Federal Real ID will go into effect in 108 days and state officials are reminding people to make sure their documents are up to date if they want to acquire one.
Real ID is a federal law that affects how states issue driver’s licenses and ID cards if they are going to be acceptable for federal purposes. A Real ID will be required to enter military bases, a federal facility that requires an ID at the door or to board any domestic commercial flight starting May 7th of this year. Real ID is optional for Pennsylvania residents, but another federally accepted ID would be required for those purposes. A Real ID is not required to drive, vote, access hospitals, visit the post office, access federal courts, or to apply for or receive federal benefits.
To get a Real ID, you need proof of identity like a birth certificate or a current passport, proof of a social security number, two proofs of a current PA Address like a current driver’s license and registration and proof of any legal name changes. The documents must be brought to a PennDOT Drivers License Center for in-person verification.
