Time’s getting tight for Virginians who need a Real ID driver’s license.
The federal government’s deadline for getting one of the enhanced licenses is May 7, and after that you won’t be able to show a non-Real ID license at any U.S. airport to get on a domestic flight, or to get into some federal facilities including military bases.
You can start the application process on the Virginia DMV website, and but you have to finish up by bringing the required documents and the $10 fee to a DMV customer service center. You can find DMV locations on the agency’s website.
You’ll need:
- Proof of identity and legal presence in the country. (Your current driver’s license won’t cut it — you’ll need a passport or a U.S. birth certificate.)
- Your Social Security number (on your Social Security card or a W-2)
- Two forms of proof of residency. (Acceptable forms include your current Virginia driver’s license, a recent utility bill, a mortgage, or rental lease agreement.)
- If your name on your documents is different from your legal name — for example if you changed your name after getting married or divorced — you’ll need proof of the name change, too, on a marriage certificate or divorce decree.
None of these documents can be photocopies, the DMV warns; they all have to be originals except for the residency documents, which can be printouts.
The DMV said last week that the 59 percent of all active Virginia driver’s licenses and IDs were Real ID–compliant as if March, which still leaves a large number of people who still need to upgrade their license.
There are some other forms of identification the TSA will accept after May 7, including a passport; you can check the list on the Virginia DMV’s Real ID FAQ page.
Featured image, stock.adobe.com
