Clock ticking to get Arizona Travel ID card

Real Id act of 2005 requirement deadline is one year away

Readers, if you haven’t already gotten an Arizona Travel ID, it’s time to get your paperwork in order.

In one year, the Transportation Security Agency will no longer accept a regular Arizona driver’s license or ID card to board a plane.

Why? It’s all thanks to the Real ID Act, which was passed by Congress in 2005 in an effort to boost security after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The Real ID Act requires states to issue driver’s licenses and identification cards with specific security standards. States must get specific documentation to verify the person’s identify before issuing the driver’s license, and the new cards must be made more secure against tampering or forgery.

The Real ID Act was passed 17 years ago. Arizona was one of several states to delay implementing this program, because federal law put the burden on the states to cover the costs.

Arizona even passed a bill in 2008 that blocked the state’s Motor Vehicle Division from implementing the law before eventually finding a solution, which allows people to get the ID if they want it, but not requiring every single Arizonan to do so.

Then, the federal government extended the deadline for the Arizona Travel ID, most recently in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now, the new deadline is May 3, 2023 – one year away. As of that date, “every air traveler 18 years and older will need a REAL-ID-compliant driver’s license or identification card, state-issued enhanced driver’s license, or another TSA-acceptable form of identification at airport security points for domestic air travel,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a press release.

The ID is also required to access other restricted federally secured facilities.

The good news is, it’s not complicated to get an Arizona Travel ID. First, fill out an application for the Travel ID card, which can be found at AZMVDNOW. gov.

Then, schedule an appointment at our local MVD office in Yuma.

Gather your identification documents, including a birth certificate or U.S. passport, your Social Security number, and two documents for proof of residency, which can be documents such as bank statements or utility bills that include your address.

Bring those documents to your MVD appointment in Yuma, as well as $25 for the new card, which is valid for 8 years, in most cases, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Now, we should note that you don’t have to get the Arizona Travel ID. You can still travel on airplanes using a valid U.S. passport. But how many people remember to take their passports on every trip? Chances are, you’ve always got your driver’s license in your wallet.

Ultimately, it’s your call as to whether or not you need the Arizona Travel ID. But if you do, the clock is ticking, and as we all know, a year sometimes flies by in the blink of an eye.

If you need to get the enhanced ID card, don’t delay – start the process today.