Delaware is a small state -- geographically the second smallest in the country -- and its prison system reflects that scale. One DOC, one set of facilities, one reentry process. That compactness is an advantage: the people you need to talk to about ID, Medicaid, and benefits are not scattered across dozens of county systems. They are in one place, working from one framework, under one Delaware Correctional Reentry Commission that coordinates everything from housing to identification to behavioral health.
Delaware issues a temporary identification card at release. That card can be used to start the permanent ID process. But temporary is the operative word -- it is a bridge, not a destination. Here is what you need to do to get to the permanent card, and how to access the benefits that depend on it.
What Delaware DOC Provides at Release
Delaware is one of a small number of states that issues a temporary identification card directly to people leaving prison. This temporary card can be used with the Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles and with state, county, and municipal agencies to begin the permanent ID application process.
The card is a bridge. Your first priority after release is converting it to a permanent Delaware state ID or driver's license at a DMV office.
Ask your case manager before release whether your DOC temporary ID has been prepared and whether any pre-release work has been done on your birth certificate or Social Security card. Delaware does not have a statutory requirement for DOC to assist with birth certificate or SSN card procurement, but reentry case managers can facilitate these requests and should be asked.
Getting Your Permanent Delaware State ID
Take your DOC temporary ID to any Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) office to begin the permanent ID application process. DMV locations are in Wilmington, Delaware City, Dover, and Georgetown. Find office hours and directions at dmv.de.gov.
To get a permanent Delaware non-driver identification card or driver's license, you will need documents establishing your identity, Social Security number, and Delaware residency. Standard documents include a birth certificate or passport, your Social Security card, and proof of a Delaware address. Your DOC release documents and temporary ID serve as supporting identity verification.
Delaware state ID fees increased in October 2025. Confirm current fees at dmv.de.gov before your appointment.
Getting Your Social Security Card
If you do not have your Social Security card at release, contact the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213, apply online at ssa.gov, or visit your nearest SSA office. Replacement cards are free. Bring your DOC temporary ID and birth certificate to the SSA office if applying in person.
Ask your case manager whether a prerelease SSA agreement was in place at your facility. If so, the replacement card and benefit application process may have been initiated up to 90 days before your release.
Getting Your Birth Certificate
If you were born in Delaware, request a certified copy from the Delaware Office of Vital Statistics at dhss.delaware.gov or by calling (302) 744-4549. You can also request in person at the Office of Vital Statistics in Dover. Fees vary.
If you were born in another state, contact that state's vital records office. Your case manager can help identify the correct contact and, in some cases, may be able to facilitate the request on your behalf.
Medicaid: Diamond State Health Plan
Delaware expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Delaware's Medicaid program operates primarily through managed care organizations under the Diamond State Health Plan. Low-income adults in Delaware -- including people releasing from prison -- are generally eligible for Medicaid if they meet income requirements.
Medicaid in Delaware is administered by the Division of Medicaid and Medical Assistance (DMMA) within the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS). Apply at your local DHSS office, online at chooseHealthDE.com, or by phone at 1-866-843-7212. You will need your state ID, Social Security card, and proof of Delaware residency.
Delaware received a CMS Medicaid continuity of care planning grant in 2025, building infrastructure for the January 1, 2026 federal requirement that Medicaid be suspended rather than terminated during incarceration and reactivated upon release. Ask your case manager before release whether your Medicaid coverage has been flagged for reinstatement on your release date, or whether you need to submit a fresh application.
If you had Medicaid before your incarceration and coverage was suspended rather than terminated, reinstatement may be faster than a new application. Confirm your status with DHSS on or before release day.
SNAP: Food Assistance
Delaware's SNAP program is administered by the Division of Social Services (DSS) within DHSS. Delaware does not impose a lifetime ban on SNAP for people with felony drug convictions.
Apply for SNAP at your local DSS office or online at chooseHealthDE.com. You will need your state ID, Social Security card, and proof of Delaware residency and household income. Benefits are typically issued on an EBT card within 30 days of a completed application. Expedited SNAP for households with urgent need can be issued within 7 days.
Note: Delaware DHSS has issued public alerts about EBT benefit theft through card skimming. When you receive your EBT card, set a PIN immediately and use your card only at trusted locations. If you suspect your benefits have been stolen, contact DHSS immediately.
SSI and SSDI
SSI (Supplemental Security Income) and SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) are federal programs available if you have a qualifying disability.
SSI payments are suspended after one full calendar month of incarceration. If you were incarcerated for less than 12 consecutive months, SSI can be reinstated the month you are released -- contact SSA immediately with your release documents. If incarcerated 12 or more consecutive months, file a new application.
SSDI payments are suspended after 30 continuous days of incarceration following conviction. Contact SSA upon release for reinstatement.
Medicaid eligibility and SSI eligibility are connected in Delaware. Notify DHSS and SSA on the same day when you apply for one, so both processes can move together.
Veterans Benefits
If you served in the U.S. military, the Delaware Office of Veterans Services (DOVS) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs provide benefits after release. Contact DOVS at veterans.delaware.gov or the nearest VA facility.
The VA Healthcare for Re-Entry Veterans (HCRV) program provides transitional case management for veterans leaving incarceration. VA benefits suspended during incarceration can be reinstated after release -- notify the VA of your release date and bring your DD-214 and release documents. Delaware has a VA medical center in Wilmington and community-based outpatient clinics in Dover and Georgetown.
The Delaware Correctional Reentry Commission
The Delaware Correctional Reentry Commission (DCRC) was established by executive order to coordinate reentry services statewide. DCRC publishes annual reports, landscape analyses of reentry service providers, and recidivism reduction blueprints. It oversees housing support to prevent unsheltered homelessness, job training and employment opportunities, education resources, and continuity of care for returning citizens with substance use and behavioral health disorders.
DCRC resources and reports are available at doc.delaware.gov/reentry. If you are having difficulty connecting to any specific benefit or service after release, this is the starting point for finding the coordinating agency.
Start Before You Leave
Delaware's small size is your advantage. The system is not fragmented across counties. Your case manager, the DOC reentry framework, the DCRC, and the DHSS benefits system are all operating from one unified state structure.
Use your time inside to raise these specific questions with your case manager:
Has my DOC temporary ID been prepared? Has any pre-release work been done on my birth certificate or Social Security card? Has my Medicaid status been flagged for reinstatement at release? Has an SSA prerelease process been initiated?
On release day: take your DOC temporary ID to DMV as your first stop. Apply for permanent state ID the same day or the next morning. At DHSS, apply for Medicaid and SNAP together at the same visit -- chooseHealthDE.com covers both programs. Contact SSA to confirm your Social Security card status and benefit reinstatement.
The permanent ID is the foundation. Everything else -- Medicaid, SNAP, housing applications, employment -- requires it. Get to DMV first.
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