The REAL ID will be needed to fly and the deadline is quickly approaching
Starting October 1st, any flyer over the age of 18 will need a REAL ID drivers license or federally issued identification card to fly domestically.
Many local residents already have their REAL IDs. “I have a REAL ID. I got it probably about a month ago,” said Coachella Valley resident Greg Adams. “I got mine last summer,” said another local, Kirby Pert.
REAL IDs require more proof of identity like a social security number, a tax form, or a pay stub. You'll know if you have a REAL ID compliant card if you see a star at the top right corner of the card. This mark is similar for all fifty states.
“The process itself was kind of annoying but in the end it was really good to get it over with,” said Coachella Valley resident Zephaniah Tyler. Getting the REAL ID might be something better to get done sooner rather than later. Tyler said the process for him took a couple weeks to finally have the ID in hand.
Kelsey Turcotte was a traveler from North Carolina, She did not have the typical REAL ID. She was traveling with a military ID. By October 1st, if travelers do not have a REAL ID, they are able to use a passport or military ID.
REAL ID FACT SHEET - Department of Homeland Security
Other forms of ID that will be accepted include:
• U.S. passport
• U.S. passport card
• DHS trusted traveler card (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
• U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents
• Permanent resident card
• Border crossing card
• DHS-designated enhanced driver’s license
• Federally recognized, tribal-issued photo ID
• HSPD-12 PIV card
• Foreign government-issued passport
• Canadian provincial driver’s license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card
• Transportation worker identification credential (TWIC®)
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
• U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential
“I have a card called global entry. It’s a government issued program predominantly run by TSA, but it counts as a REAL ID, so they scan it, they take it and it works,” said traveler Chip Heller. He said he still plans to get his REAL ID, just to have it.
The REAL ID Act was passed by congress in 2005. All states were supposed to comply by October of 2020, but due to the pandemic, many DMV's needed to cancel in person appointments and applications. This pushed the date an extra year. The REAL ID will only be needed to fly, you do not need a REAL ID to drive.
Travelers who do not have a REAL ID by the October 1st deadline will need to bring their passport or U.S. military ID to fly, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
CHECKLIST ON WHAT TO BRING TO THE DMV TO GET A REAL ID - Department of Motor Vehicles
News Channel 3's Taban Sharifi will have more details tonight at 6 p.m. on KESQ News Channel 3.
