In exactly one year, you will need a new identity or driver’s license if you want to use this document to board planes or enter federal public buildings.
The REAL ID Act, a law that enhances and standardizes the current driver’s license, was supposed to go into effect in May 2023, but due to the COVID pandemic, the deadline for the new document requirement has been pushed to May 7, 2025.
Why REAL ID?
The new requirements are the result of the REAL ID Act, which was passed by Congress in 2005 at the suggestion of the 9/11 Commission that the federal government “establish standards for the issuance of identification documents, such as driver’s licenses.”
The law established minimum security standards for driver’s licenses and identification cards issued by states 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 identification cards that do not meet federal standards.
ENHANCED ID vs. REAL ID
There are two types of documents: Enhanced and Real. Enhanced licenses feature an image of the U.S. flag and include a radio frequency identification chip that allows authorities to see a person’s biographical and biometric data from a distance of up to 30 feet. Therefore, they can be used to cross the U.S. border by land or sea coming from Canada, Mexico, and some Caribbean countries. This license can be used instead of a passport as a form of identity and citizenship in these cases.
REAL licenses feature an image of a star. They can be used to enter public buildings and board domestic flights, but not for international travel, where the holder of this document will still need to present a passport.
REAL or Enhanced IDs are not mandatory and are not required to obtain a driver’s license or vote. If you don’t mind carrying your passport everywhere, you can stick with your regular driver’s license.
What do you need to get a REAL ID?
Obtaining an Enhanced or REAL ID has stricter requirements than obtaining a standard driver’s license. You will need to prove U.S. citizenship or permanent residency and residency in the state of New York. 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 birth certificate in the U.S., either original or certified copy;
• Two proofs of residency in the state of New York – must show a complete address, not a P.O. box. Accepted documents include a New York driver’s license, permit, or non-driver ID; New York title certificate; New York professional license; bank statement issued in the last year; U.S. utility bill issued last year with name and address; credit card statement on letterhead, issued in the last year; or a current year residential or school tax bill or receipt.
• Proof of Social Security number;
• Current driver’s license if you are requesting a transfer from 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, Enhanced, and REAL. The following questions will also help in making a decision:
• Do you want to use your license (ID) to board a domestic flight?
• Do you want to use your ID to enter a federal building or military base?
• Do you wish to use your ID to enter the U.S., whether by land or sea, coming from Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean?
The DMV has an online document guide and will assist you with what is needed. Visit your state’s department of transportation website and don’t wait until the last minute to make the change.
Source: Lohud