Your old driver’s license carries your photograph, birth date, license number, signature, and address. Check your state DMV’s instructions, then destroy the card so those details cannot be read.
If the card was lost or stolen, disposal is no longer the issue. Report it to your DMV and follow the identity-theft steps that fit your situation.
Check Your State’s Instructions First
Driver’s licenses are issued by states, so there is no single national return rule. Search your DMV site for “old license,” “replacement card,” or “surrender license.”
A DMV may destroy the old card during an in-person replacement, require surrender after a name change, or tell you to destroy a card found after replacement.
For example, the California Driver’s Handbook says a replacement makes the old card invalid and tells you to destroy it if found later.
Your state may use another process. Ask before mailing a card, because an ordinary envelope can expose personal information if it goes to the wrong address.
Destroy a Card at Home
Use a cross-cut shredder only if its manual says it accepts plastic identification cards. Remove the card before shredding paper if your machine excludes rigid plastic.
Without a suitable shredder, cut through the photograph, name, birth date, license number, signature, barcode, magnetic stripe, and any machine-readable area.
Follow local instructions if your waste service offers secure document destruction.
Do not place an intact license in curbside recycling. It contains mixed materials and readable personal data, even if a recycling symbol appears on part of it.
Do not burn the card. Burning plastic can release irritating smoke, and an outdoor fire adds unnecessary risk.
What If the License Is Lost or Stolen?
Contact your state DMV and follow its replacement steps.
IdentityTheft.gov recommends checking your credit, considering a freeze, and monitoring for accounts or debts you do not recognize.
If someone used your information, report the identity theft at IdentityTheft.gov. The site creates a recovery plan based on what happened.
Write down when you contacted the DMV and keep confirmation of the replacement. Report a theft to local police when your DMV or recovery plan advises it.
Can You Keep an Old License?
Ask your DMV whether it must be surrendered or destroyed. A clipped, punched, expired, or replaced card does not restore your driving privilege merely because you still possess it.
If your state allows you to keep it as a memento, store it like another sensitive identity document. Do not carry it beside your current license.
Never lend, sell, or post a photograph of an old license. Covering one number may still leave a barcode or other identifying details visible.
What About a Digital Driver’s License?
A mobile credential needs its own removal process. Use your state DMV and wallet provider instructions when replacing, selling, or losing a phone.
Deleting an app shortcut may not remove the credential from your account or another device. Confirm removal through the official wallet and DMV guidance.