A deadline’s coming up this week. It's not as dire as tax day, but it’s pretty important, especially if you travel a lot.
May 7th is the deadline to get a real ID.
The Real ID sprang from Congress in 2005 after the 9/11 terrorist attack of 2001. It was enacted as a way to improve identification security.
It’s had 20 years of delays for a variety of reasons, including the Great recession and the Pandemic. It’s back now at a time when the feds are cracking down on immigrants throughout the country.
So people have a lot of questions.
Who can and can’t get a Real ID? How do you get one? Are you fined or pay more if you miss the deadline? And should everyone try to get one—because some believe it would set them up for a visit from ICE?
Tonya Laney is the director of Nevada’s Department of Motor Vehicles, and she answered a lot of questions about how to get one, and why people shouldn't panic if they don't have one yet.
Q: What is the difference between a Real ID and a standard Nevada driver's license or identification card?
A: In addition to identity documents that are used to obtain the REAL ID, you're required to show any legal proof of name changes along your path to your current name, such as marriage, divorce, adoption, as well as proof of current Nevada residency, which we have a list of documents that can be used to to prove where you live in the state of Nevada, to be able to obtain the Nevada REAL ID.
Q: If you go in now for a driver's license, does it automatically become a real ID? I mean, is there something on it that tells you it's a real ID? How do you know if you have one?
A: So if the customers have come in and presented all the information that is required for the REAL ID, then there will be a gold star that is placed at the top right hand corner of the driver's license or identification, and that determines that it is a real ID. You won't see the actual wording or anything to indicate it, but it is that gold star in the upper right hand corner. And for Nevada, it's in the shape of the state of Nevada.
Q: What are the potential consequences, if any, for those who don't have a Real ID by that deadline?
A: The REAL ID Act will limit flying and entering secure facilities, like military bases, nuclear power plants. The biggest impact that I think we're going to see here in Nevada is customers will not be able to board a commercial aircraft. There is a misconception that you cannot enter federal courts or get other federal services. But that is not our understanding. Our understanding is it really is just for the commercial flights, nuclear power plants and military bases ... You can visit TSA's website, and they do have a list of documentation that will be accepted at the airport to allow you to still board commercial flights. Some of those would be some of the same documents that we would accept at DMV.
Q: How long will I wait or what's the waiting list to get a DMV appointment to apply for a Real ID?
A: We are booked out 30 to 45 days. So to combat that, with the deadline being on May 7, we have implemented walk ins for REAL ID only on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3 to 4 p.m. But again, we only encourage customers that have an impending flight coming up to utilize those walk-in services, because that does impact the other customers that were already booked for other services at the DMV and can cause some serious delays in the office. We've seen an influx of hundreds of customers per day at our metro offices to try and come in and beat that May 7 deadline.
Q: What is the average processing time for a Real ID?
A: You will receive that card in the mail in seven to 10 days from the date that you visit the DMV to apply for your REAL ID.
