Real ID Act: How To Get Compliant In NC

Starting in January 2018, travelers with driver's licenses that are not compliant with new federal standards established by the 2005 REAL ID Act will not be able to travel by air within the U.S. unless they show an alternate form of ID.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, starting on Jan. 22, travelers with driver's licenses from states that are not REAL ID compliant or have not been granted an extension will need to show an alternative form of acceptable identification for domestic air travel. Passengers with IDs from a state that is compliant or has been granted an extension will 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.

North Carolina falls into the list of states granted an extension, which means residents have until October 2018 to update their driver’s licenses.

The N.C. Read ID will look like a traditional license but will have a gold star at the top right corner, according to the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles.

To get a Read ID in North Carolina, residents will need to take the necessary documents to the nearest DMV that validate the following:

• One document with full name that shows identity, date of birth, legal presence/lawful status. A list can be found here.
• One document that shows full name and social security number. A list can be found here.
• Two documents that should current address. A list of acceptable documents can be found here.
• In the case of name changes, one document is required only if the name differs from a birth certificate, passport, U.S. government ID or Real ID. A list of documents accepted can be found here.

You can find more information about North Carolina's Read ID here.

According to DHS, the following states are already REAL ID compliant:

• Alabama
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• DC
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Maryland
• Mississippi
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Mexico
• Ohio
• S. Dakota
• Tennessee
• Utah
• Vermont
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

The DHS has granted the following states an extension until Oct. 2018 to meet federal standards and make their state-issued IDs compliant:

• Alaska
• American Samoa
• California
• Guam
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Kentucky
• Maine
• Massachusetts
• Minnesota
• Missouri
• Montana
• N. Marianas
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• N. Carolina
• N. Dakota
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Puerto Rico
• Rhode Island
• S. Carolina
• Texas
• Virgin Islands
• Virginia
• Washington
• New York
• Michigan
• Louisiana

The T.S.A. lists at least 14 other forms of identification that are REAL ID compliant and can be used for domestic air travel on its website.

The REAL ID Act adopted the 9/11 Commission's recommendation that the federal government "set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver's licenses." By October 2020, all air travelers will have to present a REAL-ID compliant license or another acceptable form of identification.

Patch Editor Feroze Dhanoa contributed to this report.

Photo courtesy of the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles