Deadline for the ‘REAL ID’ Approaches. Have You Got Yours?

The clock is ticking: There are only six months left until the REAL ID rules take effect. The deadline was previously extended, in part due to COVID, from May 3, 2023, to May 7, 2025.
Do you remember what REAL ID is?
Starting in May of next year, everyone boarding a flight within the U.S. or wanting to enter certain federal buildings, including military bases, will need a new type of identification unless they have a passport or another form of federally accepted ID.
The law known as the REAL ID Act was passed by Congress in 2005 at the suggestion of the 9/11 Commission that the federal government should “set standards for the issuance of identification sources, such as driver’s licenses,” according to the Department of Homeland Security. Remember that the driver’s license is the primary form of identification for Americans and is issued by the states.
The act established minimum security standards for driver’s licenses and state-issued ID cards after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.
Federal agencies, including the Transportation Security Administration, will be prohibited from accepting driver’s licenses and ID cards that do not meet federal standards after May 7.
‘Enhanced’ vs. “REAL IDs”
‘Enhanced’ documents are compliant with the federal REAL ID and feature an image of the U.S. flag. ‘REAL IDs’, issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles, have an image of a star.
Enhanced licenses include a radio frequency identification chip that allows authorities to view someone’s biographical and biometric data at a border inspection booth from up to 30 feet away. These licenses also have a machine-readable zone or barcode that authorities can read electronically if the RFID chip system is not available.
The other main difference is that enhanced IDs can be used to cross the U.S. border with Canada, Mexico, and some Caribbean countries by land or sea. This license can be used instead of a passport as a document of identity and citizenship; REAL IDs cannot. (Air travel to these nations will still require a passport).
Enhanced IDs (an enhanced driver’s license or an enhanced ID card for non-drivers) also cost $30 more, in addition to regular transaction fees.
Both forms of identification are not mandatory and are not required for driving or voting.
What you need to obtain a REAL ID
Obtaining the REAL ID or enhanced document requires stricter requirements than obtaining a standard driver’s license. You will need to prove both U.S. citizenship and residency in the state. Required documents:
• Proof of identity — this can be a current New York driver’s license, permit, or non-driver ID;
• Proof of legal presence — a U.S. birth certificate, original or certified copy only;
• Two proofs of residency in New York state — must show a full address, not a P.O. box. Acceptable documents include a New York driver’s license, permit, or non-driver ID; New York title certificate; New York professional license; bank statement issued last year; U.S. utility bill issued last year with name and address; credit card statement on letterhead, issued last year; or a current property or school tax bill or receipt.
• Proof of Social Security number — a Social Security card or a current W2, paycheck, 1099 or 1098 tax form showing the full number; and
• Current driver’s license if you are requesting a swap for one issued by another state.
Which ID is right for me?
The Department of Motor Vehicles has a comparison chart of the features of a standard (current) ID card, the enhanced, and the REAL. The following questions will also help make a determination:
Do you want to use your driver’s license (ID) to board a domestic flight?
Do you want to use your ID to enter a federal building or military base?
Do you want to use your ID to cross into the U.S., whether by land or sea, from Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean?
Source: Lohud