Residents invited to pre-verify for Real ID

State Reps. Marcy Toepel (R-Montgomery) and David Maloney (R-Berks) are inviting local residents to pre-verify for the new Real ID on Thursday, March 21, from 5-8 p.m. at the Boyertown Middle School East, 2020 Big Road, Gilbertsville.

“Visiting the DMV, especially on the weekends as many of us have to do, can be time-consuming — particularly since most of us have to drive half an hour or more,” Toepel and Maloney said. “We are pleased to offer a more convenient and accessible way to get pre-verified by bringing the process closer to residents of the 130th and 147th districts.”

PennDOT, in cooperation with Toepel and Maloney, will establish and staff a mobile driver licensing workstation at the school. Customers who would like to pre-verify their eligibility for a Real ID can bring the necessary paperwork, which

PennDOT staff will then scan and attach to the customer’s account.

Customers who successfully complete the process will pre-verify for a Real ID. Then, they can apply online for their REAL ID and pay the applicable fees. Their Real ID will be mailed to them within 10 business days without requiring a visit to a PennDOT Driver License Center.

The federal Real ID law established guidelines for states to provide new and more secure forms of identification cards. In the future, residents will need these new Real ID cards, or another form of federally accepted identification, such as a passport, to enter federal buildings, including courthouses, as well as to board commercial flights.

Residents who would like to pre-qualify for a Real ID should bring with them original versions or certified copies of the necessary documents:

• Proof of identity: Original or certified copy of birth certificate with raised seal, issued by an authorized government agency, or valid U.S. passport. • Social Security card. • Proof of all legal name changes: marriage certificate, court order or divorce decree issued by resident’s county’s family court.

• Two proofs of current, physical Pennsylvania address: current, unexpired Pennsylvania license or ID and a bank statement or utility bill that is no more than 90 days old with the same name and address.

Residents who have questions are asked to call Toepel’s Harleysville office at (215) 256-6030 or Maloney’s Boyertown office at (610) 369-3010.