A 4-minute lesson from the Indiana course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Indiana's Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) issues every credential you'll carry. Knowing the three credential types, how to read the card, and what Real ID means helps you bring the right documents to the branch.
The BMV issues three types of credentials:
Identification cards, available to any qualified Indiana resident
A state credential meeting the Real ID Act of 2005 minimum standards. It can be accepted for federal ID, such as boarding commercial flights and entering military and other secure federal facilities.
To upgrade to Real ID when renewing, amending, or replacing, bring original or certified copies of your identity, lawful status, Social Security number, and Indiana residency documents to a branch.
If the BMV finds you hold a credential from another state, territory, U.S. possession, D.C., or Puerto Rico, you must surrender it before your Indiana application is processed.
Indiana credentials issued since 2019 have a new look and security features; older credentials stay valid until the expiration date printed on the card.
You attend college in Indianapolis but still claim Ohio as your home state. For credential purposes you are not an Indiana resident, so you can't get an Indiana credential on the strength of your student address.
Check your understanding
Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
What does a star in the upper right-hand corner of an Indiana credential indicate?
It is Real ID-compliant
It is a commercial license
It belongs to a veteran
It has a vision restriction
Answer: It is Real ID-compliant
A star marker in the upper right-hand corner indicates a Real ID-compliant credential usable for federal purposes.