The safest thing to do with your old driver’s license is destroy it. Expired, replaced, or left over from a move, the card still shows your full name, date of birth, address, photo, and license number, and none of that information expires with the card. Shred it, cut it into pieces, or both. The one exception is when a DMV requires you to hand the old card over, which happens most often when you move to a new state.
When You Have to Surrender It Instead
If you’ve moved, you almost certainly need to turn in your old license rather than keep it. The Driver License Compact, adopted by most states, requires the new state’s licensing agency to collect your previous card before issuing a new one.1National Center for Interstate Compacts. Driver License Compact You walk in with the old card, they take it, and you leave with a new license or a temporary paper permit while the permanent one is mailed.
Most states give new residents somewhere between 30 and 90 days to make the swap. Miss the window and you risk a citation for driving on a license the new state no longer recognizes.
At a routine renewal in the same state, practice varies. Some DMVs confiscate and shred the old card on the spot. Others punch a hole through it or clip a corner and hand it back as a voided souvenir. A few mail the new license and never ask for the old one. A hole-punched card is no longer valid ID, but the personal information on the front is still perfectly readable, so you still need to destroy it.
Why Destroying It Matters
An expired license is worthless as legal ID, but a thief doesn’t need it to be valid. They need the data printed on it. Your name, date of birth, photo, and address are enough to attempt opening credit accounts, filing fraudulent tax returns, or impersonating you in transactions. The photo is especially useful because it lets someone physically pose as the cardholder in situations that require a face-to-face check.
The Pre-2005 Social Security Number Risk
If your old license is old enough, it may carry a worse exposure. Before 2005, many states printed Social Security numbers directly on driver’s licenses. A federal law enacted as part of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 banned states from displaying SSNs on licenses, registrations, and ID cards issued or renewed after December 2005.2GovInfo. Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 Because licenses stay valid for years, cards with printed SSNs circulated well into the late 2000s. A card with your SSN, photo, name, and date of birth is close to everything someone needs to steal your identity. If one is still sitting in a drawer, make it the first one you destroy.
How to Destroy a Plastic Driver’s License
Physical destruction is the most reliable method, and it doesn’t need special equipment.
- A cross-cut or micro-cut shredder rated for credit cards will chew the plastic into tiny pieces. Standard paper-only shredders may jam on a rigid card, so check your model’s specifications before feeding one in.
- Scissors work fine if you cut the card into many small, irregular pieces. Slice through the photo, printed name, license number, barcode, and the magnetic strip on the back. Scatter the pieces across at least two separate trash bags disposed of on different days.
- For extra peace of mind, cut the card up first and then soak the pieces in water to smear any remaining ink before throwing them out.
One method that often doesn’t work the way people expect: professional shredding services. Many commercial document-destruction companies don’t accept plastic ID cards because their equipment is designed for paper, and rigid plastic is frequently listed as a prohibited material. If you want to outsource it, call the provider first and ask specifically about plastic cards.
If You Just Upgraded to a REAL ID
Upgrading creates its own old card. As of May 7, 2025, only REAL ID-compliant state licenses and IDs are accepted for boarding domestic commercial flights and entering certain federal facilities.3Transportation Security Administration. TSA Publishes Final Rule on REAL ID Enforcement Beginning May 7, 2025 If you have a REAL ID in your wallet now and the non-compliant version at home, destroy the old one the same way you’d destroy any other expired card. If you haven’t upgraded and need to fly, a U.S. passport, passport card, military ID, or Global Entry card all work at TSA checkpoints.4Transportation Security Administration. Acceptable Identification at the TSA Checkpoint
If the Old License Is Lost or Stolen
A missing expired license isn’t as urgent as a missing current one, but the identity theft risk is real because the information on the card doesn’t expire with the card.
Check Your Credit
Pull your credit reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion through AnnualCreditReport.com, the federally authorized source for free reports.5AnnualCreditReport.com. Getting Your Credit Reports Look for accounts you don’t recognize, hard inquiries you didn’t authorize, and addresses you’ve never lived at. You can request one free report from each bureau per year; spacing them out gives you a check every four months.
Freeze or Flag Your Credit
A credit freeze is the stronger protection. It blocks lenders from pulling your credit entirely, which stops most fraudulent account applications. A freeze lasts until you lift it, doesn’t affect your credit score, and is free to place and remove. You have to contact all three bureaus separately, and you’ll need to lift the freeze temporarily when you apply for legitimate credit.6Consumer Advice (FTC). Is a Credit Freeze or Fraud Alert Right for You
A fraud alert is lighter. It tells lenders to verify your identity, usually by phone, before opening new accounts. A standard fraud alert lasts one year and is renewable. You only need to contact one bureau; that bureau notifies the other two. If you already have evidence of identity theft, you qualify for an extended fraud alert lasting seven years.6Consumer Advice (FTC). Is a Credit Freeze or Fraud Alert Right for You
Report Actual Theft
If you find unauthorized activity, report it at IdentityTheft.gov, the FTC’s recovery tool. It walks you through questions about your situation and generates a personalized recovery plan with pre-filled letters and forms for creditors and bureaus.7Federal Trade Commission. IdentityTheft.gov You can also file a report with local police, bringing your FTC identity theft report, a government-issued photo ID, and any evidence of the theft. A police report creates an official record that some creditors require.8Federal Trade Commission. IdentityTheft.gov – What To Do Right Away Some states will issue a new driver’s license number if you can show the old one is being used fraudulently; your state’s DMV can tell you whether that’s an option.
A Deceased Family Member’s License
When someone dies, their driver’s license becomes a target for a specific type of fraud sometimes called ghosting. Criminals harvest details from obituaries and funeral records and use the deceased person’s information to open accounts, take out loans, or file fake tax returns. Credit monitoring stops at death, so this fraud can run undetected for months.
Contact the deceased person’s state DMV to cancel the license. Most states require a copy of the death certificate, and some ask you to mail in or return the physical card. Processes vary, so check the DMV’s website or call ahead. Also notify the Social Security Administration and the three credit bureaus of the death, which helps prevent new accounts from being opened in the person’s name.
If you come across the physical card among the person’s belongings, destroy it using the methods above. Don’t leave it in a wallet or purse that may be donated or thrown away.
When Keeping an Old License Is Fine
Not every old card needs immediate destruction. If your state mailed your renewal and handed back the old one with a hole punch or clipped corner, hang on to it until the new card arrives, especially if you were given a temporary paper permit. If you want to keep your very first license as a memento, the legal risk is minimal because expired licenses aren’t valid ID, but the identity theft risk continues as long as the information is readable. Store it somewhere secure, not in an old wallet or an unsecured drawer.
What you should not do is carry two valid licenses from different states. The Driver License Compact prohibits it, and getting caught with current cards from two jurisdictions can create legal complications, including potential fraud charges.1National Center for Interstate Compacts. Driver License Compact If a move left you with both, surrender the old one to either DMV as soon as you can.