Clock is ticking for all to get a Real ID
How Lehigh Valley residents can secure one before enforcement gets underway May 3, 2023
There’s a countdown clock on the Pennsylvania Department of Motor Vehicles’ website, tracking the weeks, days, hours and minutes until residents need to have a Real ID to board commercial domestic flights.
There’s less than a year left.
When that countdown hits zero, at 4 p.m. next May 3, residents 18 and older will need a Real ID-compliant driver’s license, photo ID card or another form of federally acceptable identification, such as a valid passport or military ID.
“Our advice is to start securing your Real ID or passport/passport card now,” said Lehigh Valley International Airport spokesperson Colin Riccobon. “The next 12 months will fly by fast.”
Riccobon called it a “critical item on everyone’s travel checklist” when enforcement begins.
“Our concern is a passenger arriving for a departing flight without the required documents, whether a Real ID-compliant driver’s license or passport/passport card. Without one of these documents, you won’t be able to process through TSA and will miss your flight.
“Additionally, it’s important to remember that this is for all domestic flights,” he continued. “So, if you choose to use a passport instead of a Real ID, you must have it when traveling to Nashville, Atlanta or other destinations from ABE.”
And it’s not just for flights; residents will need the identification to enter a federal building or military installation that requires ID.
Below, find out more about the Real ID requirement:
What is this program?
The federal Real ID program comes from the Real ID Act, passed by Congress in 2005 and based on a recommendation from the 9/11 Commission.
It establishes “minimum security standards for license issuance and production and prohibits certain federal agencies from accepting for certain purposes driver’s licenses and identification cards from states not meeting the act’s minimum standards,” according to the Department of Homeland Security’s website.
Read the full Real ID Act.
Is Pennsylvania the only state with residents required to get one?
No. Because it’s a federal program, it applies to residents in the U.S.’s 50 states and five territories. The deadline is also the same.
Has the deadline been extended?
Yes. The first deadline,
Oct. 1, 2021, was extended to May 3, 2023, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Protecting the health, safety and security of our communities is our top priority,” said Alejandro N. Mayorkas, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security in an April 2021 news release. “As our country continues to recover from the COVID19 pandemic, extending the REAL ID full enforcement deadline will give states needed time to reopen their driver’s licensing operations and ensure their residents can obtain a REAL ID-compliant license or identification card.”
But what if I don’t want to get a Real ID?
Residents have an option to get a Real ID driver’s license or identification card, or standard driver’s license or identification card.
If a resident refuses, they must have an alternate form of federally acceptable identification, like a valid passport or military ID, to board domestic commercial flights and enter certain federal facilities.
Do I need a Real ID for anything else?
In Pennsylvania, residents do not need a Real ID to drive, vote, access hospitals, visit the post office, access federal courts or apply for or receive federal benefits, such as social security or veterans’ benefits.
How do I get a Real ID?
Residents can order a Real ID online through the Department of Motor Vehicles’ website if their paperwork has been pre-verified, which would be delivered via mail within 15 business days.
Do I have to go to a DMV in-person?
No. The process can be completed online. However, residents can go to a Real ID Center or Drivers License Center in-person to complete the process.
What paperwork do I need?
To get a Real ID, residents
need:
Proof of identity, such as an original or certified copy of a birth certificate.
Social Security card.
Two documents proving a Pennsylvania address.
And, if applicable, proof of name change.
How long does it take?
Either in-person or online, if the application is approved, a Real ID should arrive in the mail within 15 business days.
How much does it cost?
There’s a one-time $30 fee, plus the applicable renewal fee. The current renewal fee is $30.50 for a four-year noncommercial driver’s license, and $31.50 for a photo ID.
The expiration date of the REAL ID will include any time remaining on a resident’s current license or ID card, plus an additional four years, unless they are over 65 and have a two-year license.
Are residents participating?
Since March 1, 2019, PennDOT has processed about 8.3 million customers, with more than 1.6 million individuals choosing to opt into the Real ID program, according to a PennLive report. The remaining 6.7 million have chosen not to participate or use an alternative federally acceptable form of ID come the May 2023 deadline.
What happens if I don’t get a Real ID by the deadline?
Travelers who do not present a REAL ID-compliant license or acceptable alternative will not be permitted through security checkpoints.
Where can I find more information?
Go to dmv.pa.gov/ REALID for more information. LVIA also has information available for passengers in the Terminal Complex.