Real ID Act: Illinois To Start Issuing New IDs Next Year

Starting soon, U.S. residents won't be able to fly around the country unless their state ID is complaint with the REAL ID law. Illinois has been granted an extension to come into compliance, so for now, residents will still be able to board domestic flights with their current ID, but the Secretary of State's office estimates it will be able to issue REAL ID-compliant cards starting in January 2019.

Starting on Jan. 22, travelers with driver's licenses from states that are already compliant with the 2005 REAL ID Act or have not been granted an extension are not able to travel by air within the U.S. unless they show an alternate form of ID.

Passengers with IDs from states that have been granted an extension by the Department of Homeland Security — including Illinois — are still be able to use their driver's licenses or identification cards.

Visitors seeking access to military bases and almost all federal facilities must also present state-issued driver's licenses and identification cards that are REAL ID compliant or have been granted an extension.

Although Illinois is currently operating under a REAL ID waiver, the Illinois Secretary of State’s office estimates it will be able to begin issuing new licenses and state IDs next year.

A bill signed by Bruce Rauner last fall also allows Illinois residents to opt out of REAL IDs and instead use a passport or certified birth certificate to board flights.

Illinois is moving closer to meeting REAL ID compliance and has changed the process for being issued a new ID. Now, applicants who visit a DMW to update their license or state ID are no longer issued a permanent license or ID card that same day.

"Instead, they leave the facility with a temporary secure paper driver's license, which is valid for 90 days and will serve as their DL/ID for driving purposes and proof of identification," according to the Secretary of State. " ... This new process, central issuance, meets REAL ID requirements mandated by DHS. As a result, these changes are necessary for Illinois to move closer to achieving full REAL ID compliance. Illinois is not the first state to transition to central issuance."

The REAL ID law was passed by Congress in 2005 as a way to establish minimum security standards for state-issued IDs. The deadline was set by the Trump administration after the law was opposed by states under George W. Bush and not enforced under Barack Obama.

REAL IDs don't look much different than standard state IDs. But in order to receive one, you have to go to the DMV and prove your identity, your state residency, your lawful presence in the country and your Social Security status. Doing this gets you special star icon on your license, which means its REAL ID compliant.

The REAL ID program is opposed by the ACLU, which says it is a thinly veiled attempt to create a national ID, and says it will allow the federal government to collect even more information on residents, as well as put an burden on state governments to issue the ID cards.

Find a list of states that are already REAL ID compliant here, along with states that have been granted extensions.

Photo: Transportation Security Administration agents check travelers identifications at a security check point area in Terminal 3 at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

Alex Costello, Patch Staff, contributed to this report.