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If you don’t yet have a REAL ID, you’d better get busy. Rounding up everything you need to get a new, upgraded Virginia driver’s license or identification card verifying that you meet “minimum security standards” can take time and effort. After May 7, people in Virginia who want to board a domestic airline flight or enter a secure federal facility or a military base will need more than the usual state-issued driver’s license or identification card.
The REAL ID looks a lot like the card you probably carry in your wallet now, but it has a small star in the upper right corner that makes all the difference. It’s not as if people haven’t had the opportunity to get the new cards. The federal law mandating that states verify that IDs they issue meet specific minimum security requirements was signed into law 20 years ago — in May 2005.
That law set an overly optimistic date of May 2008 to begin requiring the new REAL IDs at airport security, military bases and secure facilities. That deadline has been pushed back repeatedly, but now the federal government says May 7 is the real deal. Officially, the commonwealth of Virginia doesn’t mind if you just stick with your current driver’s license or ID.
If you don’t ever travel by air, or if you have a military ID, you may not need one. But if you plan a plane trip, or if you’re a civilian and hope to visit a military base anytime soon, you’ll want to get busy. Recent controversies over such things as legal status and right to vote also argue in favor of getting the REAL ID.
It is possible to use a valid, current U.S. passport book or passport card rather than a real ID for domestic flights and to visit a military base or other federal facility.
But most people find it easier to just carry their driver’s license or ID, which will now need that little star. To get your REAL ID, you’ll need to visit a Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles in person. To speed things up, you can start the process on the DMV website, which also tells you about the documentation you should bring with you.
Briefly, that documentation includes one proof of identity. That can be your birth certificate, but it must be the original or a certified copy, not a photocopy. A valid U.
S. passport also is acceptable. You’ll also need two proofs that you are a resident of Virginia, such as deed, mortgage statement or lease agreement.
You’ll need to be able to prove “legal presence” — that you are a U.S. citizen, legal permanent resident or legally authorized to be in this country And you’ll need proof of your Social Security number.
If you have memorized it, the DMV folks should be able to look it up. Women probably won’t be surprised to learn that it can be more difficult for them to provide all the paperwork needed for the REAL ID. They will need proof of their name change if they took their husband’s last name when they married.
Women who have divorced, taken back their birth name, and/or remarried and changed their name again will need more proof. In general, it’s safer to take all the documentation you can gather with you to the DMV, just in case. Sign up for Viewpoints, an opinion newsletter The cost for the REAL ID is $10.
Your old driver’s license or ID will be voided. You will get a temporary one while your new, upgraded card with the star is processed. If you’ve put off getting a real ID until nearly the last minute, you are not alone.
Recent figures show that about 4 million Virginians have the real ID. That’s not quite 60% of those who currently have a driver’s license or state-issued ID card. In other words, there may be a lot of people trying to get their Real IDs by May 7.
The time to get busy is now..
