Real ID deadline is here for travelers, including those in CSRA
AUGUSTA, Ga. - The Real ID deadline is here for travelers flying domestically or who are planning to visit federal buildings or military bases.
Starting Wednesday, travelers will need a Real ID-compliant license or another acceptable form of identification at security checkpoints, including at Augusta Regional Airport.
The requirement is 20 years in the making, but still not everyone is ready for it.
“Although Real ID is a national effort, we at Augusta Regional Airport want to remind our local originating patrons of the soon-to-be implementation date to ensure a smooth and seamless experience at AGS and ultimately getting to and from your destination,” said Herbert L. Judon Jr., the airport’s executive director.
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Lisa Farbstein is a spokeswoman for the Transportation Security istration. She says these changes are designed to strengthen security and prevent future attacks.
“The Improvements are intended to inhibit terrorists’ ability to evade detection by using fraudulent identification,” Farbstein said. “Such as what happened on 9/11.”
Congress ed the Real ID Act in 2005 in response to security gaps discovered after the events of September 11th, 2001.
Patricia Mancha is another TSA spokeswoman, who noted that enforcement will begin gradually to ease the transition.
“There’s going to be a phased approach of enforcement,” she said. “People may still use a valid port or military ID if they don’t have their Real ID by Wednesday.”
What is a Real ID and why is the deadline now?
It’s a driver’s license or other state-issued ID that meets security requirements mandated in a 2005 law ed in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The mandate has been repeatedly delayed.
From the start, Georgia has been on track in implementing Real IDs, so most driver’s licenses in the Peach State are compliant.
But South Carolina is further behind. The new ID started rolling out in South Carolina in 2018. The South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles reports that 62% of licenses are already compliant, but over 1 million residents are still behind on the update.
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Obtaining an ID with the designation — indicated by a white star in a circle in most states — means taking more documents to the motor vehicle agency than most states require for regular IDs.
Required documents to get a Real ID include one proof of identity (port or U.S. birth certificate), proof of legal presence for non-U.S. citizens, two proofs of state residency, your Social Security card (if applicable), and your current driver’s license if you’re exchanging one issued by another U.S. state.
The program has already been postponed several times by states that weren’t prepared to offer the IDs, people being slow to update their documents and by the coronavirus pandemic. With those hurdles mostly ed, the government is set to require the new IDs rather than old state driver’s licenses and IDs for commercial air travel starting May 7.
Is the country ready?
It’s clear not everyone is. But it’s less clear whether the nation is prepared.
The Department of Homeland Security said in a report earlier this year that 56% of IDs in circulation nationally met the requirements as of January 2024. In 16 states, more than three in five IDs met the new standards, while the number was below two out of five in 22 states.
About 81% of people flying recently have shown ID that would work once the new requirements kick in, according to a recent statement by Homeland Security.
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Do you need a Real ID, and if so, how do you get one?
People who don’t fly or visit military bases or other sites where the IDs are required may not need new identification. People who have photo IDs from federally recognized tribal nations don’t need anything new. Employment authorization green cards are already acceptable, as are some other less common identifying documents on the government’s list.
Real ID is not required to drive, vote or receive state or federal services or benefits.
Still, a lot of people may need one.
The enhanced cards have been available for years from every U.S. state and territory’s motor vehicle agency. People who haven’t obtained one by May 7 can still apply after that.
The Department of Homeland Security website links to information in each state on scheduling appointments and lists the documents needed.
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