BATON ROUGE — The REAL ID deadline is tomorrow, May 7th, and Louisiana residents are in a rush to get their driver’s licenses changed over to the new, federally accepted version for flying and other purposes. After Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005, the TSA has said it is not delaying the transition any longer.
Starting May 7, anyone flying must present a REAL ID or any other federally acceptable document to the TSA when flying domestically. In addition, a REAL ID is required to access certain federal facilities such as a federal courthouse, military site, or nuclear power plant.
The REAL ID Act was passed by Congress in 2005 and establishes minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards that can be used for official federal purposes. It was a recommendation from the 9/11 Commission, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
UWK spoke with Nick Gremillion, public information officer with the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV) about the REAL ID and what residents should know as the deadline approaches.
What is a REAL ID?
A REAL ID is a federally accepted driver’s license,
A Louisiana REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or identification card will display a gold circle with a star cutout in the top right corner. A driver’s license that is not a REAL ID will say “Not for federal identification” toward the top of the card.
The OMV provided two photo examples of the differences in these licenses, with a REAL ID on the left and a regular license on the right.
How do you get a REAL ID?
To get a REAL ID for federal identification purposes, residents will need to bring a few extra items with them when they visit the DMV or Public Tag office.
“It’s actually really simple for most people,” Gremillion explained. “They would just need their birth certificate or valid U.S. passport, and then two pieces of mail that prove that you live at the address that you do.”
The pieces of mail can be utility bills, bank statements, credit card statements, tax information, paycheck stubs, or mortgage statements, to name some examples.
The Louisiana OMV has an interactive tool on its website, named LOUIE, with more options for documents to bring.
If residents are not eligible for a license renewal, they can upgrade to the REAL ID by applying for a duplicate license or identification card that is REAL ID-compliant. Gremillion said the standard prices for renewal or duplicate cards will be the same with the REAL ID upgrade.
What happens if you don’t get a REAL ID by May 7?
Those who fly domestically on commercial flights will be the ones most impacted by the REAL ID deadline, Gremillion said.
However, there are multiple forms of “acceptable identification” the TSA will accept at the airport if you do not have a REAL ID driver’s license. Among these are a U.S. passport or passport card and TWIC, in addition to other forms of identification.
The TSA advises that this list is subject to change, and that travelers should check over the list before leaving to ensure they have the correct form of identification.
For more information about REAL ID or questions regarding your driver’s license, the OMV suggests visiting the following websites:
• REAL ID Checklist
• Acceptable IDs at TSA Checkpoints
• REAL ID FAQs
• Book an Appointment
• Driver’s License Status
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