Just a heads up for those that don't know

Implementation varies from state to state but you will need a Real ID to fly domestically starting in October (or things like passports and such, but no more standard licenses).

It will be needed for:

Accessing Federal facilities
Boarding federally regulated commercial aircraft
Entering nuclear power plants

New Jersey is, of course, late to the game so people are scrambling to get their license changed over. Since my license does not expire by October for regular renewal, I had to make an appointment to get a Real ID way off on May 27th, the soonest available.


https://www.dhs.gov/real-id#

Kentucky has been late to the game as well. No idea why the procrastination in our state..My daughter flew to Belize today for her Marine Biology studies but has a passport so no issues with her drivers licence.

Pretty sure travel to all foreign countries requires a passport. Used to be you could go to Mexico and probably Canada and come back with a DL, but that hasn't been true in a long time.

Lucky for Christine and QuickNick.They can't fly in the sky or on the ground

My license expires in mid may and after receiving notice I applied for a dl rrealid and made an appointment to bring in the required paperwork. Figured I'd get in within a week or two. Wrong, early may is the soonest appt. Seems everyone it trying to get theirs early...

Uh, wow. I've had my real ID since 2010.

Screw Real ID. I ain't flying anyways. Screw em, and the horse they rode in on too.

It's been a real mess here. I have a passport so I'm not worried now, and rarely fly commercial anyway. My DL is not up for renewal for another year and a half and maybe I will wait until then.
A friend of mine has a CDL and he said getting his was easy, they issue CDLs at separate dedicated facilities and there was no line there when he went to get his Real ID.

I've been told there's a charge here in Idaho for the "enhanced ID".
Whether that's just a tax or somehow offsets a cost to authenticate the person, I don't know.
Kinda has the aroma of BS, but if it removes illegals or security risks, it has value, doesn't it ?
I've heard you have to have your original, 1st-ever SS card, and a birth certificate, but haven't looked into it.

Doesn't matter if you fly or not, you will eventually have to get it.

You don't have to have your first ever SS card but you will need to have one along with your birth certificate. That was the PITA for me since I don't reside in the state where I was born, parents long since passed away and didn't have a certified copy of it.

Nope, not doing it and my license expires in April. I have a passport, still can't get me into Canada anymore so I don't plan on going out of the country anymore anyway. If my passport can't get me someplace I simply ain't going... The only way I will get it is if everyone must have an ID to vote in an election, and that doesn't look like it is going to happen anytime soon...

Then I guess you won't be driving any more either. It's not an option.

A few months back, I had to change the address on my license (TX), and when I got my new license, it had a gold star on it. I didn't do anything special, didn't fill out any additional forms, just changed my address. I didn't know about 'Real ID' until I googled what the gold star meant.

I don't know where you get your information but it is indeed and option. I will drive with a license or not, I will own other things with a license or not. Nothing is mandatory except death...

You can try the link in the OP for info. All states are doing it differently but when you have to renew your license it will be a real ID or an enhanced license. It is a federal statute that requires the states to meet standards to issue a drivers license or state ID card. You can still use a passport now to travel but in order for the state to be in compliance they will have to issue the real ID cards by October 2020 with few exceptions for non citizens. So I got $10 that says you will be getting a real ID license if you renew in April.
I don't know why you're worried about it.

So if you dont have the star and your id is not real, is it fake?

This is really easy guys, if you have a valid drivers license without the star right now, other forms of ID, such as a passport, may be acceptable for travel and federal building admittance but, when you go to renew your license you will have to provide the required documentation for the real ID or you are not getting a drivers license or state ID card. So as of right now unless you are in OK, Washington state or NJ you will have to provide the documentation as all the other states are in compliance with the federal law. OK and WA have been granted extensions (for how long I don't know) and NJ is still under review at this time. You may still need to provide the documentation in those states as well while they prepare to be in compliance.

NJ already required similar documantation for a license so its really no different than a standard renewal.

So the "new" star requirements among other things requires two proofs of domicile. What they don't mention is after presenting them, they scan them and send them to Washington.

Not sure why, once you have presented them, and "proved" your domicile, why do they need a copy?

I presented mine years back, for a gold star, and made certain my name, address and name of pertinent utility was readable, and redacted EVERYTHING else.

Seems like I should have the right to redact also.

I have a feeling Texas and some other states are this way as well. When I moved here I didn't need any other form of ID except my out of state license.

What's up with that? We crossed in to Canada a few months ago and all they needed to see was passports.

The "fun" part was not having solid answers for any of the standard questions. We were going to Niagara off season so just threw a bag in the trunk and hit the road. How long are you staying? 2 or 3 days maybe. Where will you be staying? We're gonna try the Cadillac Motel or maybe something around the corner. Bringing in any tabaco? Yeah, a few packs of cigs. Bringing in any food? Yeah. How much and what? Point to my girl and she says "just some road snacks".

Pull up and park over there.

Clearly they were bored because it took 3 of them to search the car. Clearly one or more of them were idiots because they got concerned about the folding luggage protector in the trunk and one actually asked me if the car was a convertible. I really don't know what kept from saying some stupid to that. Oddly enough the whole thing came to a screaming halt when they found the adult toys in the luggage.

Hey, get back here and close that suitcase - it wasn't open when you started.

I was a bad boy in 1978 and got a felony. If you have a felony anytime from the day you were born, or a DUI, you will now not be granted access to Canada. That happened after the 2016 election if you get me drift. And to the original intent of this thread, I already know several of my friends who have renewed their license IN ILLINIOS and they opted out of the "REAL ID" drivers license with no problems, your state may vary. If you don't live in a certain state you cannot tell me what happens in my state...

I was wondering the same thing..... after all the one in my pocket came from the same DMV that would be issuing this "real" ID IF I decide to get this "special" one.... at 52 I have been in a plan exactly once so far.... don't anticipate that total going up by very much in how ever much longer I have left....
Why do we have to have a different ID to fly within our own country anyways??? makes no sense.

Real ID is not automatic in IL when you get your drivers license. The whole thing since it started here has been a sheet show, people go in to renew, want to get their DL real ID, bring all the required documentation, find the line is 3 hours for real ID, so give up and spend 30 or 40 minutes getting their DL non real ID instead.
As to it being a federal requirement that all renewals must be real ID, not true. They will issue DLs to illegal aliens here, you think they get Real IDs? They aren’t eligible.

interesting point.

You guys are right and I am wrong. I looked it up. That's just crazy but then I remembered the dead rise from the grave to vote in your state too.

"vote as often as you can !"

Went in to renew my CDL several years ago and found out after waiting in line that a passport or certified copy of my birth certificate was needed to renew. My Illinois issued CDL wasn't proof enough??? Lol New federal law around 2014 and need to bring it every time I renew.

My understanding is some states are more lax about giving out licenses than others so some states DLs are very secure while others not so much. One following federal guidelines for all is now needed to make it uniform in all states.

If you consider when the bill of rights was originally drafted, airplanes, cars, trains, etc were still in the future. However the right to freely to move about the country was a given

Nobody at the time would have accepted requiring any licencing restrictions for riding a horse that would restrict one's right to move around the country.

Somewhere along the line the citizens were asleep at the wheel, pun intended and the mantra became "driving a car is a privilege, not a right", and most everybody accepted that restriction.

Well that slippery slope has morphed into flying, trains, buses, etc is also not a right and you must now jump thru certain hoops, at this time ( more later it seems) to drive, fly or ride.

Rights are seldom expanded, and we have nobody to blame but our apathetic selves.

There are groups that resist/fight this "driving is a privilege" crap.

And understand the main difference between privilege and a right, you are allotted due process in taking away a right, a privilege is denied often just by the stroke of a bureaucrat pushed pen that likely one can never contact/find to contest..

Ironically IMO, the "gold Star" on my CDL is actually a white star with a gold circular outline, but don't tell anybody.

All CDL in all States have the same regulations.

I believe this is true and may be part of my misunderstanding since I hold a class A CDL.
I just don't understand the point in having minimum documentation standards if you're going to allow others to not follow those requirements. I am glad I'm not a politician, it would make me insane...well more than I already am.

Our state coined the term "vote early and vote often"...

CDL's fall into the interstate commerce clause, regular DL's didn't but I guess they weaseled into it by saying if you fly it's interstate commerce. Interesting how things get stretched to fit the narrative.

I was actually surprised and relieved how easy it was for me in PA. I was pre-vetted for a real ID online when I got my initial renewal form about a month before my DL expired. Showed up to the DMV right when they opened with every form of ID I had and was out in 20 minutes. Our local DMV is brand new and is huge, so they can process customers non stop. I fully expected it to be a nightmare but it couldn't have been easier. Just my experience.

News to me and the subject of my 1985 DUI never came up.

I may well be mistaken but I thought this real id thing was some kinda TSA driven welcome to the post 9/11 world.

Dont feel too bad Jim.
At least you're in good company.
After leaving office former President George W. Bush had to get a waiver to enter Canada after his DWI offense in Maine in 1976.
Maybe you're just not hanging around with the right people.

Oh I can get a waiver, costs me $2800 to do it according to all the phone calls and letters to Canadian officials. I won't pay to visit somewhere I have been to many times because of something I did when I was a kid that affected nobody in Canada...

I dont blame you...seems ridiculous..
Same thing happened to friend of mine
He used to cross into the US regularly to buy parts for his 68 Harley FLH at the Iron Block dealer.
Several years back his 40 year old charge came into question and he now can no longer enter the US.
Was $600.00 to get it cleared up then, now it is $2200.00.
He's staying put

And, when you visit Canada, you gotta leave your second amendment protection home.

Not an option I wanna consider.

I think your fine, if it was a one time only event. There was a ton of concern on the fishing forums but I believe they changed the law just prior to implementation as it read if you were convicted of a crime that would be charged as a felony in a Canada which became pan issue for many more travelers.

TY
K

Yes, a few of my friends who have been going on a fishing trip to Canada every year for decades can no longer go because of priors. I know a few who have still been able to go, but they drive and have not been pulled into the office yet, it will happen eventually. Reciprocity between the US and Canada and better electronic communications have facilitated this...

But yet some want to allow anyone that comes across our southern border illegally to stay. The world has gone insane, that is all I can say.

They have a strategic reserve to protect.

Rhino might smuggle a box of instant pancake mix across with him along with a bottle of Mrs Buttersworth.

I thought the Canadian "draconian" ( my word) measures on admission to their country was retribution for US initiated border crossing clamp downs?

Hey I have little countenance for DUI's, but 30+ years ago one time mistake being a forever border restriction is IMO, draconian.

Yep, I agree 'draconian ' on both sides... My buddy is denied admission to the US for the same one time mistake...42 years ago
Both countries have the same policy.

True, but Canada just started enforcing it hard line in 2017...

Ive had rougher times getting back into the US then getting out, always end up in secondary.