Real I-D, Really Delayed; Deadline Extended Until 2023; Real I-D Is Optional

It’s a procrastinators dream come true.  Plans for the new Real I-D card nationwide have been bandied about for about a decade.

 

Deadlines come and deadlines go, and only about one quarter of Californians actually have the Real I-D cards.

 

They are drivers licences that have a special code in them which will allow you to use them at airports.

 

The deadline to get one was October 1st 2021.

 

But due to Covid-19, the U S Department of Homeland Security has extended the deadline again.  Now you have until May 3rd 2023 to get a Real I-D.  Again you only need one if you plan to go to an airport, a federal building or a military base in the future.  You don’t need one to drive a car.

 

Eventually your regular drivers license or I-D card won’t be accepted as valid I-D cards at airports.  You will need a Real I-D or a passport.

 

In fact to apply for a Real I-D card at the DMV, you need to show your passport or birth certificate. And other forms of I-D too.

 

Fill out the REAL ID application at REALID.dmv.ca.gov and upload your documents.

You can then bring a confirmation code and documents to a DMV office at your  convenience, even the same day, for express service – no appointment necessary. The DMV in Sacramento claims once you get to a service window at your local DMV Office, it will under 10 minutes to complete the REAL ID transaction.

To apply for a REAL ID, Californians must visit a DMV office and provide:

• One proof of identity* – original or certified (examples: valid passport, birth certificate)
  *Legal name change document(s) if name on proof of identity is different from the name on the other documents (examples: marriage certificate, adoption papers)
• Social Security number
• Two proofs of California residency – paper copies (examples: utility bill, bank statement)

 

FILE – In this June 22, 2018, file photo a sample copy of a Washington drivers license is shown at the Washington state Dept. of Licensing office in Lacey, Wash. Americans will have more time because of the pandemic to get the Real ID that they will need to board a flight or enter federal facilities. The Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday, April 27, 2021, extended the Real ID deadline until May 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)   April 28th 2021

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