The Real ID Program Deadline Has Been Pushed Back. Here’s What You Need To Know.
Have y’all heard of the REAL ID Program?
If you haven’t, you better read on, because these IDs are going to start to be enforced.
BUT, the government has decided to push back the enforcement day by 19 months.
The deadline was initially going to be in October of 2020, but once the coronavirus hit, they delayed enforcement until October of 2021.
NOW, the REAL IDs aren’t going to be enforced until May 3rd of 2023.
Why have they pushed the date back so far?
Well, like everything else on earth, COVID has put a crimp in the plans — but in this case, it is working to our advantage.
As our country continues to recover from the COVID-19 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.
Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security
So What Is A REAL ID?
The REAL ID is simply a driver’s license or state issued ID card that has a star at the top.
But, that star is super important.
People above the age of 18 will be REQUIRED to have a REAL ID if they want to board a plane or go in a federal building.
Right now, not even HALF the U.S. currently have REAL IDs, but everyone will have to get one by May 3, 2023.
Well, I mean, not EVERYONE will have to get one.
But, if you are wanting to go on vacation or visit family on an airplane, you will definitely need one.
To get a REAL ID license, you need to present documentation showing your full legal name and date of birth (such as a birth certificate), your social security number, and two proofs of address. However, states may have additional requirements.
People
The REAL ID act was passed by Congress way back in 2005, as a direct result of the 9/11 Commission
The Commission thought that it is too easy to obtain a driver’s license or state ID card, so they decided to implement the REAL ID program to make it a more strenuous process.
Since the act was passed, the federal government has implemented TSA PreCheck, NPR reported. Travelers with TSA PreCheck won’t need the REAL ID — a consideration that means “we’re not just racing to catch up with the past,” Hansen said.
People
So, if you are planning on ever going pretty much anywhere that involves flying or going in a federal building, you better go ahead and get your REAL ID.
