isn't, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) suggests three steps: collect information, make a plan, and follow through. Riding along is the most practical way to see the driving for yourself, and when you talk, NHTSA and the National Institute on Aging both suggest "I" messages, such as "I am concerned about your safety when you are driving," rather than "You're no longer a safe driver." The National Institute on Aging also suggests learning about local services for people who no longer drive before you start the conversation. Having the ID card details and a ride option in hand before that talk is one practical way to follow that advice.

For a parent with dementia, the Alzheimer's Association suggests asking the doctor to advise the person not to drive and to write a letter or prescription saying they must not drive, which the family can use as a reminder of what was decided.

If the driving is dangerous and talking hasn't worked, NHTSA says that in almost every state a family member can report the driver to the state DMV in writing. Our guide on how to report an unsafe older driver to the DMV explains that process and what happens afterward.

Getting Around After Driving

Plan for a long stretch. A national study of U.S. drivers aged 70 and older, published in the American Journal of Public Health in 2002, estimated that men aged 70 to 74 would depend on other transportation for about 7 years after they stop driving, and women of that age for about 10 years.

One option worth knowing early is paratransit under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Under the U.S. Department of Transportation's ADA rules, a public entity that runs a fixed-route bus or rail system (other than commuter bus, commuter rail or intercity rail) must generally also provide complementary paratransit for people with disabilities who can't use the fixed routes, and the fare for a paratransit trip can't be more than twice the fare for a comparable fixed-route trip. Our guide to ADA paratransit eligibility walks through how to qualify, and our senior transportation guide covers the other ride options families use.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you get a free ID card if you surrender your driver's license?

In some states, yes, depending on why the license is surrendered or how old the person is; the state examples and their conditions are in Getting a Photo ID After You Surrender Your License, so check your own state's DMV for its rule.

Can my parent get the license back after surrendering it?

The states that address this make it possible, but not automatic. In Idaho, the license stays canceled until the person applies for a new one, passes any required written, road, vision or medical tests, pays full license fees and surrenders the free ID card. In Massachusetts, the medical surrender affidavit says restoring driving privileges requires presenting medical clearance to the RMV.

Can you keep a driver's license and a state ID at the same time?

Rhode Island's DMV says a State ID applicant cannot have a valid license in Rhode Island or any other state. Other states set their own rules, so ask your DMV whether the ID application requires surrendering the license.

Can you surrender a driver's license by mail or online?

In some states, yes, while others want a form brought to a DMV office; How to Surrender a Driver's License shows which route each example state uses and who qualifies for it.

Learn More

CaregiverWhen Should an Older Adult Stop Driving? How to Know and What to DoThere's no set age to stop driving. The warning signs it may be time, how to have the conversation, dementia and driving, and how to stay mobile after. CaregiverHow to Report an Unsafe Older Driver to the DMVIn almost every state you can report an unsafe elderly driver to the DMV in writing. What to include, what happens next, and whether your parent will know. CaregiverSenior Transportation: How to Get Around When You No Longer DriveSenior transportation options when an older adult stops driving: aging-network rides, ADA paratransit, Medicaid medical rides, and how to pick the right one. CaregiverADA Paratransit: How to Qualify, Appeal a Denial, and Keep Your RidesHow to qualify for paratransit under the ADA: it turns on disability, not age. The 21-day decision rule, the 60-day appeal, and no-show suspension rights. CaregiverUnderstanding the Stages of Dementia: What to Expect as a CaregiverA caregiver's guide to the stages of dementia: mild, moderate, and severe, what changes at each stage, the signs of each transition, and how to plan ahead.

Find personalized help planning a parent's life after the car keys at brevy.com.

The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.

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