The deadline for Americans to obtain a Real ID is set to arrive Wednesday after years of delays.<\/p>\n
Starting Wednesday, driver’s licenses that are not Real ID compliant will not be adequate identification to travel on domestic flights and access certain federal facilities, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The policy change comes from recommendations made in the aftermath of the 9\/11 attacks.<\/p>\n
But with the policy about to be in place, many are still without these IDs and are scrambling to quickly secure one.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what you need to know about the Real ID deadline:<\/p>\n
The Real ID<\/a>, unlike other forms of identification that people may carry such as some driver\u2019s licenses, has certain security features that better help the federal government detect fraudulent identities.<\/p>\n One defining feature of these IDs that can tell people if theirs is a Real ID is a star in the upper right corner of the card. Otherwise, these IDs will mostly look the same as a driver\u2019s license.<\/p>\n Being able to easily board a commercial domestic flight is the most widespread use that people will have for these IDs, as a non-Real ID driver\u2019s license will no longer be enough to have access starting Wednesday. They would also grant access to certain federal facilities such as those for federal agencies.<\/p>\n But activities such as accessing museums that don\u2019t require identification or hospitals and\u00a0participating in law enforcement proceedings are excluded from this requirement.<\/p>\n After 9\/11, the 9\/11 Commission crafted a report with a range of recommendations for the federal government to implement to prevent similar attacks from happening in the future.<\/p>\n Former President George W. Bush signed the bipartisan Real ID Act into law in 2005, following the commission\u2019s recommendation. The legislation set requirements for what information a person must provide to their state before being issued a driver\u2019s license or another form of identification and what information must be included on the card they receive.<\/p>\n States are also required to verify the information that an applicant gives them before issuing the card.<\/p>\n The federal government is not forming any national database based on this information, as states, territories and districts still issue their own licenses, maintain their own records and determine who has access to those records. But the Real ID requirements make the public\u2019s identification documents more consistent nationwide and secure, according to the DHS.<\/p>\n All 50 states, five U.S. territories and Washington, D.C., are issuing Real ID cards. People can apply for and claim them at Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) offices near where they live.<\/p>\n The DHS says people should visit their DMV website to learn what documentation is required to receive a Real ID. At minimum, applicants will need to show documentation of their full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, two pieces of proof of their principal address and lawful status in the country.<\/p>\n A person\u2019s first application for a Real ID must be done in person, but subsequent renewals later will be allowed to be done online.<\/p>\n While people are not actually required to obtain a Real ID for their daily lives, having one will make commercial domestic air travel and accessing those federal facilities considerably easier. Still, work-arounds do exist for those who are unable to receive one before the deadline or who choose not to.<\/p>\n A passport, already required for international flights, will continue to also be accepted on domestic flights. Other accepted forms<\/a> of identification include permanent resident cards, foreign government-issued passports and Enhanced Driver\u2019s Licenses that Washington, Michigan, Minnesota, New York and Vermont issue, even though most do not contain the star.<\/p>\n The DHS warns that those who don\u2019t have a Real ID or an acceptable alternative starting Wednesday could face additional delays and screenings and possibly not be permitted past a security checkpoint.<\/p>\n States have offered Real IDs at DMV offices for years, but many still don\u2019t have them. The deadline was repeatedly delayed, most recently due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n A CBS News analysis conducted last month found less than 50 percent<\/a> of IDs in at least 17 states were compliant with the requirements. Thirty states were less than 70 percent compliant, the outlet reported.<\/p>\n New Jersey had the lowest compliance rate<\/a>, at just 17 percent of all IDs. The state also has one of the highest percentages of residents with passports, so many have an alternative, but it is rolling out<\/a> additional appointment availabilities this month to give more people an opportunity to obtain a real ID.<\/p>\nWhy is the government requiring them?<\/h2>\n
How do I get a new ID?<\/h2>\n
What happens if I don\u2019t have one?<\/h2>\n
How many people currently have one?<\/h2>\n