Need a Minnesota License Sooner than Later? Want it The Same Day?

Raise your hand if you have had to wait more than a day to get your drivers license. Wait, this is the state of Minnesota, everyone getting a license, REAL ID, standard ID card issued from here will wait. Some have only waited a week, others, like my dad have had complications and waited a couple months or more. Wouldn't it be nice to get your license the SAME DAY? Maybe now you can!

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Minnesota launched a new pilot project October 3, 2022 to run through June 30, 2023 where you can get a same-day standard class D Minnesota driver's license, permit or standard ID card. However, like anything there's a catch and one catch is it's only in two towns in Minnesota.

The two locations are Lakeville and Moorhead. For those wondering, like I was, the distance Lakeville is around 90 miles from St. Cloud and Moorhead is 155 miles. How it was determined it should be these two locations I am not sure. It doesn't surprise me however that one of the locations is Moorhead. My reasoning being is I just moved from Fargo, ND, which has had same-day license for as long as I can remember. For those that might not know Fargo and Moorhead is like a twin cities but in two different states. Fargo borders Moorhead and the two are separated only by the Red River.

I grew up in Minnesota but was a North Dakota resident for the last 15 years until I recently moved back to my roots and to St. Cloud. I love Minnesota and it's always been my favorite state, however, I will say I also loved that I could get not just a standard ID, but my REAL ID in a matter of minutes when I lived in North Dakota. Trying to schedule to get a license again in Minnesota is not all that fun and that's about all I'll say on that right now.

Heads up if you do decide to get in on the pilot project, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety notes that the same-day licenses will be different than you're used to. They say,

Same-day issued cards have a slightly different look and feel than traditionally issued cards due to the card stock and laminate used in the printing process. The same-day issued cards are less flexible.

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I had debated going to Moorhead to see friends and get my same-day license, because it really is that convenient. But yet another catch, REAL ID's or enhanced driver's licenses, permits or ID cards are emphasized as 'not available' for same-day cards. Read more on all of it HERE or if you have more questions you can visit drive.mn.gov. So I'll stick with the appointment I have and wait like Minnesotans always have for my ID to come in the mail.