PennDOT official answers REAL ID questions with deadline looming

Secretary Mike Carroll emphasized that the policy is being mandated by the federal government.

With the REAL ID deadline fast approaching, PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll addressed some questions Monday regarding the upcoming changes.

After May 7, all U.S. travelers must have a REAL ID to board domestic flights and enter certain federal facilities. Carroll emphasized that REAL ID is a federal initiative and that PennDOT has no control over the deadline.

“To date, more than 27%, about 2.7 million Pennsylvanians, have gotten the REAL ID,” he said. “Getting a REAL ID is optional, but if you want to continue using your driver’s license or ID card to fly domestically, you’ll need a REAL ID on or after May 7.

“Especially if you have flights booked for after May 7 and you don’t have a REAL ID or a passport. You need to gather your documents and come visit one of our driver’s license centers.”

Carroll said during the virtual press conference that they’ve seen an increased amount of foot traffic at license centers due to the upcoming deadline. He added that REAL ID has been available in the state for over six years now and will continue to be available after the TSA May deadline.

“I think at this point, many people know of the deadline and the requirement, and it’s exhibited by the lines at our driver centers, which are admittedly long at this point,” he said. “We at PennDOT have tried our best to make sure that people understood this deadline was approaching.”

Carroll recommended that anyone who has a passport or who does not have immediate travel plans delay visiting license centers until the rush has subsided.

“Our driver’s license centers have added Monday hours, 57 centers across the state, just to do REAL IDs, just on Mondays,” he said. “So at this point, we’re open every day of the week except for Sunday. Those Monday hours will continue except Easter Monday for the foreseeable future.”

The last REAL ID Day before the deadline will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 5 at these centers in Washington, Allegheny, Westmoreland, and Fayette counties:

• Washington Driver License Center, 250 Oak Springs Road.

• Bridgeville Driver License Center at 1025 Washington Pike.

• New Kensington Driver License Center at 1600 Greensburg Road.

• Jeannette Driver License Center, 1100 Lowry Ave.

• Allison Park Driver Li- cense Center, 1701 Duncan Avenue.

• Penn Hills Driver License Center, 11620 Keleket Drive.

• Uniontown Driver License Center, 855 North Gallatin Avenue Ext.

• Belle Vernon Driver License Center, 960 Rostraver Road.

“There’s a universe of Pennsylvanians that say ‘I’ll never fly, and I don’t need to fool around with this’ and not get it,” Carroll said. “My only concern there is that the person that says ‘I never fly, I’ve never flown in my life,’ something may happen in their life a month from now, or two months from now, or a year from now, and then they’re not going to be able to board that commercial flight because they don’t have the real ID.

“So again, I think it’s imperative that everybody consider it, and I strongly encourage folks to get it if they don’t have it.”

Although a REAL ID will become a necessary form of identification for flights within the United States, a passport will also serve as a valid form of ID for both domestic and international flights, as well as for entry into certain federal facilities.

One of the questions during the press conference was whether there will be temporary grace periods, exceptions or accommodations for vulnerable populations like seniors or individuals with disabilities. Carroll said TSA has set a hard deadline for May 7.

“Again, it’s not PennDOT’s choice to have this grace period. It’s TSA’s choice,” Carroll said. “They’re the ones that check the documents at the airport. We’re all familiar with the TSA lines. So from everything I know and from the guidance provided by TSA this weekend, there’s no grace period. May 7 is quickly approaching.”

The cost for a REAL ID includes a one-time fee of $30, along with an applicable renewal fee of $39.50 for a four-year non-commercial driver’s license or $42.50 if it’s a regular photo ID.

Residents who obtained their first license, learner’s permit or photo ID after Sept. 1, 2003, may already have their information on file with Penn-DOT. If this applies to a resident, they may be able to apply for REAL ID verification and order their REAL ID online.

One of the other topics addressed during the press conference was the issue of name changes and applying to get a REAL ID.

“When it comes to name changes, you have to reconcile the name on the birth certificate with the Social Security card, so there’s some nuance there,” Carroll said. “The smart thing to do is to check the website, look at your Social Security card, look at your birth certificate. Those are the two foundational documents, and then the other documents that you need would be, in support of the names, that’s the name that’s on your Social Security card and your birth certificate.”

To learn more about important documents to bring when attaining your REAL ID, Pennsylvanians can visit https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dmv/ driver-services/real-id.html.