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Krispy Kreme Giving Out Free Donuts Wednesday. Here's How To Get Yours

Lacey Muszynski is a staff writer at Cheapism covering food, travel, and more. She has over 15 years of writing and editing experience, and her restaurant reviews and recipes have previously appeared in Serious Eats, Thrillist, and countless publications in her home state of Wisconsin.

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Sweet Treat

What could be better than a hot, fresh donut? A freehot, fresh donut. That’s what Krispy Kreme, one of the favorite suppliers of (hot, fresh) donuts in the country, is handing out this week. The chain is well known for giving out free donuts for everything from election day to donating blood, and they’re at it again. Here’s how to get yours.

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Why Is Krispy Kreme Giving Out Free Donuts?

Krispy Kreme is giving out free donuts because of the REAL ID deadline. What does that have to do with donuts? Nothing, but we’re not going to complain about free donuts. “The DMV can be stressful enough in normal times, but we know May 7 is going to be ‘next level’ stress for many Americans trying to get their REAL ID,” explained Krispy Kreme in a press release.


In case you’re not familiar, a REAL ID is a state-issued license or ID that is a more secure form of identification. It will be required to get through security to board a domestic U.S. flight, unless you have a passport. If you’ve gotten a new license in the last few years, chances are you already have one.

Melissa C./Yelp

When Can I Get My Free Donut?

The REAL ID deadline is Wednesday, May 7, 2025, and that’s the day you’ll be able to get your free donut. Think of it as a mid-week pick-me-up, whether you already have a REAL ID or not.

Krispy Kreme by Ginny (CC BY-ND)

What’s the Catch?

Like most of Krispy Kreme’s free donut giveaways, there’s really no catch! You don’t need to show an ID to get it, REAL ID or not — you just show up and ask for a free donut. You don’t even have to purchase anything else to get it, either. Just head into the restaurant or get in the drive-thru line and request your free donut, and you’ll get one. You can only get one free original glazed donut, so you can’t pick and choose, but that’s hardly a catch.

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What Other Fast Food Freebies Can I Get?

If donuts aren’t really your thing, there are other fast food deals going on right now. You can get free fries on Fridays at McDonald’s, and Burger King and Wendy’s have free fries deals going on too. It’s also worth downloading fast food mobile apps because you’ll often get free food for signing up for rewards accounts, including all-day happy hour prices at Sonic.