OAN Staff Katherine Mosack
3:17 PM – Friday, January 2, 2026
The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) announced that 325,000 Californians, which is roughly 1.5% of the Golden State’s REAL ID holders, will have to replace their REAL ID licenses due to a system error from 2006.
The issue stems from a “legacy software configuration” dating back to 2006. The system incorrectly calculated expiration dates for certain non-U.S. citizens who have legal presence in the country, such as Green Card holders or those on visas. Instead of matching the expiration date of the user’s authorized legal stay, the system automatically applied a standard renewal interval. To remain compliant with federal REAL ID laws, these dates must be corrected.
Essentially, the glitch incorrectly applied standard renewal intervals to certain non-citizen residents with legal presence — such as visa and green card holders — instead of matching the IDs to their authorized stay dates.
Officials emphasized that this update is strictly administrative and does not affect U.S. citizens or illegal aliens, as the latter are not eligible for REAL IDs.
The DMV reiterated that “At no point were REAL IDs ever issued to undocumented individuals (those without legal presence),” also adding “this issue is unrelated to voting.”
The impacted residents will receive official mail notifications, and they are eligible for an expedited, no-cost replacement to ensure continued compliance with federal flight security standards. However, the DMV will not call, text or email requests for personal or payment information regarding the issue.
A self-initiated review of all Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) data systems uncovered a portion of REAL ID records that required updates to comply with federal regulations, the agency announced on Wednesday.
“We proactively reviewed our records, identified a legacy system issue from 2006 and are notifying impacted customers with clear guidance on how to maintain a valid California-issued credential,” DMV Director Steve Gordon said in a news release. “For nearly 99% of REAL ID holders, no action is required. The DMV remains committed to serving all Californians and ensuring REAL ID credentials meet federal standards.”
Federal law stipulates that lawful immigrants in the United States, including permanent residents, green card holders and visa holders, are allowed to obtain REAL IDs, though the 2006 coding issue automatically applied the standard renewal rather than a date consistent with the expiration of the holder’s authorized residency.
The agency also assured residents that it has since “implemented a series of safeguards to prevent the issue from recurring.”
Anyone who would like to verify the status of their REAL ID license can call 1 (800) 777-0133.
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