REAL ID Deadline: May 3, 2023
WASHINGTON – Today, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas announced the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is extending the REAL ID full enforcement date by 19 months, from October 1, 2021 to May 3, 2023, due to circumstances resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has significantly impacted states’ ability to issue REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses and identification cards, with many driver’s licensing agencies still operating at limited capacity.
PREVIOUS POST BELOW. I’m letting the original article stand as it contains valuable requirements information.
Lina M. Maini, Editor
Your Regular License or State I.D. Will Not Allow You To Fly Starting October, 2021.
February 15, 2021
By October of this year, your standard driver’s license or state-issued I.D. will not allow you to fly commercially. Since 2006, the federal government has urged (and then, mandated), the transition to Real I.D. for advanced security purposes.
After October 1, 2021, these are the permissions related to commercial flight and federal facilities access for these three types of government photo I.D.s (excluding passports and passport cards- reported on in next week’s Bulletin):
Standard driver’s licenses will not be valid for federal purposes, such as flying commercially or accessing federal buildings and military bases.
Enhanced driver’s licenses will also require a U.S. Passport for boarding international flights and entering federal buildings and installations.
Real I.D. will allow immediate access to commercial, domestic and foreign flights and all federal buildings and installations.
Getting a REAL ID is not mandatory but is encouraged
A REAL ID is optional and is not needed for the following:
- Being licensed to drive
- Voting or registering to vote
- Entering Federal facilities that do not require a person to present identification
- Applying for or receiving Federal benefits
- Accessing health or life preserving services (including hospitals and health clinics), law enforcement, or constitutionally protected activities (including a defendant’s access to court proceedings)
- Participating in law enforcement proceedings or investigations
However, by October 1, 2021, all citizens, legal residents and all other persons working or studying in the U.S. and its territories, and in situations requiring a government i.d., will be required to have a validated enhanced state I.D. or, a fed-state”Real ID”. Below are the specifics.
What: The REAL ID Act of 2005, Pub.L. 109-13, 119 Stat. 302, enacted May 11, 2005, is an Act of Congress that modified U.S. federal law pertaining to security, authentication, and issuance procedures standards for the state driver’s licenses and identification (ID) cards, as well as various immigration issues pertaining to terrorism.
Data requirements
A Real ID-compliant form of identification requires, at a minimum, the following pieces of data:
- Full legal name
- Signature
- Date of birth
- Gender
- Unique, identifying number
- Principal residence address
- Resident status
- Front-facing photograph of the applicant
Real I.D.s must also feature specific security features intended to prevent tampering, counterfeiting, or duplication of the document for fraudulent purposes. These cards must also present data in a common, machine-readable format (bar codes, Smart card technology, etc.).
The law set forth certain requirements for state driver’s licenses and ID cards to be accepted by the federal government for “official purposes”, as defined by the Secretary of Homeland Security. The Secretary of Homeland Security has currently defined “official purposes” as presenting state driver’s licenses and identification cards for boarding commercially operated airline flights and entering federal buildings and nuclear power plants.
Each state must agree to share its motor vehicle database with all other states. This database must include, at a minimum, all the data printed on the state drivers’ licenses and ID cards, plus drivers’ histories (including motor vehicle violations, suspensions, and points on licenses) and include resident status.
When: The effective date of the Real ID Act implementation deadline until October 1, 2021.
Why: It’s federal law.
Please visit www.dhs.gov for more REAL ID info.
BNI Operatives: Situationally aware.
As always, stay safe.
The Beacon Bulletin 