Starting in March 2019, Pennsylvania residents will be able to receive a REAL ID. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) website, “The REAL ID Act is a federal law passed by Congress after Sept. 11, 2001, that establishes specific minimum federal standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and ID cards to be accepted for certain federal purposes, like entering a federal building or boarding a domestic commercial flight.” This is meant as another level of security following the 9/11 attacks.
By Oct. 1, 2020, Pennsylvania residents will be required to have a REAL ID-compliant identification card or REAL ID-compliant driver’s license to be able to board domestic flights. Other acceptable forms of ID listed by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), such as a passport, can be used to board domestic flights. Otherwise, past Oct. 1, 2020, standard driver’s licenses and identification cards will not be accepted for domestic flights unless they are REAL ID-compliant.
Standard, PennDOT-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards are currently still valid for boarding domestic flights in Pennsylvania, because the state received an extension that runs until August 2019, which makes standard driver’s licenses and identification cards still an acceptable form of identification.
According to the Pennsylvania DMV’s Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page for REAL ID, Pennsylvania was not able to make the switch to REAL ID sooner and required extensions because of a Pennsylvania law that prohibited PennDOT from complying with the REAL ID Act. However, a new law repealed the prior legislation, making PennDOT able to work toward REAL ID compliance.
Pennsylvania residents will still be able to drive, vote, receive or apply for federal benefits like Social Security, enter a federal building that does not require identification like a post office, access and use hospital services, serve on federal juries and testify in federal courts without needing a REAL ID. The only difference between a REAL ID and a standard, state-issued form of ID is that a REAL ID allows domestic flight boarding and entrance to federal buildings.
A REAL ID is not required or mandatory to have, especially if someone already owns a passport, which would allow flight boarding and federal building access. It is recommended by the Department of Homeland Security and the Pennsylvania DMV that people who already own passports yet would like a REAL ID wait for the initial application rush to slow down before getting one.
To get a REAL ID in Pennsylvania, residents have to bring certain documents to the DMV. These documents include proof of identity (like a birth certificate or a passport), proof of social security number, proof of Pennsylvania residency (like a driver’s license or vehicle registration card) and, only when applicable, proof of legal name, date of birth and/or gender designation change. There is a one-time fee of $30 to receive a REAL ID, and then there are subsequent renewal fees. The first expiration date of a REAL ID will include any time still currently on someone’s license or identification card, plus an additional four years.
“This expiration date structure means that you won’t ‘lose’ time that you’ve already paid for,” the Pennsylvania DMV FAQ section said. “After the initial REAL ID product expires, the costumer will pay no additional fee, beyond regular renewal fees, to renew a REAL ID product.”
For example, the current renewal fee in Pennsylvania for a four-year license or identification card is $30.50.
The price of the REAL ID makes it preferable to some in comparison to other identification cards.
“It’s cheaper than buying a passport if you’re only traveling within the country,” junior Katlyn Krietz said. In comparison, the current adult application fee for a passport book and card is $140, the acceptance fee is $35 and the renewal fee for a passport book and card is $140, according to travel.state.gov.
However, the inconvenience of getting a new ID in order to fly makes the REAL ID unappealing for others.
“It’s almost like just going through more red tape, having to jump through another hoop,” junior Aubrey Mitchell said.
“It’s another hurdle, but it’s not a big hurdle,” Krietz said. “It also keeps things a little more regulated, hopefully.”
“I’m glad that they’re taking safety seriously, but they should worry more about the things that are being brought onto the flights,” Mitchell said.
More information on REAL ID can be found at the Department of Homeland Security website. REAL ID information and application information specific to Pennsylvania can be found at the Pennsylvania DMV website.
