Last Updated on September 13, 2022 by John Robinson
An audit number is a 20-digit number found on the side of your picture or near the bottom of the driver’s license marked as DD that stands for Document Discriminator, which is the technical name for the audit number.
What is the audit number on TX driver’s license?
The 20-digit audit number is essentially an identification number for the document and is used by the DPS database to determine if your driver’s license is valid.
To put it more straightforward, it’s an ID for the ID. It is a unique number that indicates which document is currently up-to-date and correct. So, you can have three driver’s licenses, but only one audit number will be active in the database, usually the newest one.
These numbers can further be used to detect forgeries. The number is unique, independent of the information on the card, so it’s pretty challenging to come up with a number that will be valid. To top it off, the number is further encoded in a magnetic stripe which can be swiped by a police officer and instantly checked if it’s in the database. No match means it’s a phony.
Is every new driver’s license given a unique audit number?
Yes. Every new document that is made is given a unique audit number to ensure the information in the database is correct and up-to-date.
What should I do if I don’t have my audit number?
If you have somehow misplaced your license, then your best bet is to head on down to the Department of Public Safety and ask for a new one. It is never fun to stand in line for something as mundane as a license, so a good tip is to head over early and get in line first.
You’ll have to fill out a form and pay a $10 fee, after which it can take between four to eight weeks for the new license to arrive in the post. In the meantime, they will give you a temporary permit. So, if you’re pulled over, you can show the piece of paper to prove your license is in the mail.
Another possibility is to try and recall if you recently sent a copy of your license to either your job, friend, or landlord. Sometimes we need to make copies of documents to prove we’re who we say we are, and it’s easy to quickly get a hold of your audit number if you lost your license.
But unfortunately, most of the time, the answer will be to stand in line and wait for your number to be called.
Can I renew my license online?
You sure can! Texas offers an online feature to update most of the information on your license or ID. You will need a few things before you can do so; a valid credit card, the last four digits of your Social Security number, and your current Texas driver’s license or ID card. However, if you do not have the audit number, you’ll be required to complete an additional authentication with an additional fee of $1.75.
And you’ll need a printer so that you can print out your new temporary license or other documents.
They do ask for different fees for different documents. For example, a driver’s license will cost you $33, and a new ID 16$ and so on. If you’d like to learn, there is more information on the Official Website of the State of Texas (link). (Official Texas Driver License/ID Renewal and Change of Address | Texas.gov).
Here are a few examples of what you can do online:
- Renew your driver’s license and identification (ID) card.
- Change the address on your driver’s license and/or ID card.
- Replace a lost or stolen card.
- View and change your emergency contacts.
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