Big Change To ID Requirements Less Than 1 Month Away In MD

MARYLAND — Do you have your REAL ID yet? There's just one month left for Marylanders to obtain their updated identification so they do not experience travel disruptions.

Effective May 7, Maryland residents who are 18 and older must show a REAL ID, a passport or other federally approved identification to board domestic flights or certain federal buildings.

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The anti-terrorism law requiring the “gold star ID,” as it’s sometimes called, passed in 2005 in response to the Sept 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and aims to heighten national security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards.

The law was originally supposed to take effect in 2008 but has been delayed multiple times.

Last month, state Department of Transportation officials said that 99 percent of Maryland residents are REAL ID compliant, one of the top rates in the country.

Required documents in Maryland include:

1. Proof of age and identity (i.e. birth certificate, U.S. passport, permanent resident card, etc.)
2. Proof of social security (i.e. social security card, W-2 form, pay stub less than three months old, etc.)
3. Two forms of proof of Maryland residency (i.e. vehicle registration card, bank account statement, utility bill, etc.)

To help residents obtain a REAL ID, all Maryland MVA branches are currently offering same or next-day service. To create an appointment, residents can visit the appointment scheduler here. Average MVA branch appointment wait times are under five minutes, officials told Patch.

If residents are unsure about their REAL ID status or what they will need to provide when they come in for an appointment, they can sign up for a myMVA account.

“We’ve made it easy for customers to assess whether they are compliant, or not, through a myMVA account," officials said. "By setting up their own myMVA account, Marylanders can see their REAL ID status, as well as other relevant driver and vehicle information.”