How to Replace a Lost or Stolen License in Georgia
Your Georgia drivers license is a very important document to hold onto. In addition to giving you legal permission to drive a car, it acts as a primary form of identification for almost all legal uses. If your drivers license or other government ID card is ever misplaced or stolen from you, it is very important that you get it replaced as soon as possible. The DDS needs to know that your previous license is no longer in your possession, and you need to have a working card readily available to perform the many functions it makes available to Georgia residents. Fortunately, the process of replacing a lost or stolen Georgia drivers license is easy and relatively pain-free.
Filing a Police Report
If you’re certain that your Georgia drivers license has been lost or stolen, a good precautionary first step is to report it to the police. If you’d like to change your license number, an official police report is required. Otherwise, it’s not expressly required in the license replacement process.
Applying for a Replacement License Online
The most convenient way to apply for a replacement Georgia drivers license is online. The Georgia DDS offers an online drivers license replacement service for eligible Georgia residents. To use this online service, your stolen or lost license must not currently be invalid, suspended, or revoked for any reason. You also must be a Georgia resident, and the service only works for regular non-commercial licenses. You can only use this service three times a year, so it’s important to use it wisely. Just create an account and fill out the necessary info, and a replacement license will be sent to the post office for you to pick up within seven days.
Applying for a Replacement License in Person
If you prefer to do things the old-fashioned way, you can always go in person to a local DDS customer service center with one form of primary identification (such as a birth certificate or passport, and two forms of secondary identification (such as a social security card or a voter registration card). These will serve to confirm who you are in lieu of your drivers license. You will be required to pay a fee for a replacement; it may be more if you have already replaced it three times within the year. If you’ve lost your license within 150 days of it being initially issued, you will have to pay renewal charges on top of a replacement fee. If you have lost your license out of state, your best bet is to apply online for a replacement and have it shipped to a trusted address within the state.
