REAL ID In Connecticut: Here's What You Need To Get One

CONNECTICUT— After the deadline was extended multiple times due to the pandemic, Connecticut residents now have less than a year to obtain their REAL ID, which will be required to fly domestically starting May 3, 2023.

Residents will no longer be allowed to board flights or visit federal facilities and military bases with ordinary driver's licenses or ID cards on that date. Those who do not have a REAL ID will need a valid U.S. passport to fly within the country.

You don’t require a REAL ID-compliant license if you already have a valid US passport, an enhanced driver’s license CT, or a DHS Trusted Traveler Card.

To obtain a real ID, Connecticut residents must provide:

• Two proofs of Connecticut residency: They could be utility bills, bank statements, or similar documents. The dates must be within 90 days.
• Proof of identity or legal residence: You will need a US passport, US birth certificate, or a permanent resident card.
• Social security card.

If you changed your name at any point, you will need to provide documentation of the change. Court orders and marriage certificates are some of the documents that support a name change.

Licenses with REAL ID verification cannot be renewed online, you will need to visit the DMV in person.

You’ll find DMV hub offices in the following locations.

• Hamden
• Willimantic
• Bridgeport
• Norwalk
• Wethersfield
• Danbury
• Waterbury
• Old Saybrook

Partner offices like DMV Express also process verified driver’s licenses and ID cards. You’ll find such offices in:

• Glastonbury
• Avon
• Southington
• North Haven
• Milford
• Cromwell
• Manchester
• Norwalk
• Old Saybrook
• Southington
• West Hartford
• Waterford

First-time license/ID applicants must apply for a REAL ID at a full-service DMV location. Ensure you make an appointment before visiting.

Once you submit the necessary documents, the DMV office will verify your identity, social security number, name changes, and CT residency. Non-US citizens may be subject to verification using the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements Program.

In most cases, your REAL ID will be available via mail within 3-4 weeks, according to the DMV. Be sure to follow up if it doesn't arrive within 60 days.

All this bureaucracy doesn't come for free. If you aren’t renewing your license/ID card, you’ll pay a one-time $30 duplicate fee to get a REAL ID in Connecticut. If you’re due for renewal, you'll pay the regular CT renewal fees. The charges are:

• $22.50 for a six-year ID card renewal
• $72 for a six-year license renewal
• $96 for an eight-year license renewal
• $24 for a two-year renewal license (for persons aged 65 years or above)
• $70 for a four-year license renewal (commercial driver’s license)

The REAL ID Act was passed after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to establish minimum security standards for state-issued driver's licenses and identification cards. The Department of Homeland Security initially postponed the enforcement date for REAL ID from Oct. 1, 2020, to Oct. 1, 2021, in response to COVID-19.