State to receive more time to issue Real IDs

Trump will delay Oct. 1 license deadline as some fear DMVs put them at risk of virus.

SACRAMENTO — With the COVID-19 pandemic further stifling the efforts of California and other states to issue Real ID licenses, President Trump on Monday said he will extend the Oct. 1 deadline for people to apply for the identification cards to board domestic flights in the United States.

Trump made the announcement during a news briefing on the nation’s response to the virus, as the number of confirmed cases across the U.S. surpassed 54,000.

The resulting public health anxiety has left many Californians reluctant or unwilling to visit local branches of the Department of Motor Vehicles offices for fear of being infected.

“I’m also announcing that we’re postponing the deadline with Real ID requirements,” Trump said during the White House event. “We will be announcing the new deadline very soon.”

The president, who offered no additional details, seemed to acknowledge the challenge with asking people to visit their local DMV “at a time that we’re asking Americans to maintain social distancing.”

Steven Gordon, director of the California DMV, said the announcement is welcome news because the agency has had to restrict visits to field offices for many people seeking driver’s licenses and vehicle registrations.

“The California DMV is encouraged by the president’s remarks indicating that the federal government will extend the enforcement date for REAL ID,” Gordon said in a written statement. “This would relieve the urgency for people to visit local DMV offices and bolster the state’s efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We look forward to learning more about the president’s direction and sharing that information with the public.”

Trump has been under pressure to postpone the Oct. 1 deadline from state officials across the country. The National Governors Assn., which includes Gov. Gavin Newsom, recently asked the Department of Homeland Security to extend the deadline by at least one year.

“We believe an extension will allow all of us to focus our efforts on combating the spread and severity of COVID-19,” the governors said in a March 17 letter to acting Secretary Chad Wolf. “More time will also give Congress the ability to pass legislation that will update the 2005 REAL ID Act and bring it up to speed with today’s technology.”

A representative for Newsom declined to comment on the extension request.