PennDOT outlines steps to prepare for new REAL ID licenses

REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses and identification cards won’t be available in Pennsylvania for more than a year, and the deadline to get them is nearly three years away.
But securing the IDs could take time, so the state Department of Transportation has issued a list of steps consumers can follow to expedite the process.
PennDOT urges anyone who wants a REAL ID to start gathering necessary documents, which may have to be replaced or, in some instances, verified by the state. Licenses and cards will become available in spring 2019. Starting Oct. 1, 2020, anyone wishing to take a commercial flight or visit a secure federal building must have a federally accepted proof of identification, such as the REAL ID license or card.
For a customer to get either item, federal regulations require that PennDOT verify these documents:
- Proof of identity (original or certified copy of a birth certificate, with a raised seal, or a valid U.S. passport);
- Proof of a Social Security number (SS card);
- Proof of all legal name changes (marriage license or court order issued by family court in the applicant’s county);
- Two proofs of current Pennsylvania address (current unexpired state license or ID, plus a bank statement or utility bill with the same name and address that is no more than 90 days old).
“PennDOT is designing its REAL ID process to be as streamlined as possible, with customer convenience at the forefront,” PennDOT Leslie S. Richards said in a statement. “Between now and when REAL ID is available, I would encourage our 10.7 million driver’s license and identification card holders to consider whether REAL ID is right for them, and make sure their required documents are in order.”
PennDOT has 71 Driver’s License Centers that, beginning in September 2018, will be equipped to verify these documents. The following spring, when the REAL IDs are available, a customer may go to a center, have the documents verified and imaged, pay a one-time fee of $30 and receive the ID by mail within seven to 10 days. A consumer also may go to one of 13 REAL ID centers, pay the fee and get the ID item immediately.
There also is a renewal fee of $30.50. The expiration date for a REAL ID item will be four years plus time left on the current driver’s license – unless the person is older than 65 and has a two-year license.