REAL ID Begins In Pennsylvania: What To Know

Pennsylvania is gearing up for REAL-ID compliance, and one benchmark in that process happens this week. Starting Sept. 4, PennDOT will begin pre-verifying REAL-ID documentation.

Residents can bring their REAL-ID documentation into any PennDOT driver license center for pre-verification. Once REAL-IDs debut in March 2019, customers who have been pre-verified can apply for their new ID online and will not have to return to the dreaded driver license center.

Documentation includes identification (original or certified copy of a birth certificate with a raised seal or valid U.S. Passport), a social security card, proof of legal name changes, and two proofs of address. For specific information about what documents you'll need to apply for pre-verification, click here to go to the REAL ID Document Check page.

In case you need a refresher on the REAL-ID, what it means, and when it will start, here goes:

• The REAL ID Act is a law created after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks to establish minimum security standards for state-issued driver's licenses and identification cards.
• Starting October 1, 2020, Pennsylvanians will need a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or photo ID card, or another form of federally-acceptable identification (such as a valid passport or military ID) to board a domestic commercial flight or enter a federal building or military installation. The state has received several extensions to this deadline.
• REAL IDs will be available in March 2019.
• REAL IDs are optional and are not needed to drive or vote. You will still be able to get a standard driver's license or identification card. If you have a valid U.S. Passport or U.S. Passport Card, military ID, or another federally approved identification, you may use this as your form of identification to pass a TSA checkpoint at airports and visit a secure federal building.
• The REAL ID will be $30, plus a renewal fee.

Image via PennDOT