1 week Ago
A woman stomped out of the Santa Fe field office of the New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division on Friday morning, cursing and clutching a thick folder. About an hour later, another man slammed through the front door of the office in a similar fashion. They had both been told the same thing: They didn't have the right documentation and — even worse — they were going to have to make another visit to the office after collecting the right documents.
The clock is ticking. Congress passed the Real ID Act in 2005, setting stricter identity verification requirements for driver's licenses and other identity documents used for federal purposes as a security measure in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
After years of setting and then delaying deadlines for Real ID enforcement, the federal government has warned the current deadline of May 7 is the official date when possession of the more secure identification cards will be required to board an airplane and enter federal facilities. As the date approaches, some in New Mexico have been scrambling to gather their documents to get the cards. The requirements to verify one's identity are more stringent than those for driver's licenses in the past, requiring various approved records that provide proof of identity, age, Social Security number and residence.
Tasked with handling frustrated visitors at the office in recent weeks has been the agency's bureau chief, Ricardo Rodriguez, who on Friday morning was greeting people at the door in a suit. He said sometimes people have documents with first and last names that don't match, which means they have to show other records — such as a marriage certificate, divorce decree or court order — that provide a clear trail to account for that. The most common issue, he said, is that people come in thinking they have everything they need and they're missing a document.
"Most people are understanding, and their visit goes smoothly," Rodriguez said. "But there are cases like that where they just bring mail and feel that it's going to be acceptable, or they think if they're angry enough that we're just going to go ahead and accept it. We can't do that, because we have to follow, you know, statute.
" Across the state, the division's offices have been handling an uptick in customers. The division issued more than 51,000 Real IDs in March, compared with about 36,000 in March 2024, according to data provided by the state Department of Taxation and Revenue. Last week, Motor Vehicle Division field offices were set to serve about 2,000 more people than they did the previous week.
While the average wait time statewide is four to five minutes, according to the agency, that average has increased to eight minutes in recent weeks. Rodriguez said it has felt like "going from zero to 100" in the past few weeks at offices in the region. He believes the numbers of people will continue to increase in the coming weeks, right up until — and possibly even after — the deadline.
About 80% of drivers and other ID-holders in New Mexico already have Real IDs, Taxation and Revenue Cabinet Secretary Stephanie Schardin Clarke said in an interview, which means 20% — or about 300,000 New Mexicans — still don't. "We have to keep in mind that some of them don't want a Real ID, don't need a Real ID or maybe aren't eligible to receive a Real ID," Schardin Clarke said. "Some subset of those 300,000, though — we need to make sure we reach them and make sure they're aware.
We don't want them to be caught by surprise." She said her department has stepped up outreach to make sure New Mexicans know about the Real ID deadline in the final stretch, including news conferences, social media campaigns and ads. Unlike some other states — such as Texas — New Mexico is continuing to offer standard driver's licenses as well for those who might not want or need to get a Real ID.
She noted there are some who have a passport and might not need or want a Real ID, some who have another type of identification — such as a military card — that will be accepted by the federal Transportation Security Administration, and others, such as immigrants without proof of lawful residency, who can receive a state-issued "standard license" but are not eligible for a Real ID. "We don't really have any way to break down that number," Schardin Clarke said. "But when someone comes into our office, we make sure they're aware, and we offer them both the Real ID and the standard driver's license, and then they choose which one to proceed with.
" She encouraged people to "really spend some time looking at our website and making sure that your documents are fully compliant before you come in." "We don't want you to spend your time coming in and for us only to say the documentation you brought in today doesn't make you eligible," she said. Schardin Clarke pointed out anyone who is getting their Real ID at the last minute won't necessarily have to wait for it to come in the mail to use it if they opt for a mobile driver's license.
The mobile IDs can be added to a digital wallet after an application has been approved, and TSA agents accept them. A news release from the TSA earlier this month stated people who do not present compliant identification such as a Real ID or a passport at airport security beginning on May 7 "can expect to face delays, additional screening and the possibility of not being permitted into the security checkpoint." There were 10 people waiting for flights inside the terminal of the Santa Fe Regional Airport on a recent afternoon, and all of them had Real IDs.
Most had renewed at some point in recent years and opted for the Real ID, although a few weren't sure if they had a Real ID or not until looking at their license and seeing the star in the corner. An airport security agent said most people who pass through her line already have Real IDs. She estimated about 10% don't, and she said she reminds those people about the coming deadline.
A sign posted in front of the walk-through metal detector reminds flyers about the May 7 deadline, asking, "Are you Real ID ready?" The airport's security manager Jimmy Gunn said the agency's officers would have discretion over handling passengers without Real IDs, but he said the additional screening process involves calling a hotline to verify each person's identity individually, which can be time-consuming. In other instances, the verification process has taken up to 30 minutes per person, he said. While frequent flyers have regularly faced reminders over the Real ID deadline for years now, he said, the occasional infrequent flyer — or someone who has a 10-year driver's license and hasn't had to renew in years — could cause delays for everyone.
"That's what these guys are worried about," Gunn said, referring to the airport's security guards. "We're small — we don't get that much traffic, but like the [Albuquerque] Sunport or these bigger airports, it could slow them way down.".
