Is your license about to expire or are you looking to travel anywhere after May of 2023? If you are, read more about what you are going to need to be able to make your travel plans. Today, learn why you need a real license in California and the resources you need to be able to make the switch.
If you are looking to travel after this year, you are going to have to get a REAL ID. According to the State of California DMV, almost ½ million Californian drivers will need to renew their driver’s licenses as soon as possible. If you do, however, have a real ID, but your license is five years old, be sure to double-check when it expires too. Typically, driver’s licenses expire on a customer’s birthday every fifth year.
Since many people are needing to get their new licenses soon, be sure to also get yours, as demand is going up. Don’t wait too long and extend the process. The REAL IDs are good for up to five years. And you have to make sure to have yours by May 2023 if you are looking to board flights to travel throughout the entire United States.
In order to obtain a REAL ID, customers must fill out an application and present the necessary documentation online prior to going to the DMV office to complete your application. Then, you will be able to get your photo taken. The customers that need to renew their application in person include those looking to change their address or personal description at the time of renewal. Other users may qualify online.
On May 3rd of 2023, if you plan to use your state-issued ID/license while flying anywhere in the United States, you need to make sure that it is REAL ID compliant. On the other hand, if you have a license or state-issued ID that expired on or anytime after March 1st, 2020, but are unable to renew your license with your state’s licensing agency, you can use it as an acceptable ID at airport checkpoints until May of 2023.
What Do I Need to Get a REAL ID?
Here is what you need to get your real-ID-compliant license. You will have to provide:
- proof of identity
- two pieces of proof stating your state residency
- one proof of legal presence
- one proof of your social security number.
- And if you are looking to get a license from another state, you will need your current driver’s license to swap with your new license.
The Transportation Security Administration has announced that officers working ticket documentation checking stations will be cracking down. After May 3rd, any travelers without a federally compliant or real ID will not be allowed to enter their checkpoint or board their flight. Meanwhile, with a rise in the risk of safety concerns, the federal government is instating this rule on behalf of The Real ID Act of 2005.
Also, Federal Security Directors claim that these new regulations were put in place to “deter terrorists’ abilities to evade detection by using fraudulent identification.” The new licenses/forms of real ID will be required at all airports. And after May 3rd of 2023, your real ID can be used instead of a passport to return by land or sea from Mexico, Canada, and select countries in the Caribbean. But, be sure to note, it does not account as a passport for air travel.
Regardless of whether or not you live in California, we suggest that you trade your current license in for a real ID before it gets too late. With the deadline approaching in under a year, it is important to get yours before the majority of travelers who will wait until the date approaches. Also, with the decrease in restrictions on travel, there are only more and more reasons as well as opportunities to fly. With that in mind, many people are going to be looking to travel and to get their federally compliant ID.
Be sure to get yours soon. For more auto industry updates and tips on how to stay informed on what’s happening with the Department of Transportation, be sure to check out our blog. Here at Sticker Quicker, we have the expertise to provide you with all of the auto news you want and DMV services you need. Check back in for more content like this soon.
Works Cited:
DMV Advises Californians to Plan Ahead – Get a REAL ID Now – California DMV
Identification | Transportation Security Administration (tsa.gov)
REAL ID Enforcement Date Now Nine Months Away – California DMV
