Real ID In Maryland: State First To Be Recertified By Feds

ANNAPOLIS, MD — More than half of Maryland drivers are Real ID compliant, earning the state praise and recertification from the Department of Homeland Security. If you haven't tackled the lines at the Motor Vehicle Administration to get a new Maryland driver's license that is Real ID compliant, it's time to get one, officials say. Residents who have ignored notices to replace their license with the new ID can have their driver's license confiscated if they're stopped by a police officer.

Anyone who plans to fly by October 2020 must have a Real ID credential or another form of approved identification to board a flight or enter a secure federal facility. Maryland is the first state to have its personal identification program recertified by the DHS, the head of the MVA said Thursday.

After the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks Congress required states to toughen the standards states use in issuing driver’s licenses and other forms of identification, to make them more secure. Several of the 9/11 hijackers had false driver’s licenses. Maryland Matters reports that documents required to be on file to meet the standards include: a birth certificate or passport, proof of a Social Security number and two documents proving Maryland residence.

“With about 14 months to go until the October 1, 2020, deadline for REAL ID, more than half of Marylanders are REAL ID compliant,” MVA Administrator Chrissy Nizer said in a statement.
“I want to thank our customers for taking the time to collect their documents and come to our branches. With this recertification, Marylanders can feel confident their REAL ID driver’s license or identification card is one of the most secure in the country.”

For months Maryland officials have urged residents to gather up the documents they need for the new ID. Now the stakes have been raised, since the MVA has begun recalling drivers licenses. The Department of Transportation says drivers should have received five notices to ask that they come to an MVA office with documents to meet federal Real ID requirements.

If drivers haven't done so, their license is recalled, making the card have invalid. If these people are pulled over by law enforcement, officers will confiscate their driver's licenses. To remove the recall status from your license, visit the Real ID document guide: www.mva.maryland.gov/odg to collect required documentation and make an appointment to be seen at an MDOT MVA branch.

"Sixty percent of Maryland's almost 3 million licensed drivers must submit new documentation to prove age, identity and residence by October 2020," according to previous news reports.

To speed the process of obtaining a Real ID, you must meet the burden of proof, AAA Travel Services says. All the documents required to verify your identity must be originals, including official birth documents issued by a state. Temporary documents and photocopies are not accepted.

To reduce wait times for Real ID, the Maryland Department of Transportation MVA extended service hours at seven branch offices. Under the plan, the Maryland MVA will make more than 3,000 appointments available statewide each day.

Check to see if you already have a Real ID credential. "If you have a star in the upper right-hand corner of your driver's license, permit, or identification card, you have a Real-ID compliant license," said Ragina Cooper Averella with AAA Mid-Atlantic. Your renewed driver's license or identification card will be mailed directly to your home address.

While Real IDs are not needed to vote, you'll need it to board a domestic commercial flight as of October 1, 2020, if you don't have an alternative federally-acceptable identification, such as a valid passport or military ID card. In addition to needing it for a domestic flight, you'll need the Real ID to enter federal offices or military installations if you don't have a passport or military ID card.

The REAL ID Act was passed after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks to establish minimum security standards for state-issued driver's licenses and identification cards.

Officials encourage Maryland residents to make an appointment on the MDOT MVA website to obtain the secure ID.

Required documentation includes identification (original or certified copy of a birth certificate with a raised seal or valid U.S. passport), a Social Security card, W-2 form, proof of legal name changes, and two proofs of address, such as vehicle registration, insurance card or bank statement. For specific information about what documents you'll need to apply for pre-verification, go to the REAL ID FAQs page.

Find a list of full-service MVA offices, and their hours, here.

Visit Maryland's Real ID Lookup Tool to determine your Real ID status.

Transportation Security Administration officers who check tickets at airports will not allow travelers into the checkpoint without a Real ID license or another form of acceptable ID after October 1, 2020.

If you want to see what the identification cards look like, click here.