REAL ID deadline approaches: What you need to know about the requirements
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The REAL ID enforcement deadline is Wednesday, May 7, after years of delays. Here's everything you need to know about the requirements.
Miami, Florida, Miami International Airport, Homeland Security REAL ID message. (Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
What is REAL ID?
What we know:
The new form of identification incorporates anti-counterfeiting technology and uses documentary evidence and record checks to ensure a person is who they claim to be.
Passed by Congress in 2005, the REAL ID Act enacted the 9/11 Commission's recommendation that the Federal Government "set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver's licenses." The Act established minimum security standards for state-issued driver's licenses and identification cards and prohibits certain federal agencies from accepting for official purposes licenses and identification cards from states that do not meet these standards.
The official purposes include:
- Accessing certain federal facilities
- Boarding federally regulated commercial aircraft
- Entering nuclear power plants
Real ID: How to get yours in DC, Maryland & Virginia as deadline approaches
Americans have a little less than one year to get the Real ID they will need to board domestic flights or enter certain federal facilities.
How to get a REAL ID?
What you can do:
Individuals can visit their local DMV office in order to get a REAL ID. You will need to provide documentation showing the following:
1) Full Legal Name
2) Date of Birth
3) Social Security Number
4) Two Proofs of Address of Principal Residence
5) Lawful Status.
Use these links to check D.C., Maryland, and Virginia DMVs for any additional requirements:
DC Department of Motor Vehicles
Maryland Department of Transportation
Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles
What's next:
REAL IDs will also be required to enter some federal facilities such as military bases.
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about making sure you are REAL ID ready.