Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill that will add his legal status to a person’s driver’s license starting January 1, 2027.
Florida will add the legal status of a person who meets Real ID requirements to driver licenses and ID cards starting in 2027 under a new state law. This comes as a part of House Bill 991, which was signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis as part of the Florida SAVE Act legislative package, which focuses on election “security,” the Miami Herald reports.Under the law, new, renewed, and replacement driver licenses issued on or after January 1, 2027, must indicate whether the holder is a U.S. citizen or has another legal immigration status. Miami-Dade County Tax Collector Darryl Fernandez released a statement on HB 991, calling it “a comprehensive measure that strengthens verification processes, enhances data coordination and modernizes the way identification and eligibility is handled across Florida.”“My office is at the center of many of these processes because we handle driver license and identification services for our residents,” he said. Fernandez said that including legal status on identity documents is “an important step toward greater transparency and accountability in government records.”He said his office is “actively evaluating how these changes will be implemented at the local level,” and promised a “smooth transition for residents.”
Who will get this new driver’s license?
People who have valid driver’s licenses or ID cards will not need to get new licenses as their existing IDs are not becoming invalid under the new rule. The regulation will not take effect immediately. This will be phased in as drivers go through the refurbishment or replacement process starting in 2027. The new format will officially take effect on January 1, 2027, and will apply to all first-time, renewal and replacement licenses issued from that date.If you have recently renewed your Florida driver’s license or ID, your document will remain valid until its expiration date.