Best Results Organizing

On Friday, I renewed my driver’s license. Typically, that wouldn’t be blog-worthy.

I’ve lived in Tennessee for more than three decades, and generally I’ve been able to renew my license at a little kiosk that looks like an ATM. I’d verify some information on a screen, get a new (horrible) photo taken, and pay with my debit card, all in the vestibule of the DMV while avoiding the packed waiting area.

Not this time, though. I wasn’t merely renewing my license; I made an appointment to apply for my REAL ID, and had to engage with the DMV representative behind the glass barricades.

WHAT IS A REAL ID?

In 2005 (and yes, that really was twenty years ago), Congress passed the REAL ID Act in the long shadow of 9/11-related security concerns. The Act did the following: 

• Set clearer standards for government-issued photo IDs — So, if you have a driver’s license, your great-grandmother has a non-driver ID card, or someone you know has different government-issued ID card, they will all fall under an established and uniform set of security standards so everyone will be on the same page.
• Prohibited various government agencies (including the TSA) from accepting forms of identification that don’t meet the new standards. For quite some time, TSA agents had some wiggle room in letting people on airplanes even when/if they didn’t have proper identification (such as when they lost their wallet or had their ID stolen, and showed up at the airport desperate to make a flight). No more.
• Added an extra layer of security to the process of flying — Having uniform requirements for flying makes it much harder for someone to use false documents to board an airplane or gain access to secure facilities.

Basically, the REAL ID Act established minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses, permits, and ID cards to reduce identity fraud. 

REAL ID: A LONG TIME COMING

Dear Paper Doll Readers, you know I always try to share information with you in good faith, but ever since I originally blogged about the REAL ID, the US Department of Homeland Security has turned me into the boy who cried wolf.

Originally, the federal government wanted the new regulations to go into effect in 2008, but many states and territories opposed to the immense effort it would take to comply.

First, not all states had required photos for driver’s licenses; conversely, REAL IDs require facial image capture and states need “an effective procedure to confirm or verify a renewing applicant’s information.” To anyone who has watched too many episodes of Law & Order and other police procedurals, it’s a bit surprising that not every state was verifying that faces and names matched!

Second, states would have to confirm Social Security account numbers with the Social Security Administration and cross-check to make sure old or expired licenses were “terminated” in other state’s systems before taking effect in the state where someone was applying.

Third, states were going to be required organize and maintain the documentary evidence submitted. For example, each state would be need to either retain paper copies of documents for a minimum of 7 years or scanned/capture images of those source documents for a minimum of 10 years. 

Fourth, states must limit the validity of all driver’s licenses and (non-temporary) ID cards to 8 years; some states had previously kept IDs valid for ten years.

Lacking professional organizers to keep their processes straight, state governments were not particularly keen on having make these changes! Kerfuffles ensued. From 2012 through 2018, states and territories acted in fits and starts.

Eventually, the federal government announced that it would require REAL IDs effective October 1, 2020. However, as we all know, 2020 didn’t exactly turn out as anyone planned, and the CARES Act (remember that $2.2 trillion COVID stimulus package?) delayed the start to September 30, 2021. Later, after several more changes to documentation and funding regulations, the date was pushed to May 3, 2023.

And now, finally, the official date appears to be on the horizon: May 7, 2025, which is (as of this writing), 57 days away!

If you already have a REAL ID-compliant license or other identification, you’re good, but if your license wasn’t due to renew over the past five years or so, you might have figured there was no need to rush to upgrade. But now, it’s time to pay attention.

WHY MIGHT YOU NEED A REAL ID? 

Now that you understand why the government has been working toward this change for the last twenty years, you may wonder how it affects you. Why might you need a REAL ID?

1) You Need a REAL ID to Fly

As of May 7, 2025, in order to board an commercial aircraft, your identification must be REAL ID-compliant. Some people seem to believe that flying for particular purposes makes the new law inapplicable to them, but just to be clear, the REAL ID Act will apply no matter what kind of commercial flying you will be doing, including:

• business travel
• vacation/pleasure travel
• heading to college (or taking your children to/from college)
• accompanying minor children during a custody transferral
• traveling to care for ill relatives
• getting health care from specialists in distant cities
• looking for houses in a city to which you’re moving

United Airlines Red Carpet, courtesy of 1950sUnlimited, CC BY-NC 2.0

Do you need a REAL ID to fly on a private plane?

Yes!

Even if your non-commercial flight has private screening or you travel through a private FBO (fixed-base operator), the REAL ID act still sets — and the TSA must enforce — a minimum security standard for all air travel.

Do you need a REAL ID to fly on Air Force One?

No, but that’s because it’s categorized as a military (not commercial) aircraft used for official government travel. Journalists and politicians authorized to fly on Air Force One go through such thorough vetting by the Secret Service that gathering documents to secure a REAL ID will seem like a walk in the park.

Do you need a REAL ID to fly a crop duster?

Nope.

A crop duster is an agricultural aircraft, so flying in one is not considered commercial airline travel and therefore doesn’t fall under the REAL ID requirements. However, to work as an agricultural pilot, you must earn a private pilot license, a commercial rating, and a tail-wheel (conventional gear) airplane endorsement, and get specific agricultural aviation training. That seems like a lot of extra effort to just to avoid going to the DMV to get your REAL ID.  

Do you need a REAL ID to fly firefighting aircraft (like air support to drop water or fire suppression chemicals on a fire)? 

Sometimes, actually, yes. These aircraft, like those operated by Cal Fire during the recent fires, are sometimes considered commercial aircraft. I was surprised, too.

If you’re not familiar with these aircraft that drop water or pink suppression chemicals, may I point you to the CBS TV show Fire Country, or if you’re feeling up for something sappy but wonderful, the star-studded aerial firefighting movie Always, a remake of a WWII-era film A Guy Named Joe. 

 

Do you need a REAL ID to fly on a rocket like SpaceX, Virgin Galactic, or Blue Origin? 

Yes! These non-NASA rockets are considered commercial flights. Pack your REAL ID.

But no, you don’t need a REAL ID to go hot air ballooning like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, as there are no TSA checkpoints in the sky! 

Can’t you just use a passport to fly? What about a Trusted Traveler card?

What a smartypants you are! In order to fly, you must have a REAL ID-compliant document, which includes a US passport or passport card (the acquisition of which already requires the kind of documentation required for a REAL ID).

However, most Americans do not have valid passports. Currently, only ~45% of Americans hold one. If you have a passport, you’re set; if not, and you aren’t likely to do international travel, a state-issues REAL ID is a more economical choice. 

Trusted Traveler program cards, like Global Entry, TSA Pre-Check, NEXUS, SENTRI, and FAST are REAL ID-compliant, but are pricier than a driver’s license and may not be applicable to your lifestyle.

What about a state-issued Enhanced Driver’s License?

Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont, and Washington issue these for land or sea border crossings with Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. They require the same documentation and count as REAL ID-compliant; if you have one, you already know it. But if you don’t, and unless you live in these states and don’t have a passport, go ahead and upgrade your driver’s license.

2) You Need a Real ID to Enter Secure Federal Buildings

If you have reason to enter any secure federal buildings, you’ll need REAL ID-compliant documentation.

Panorama of United States Supreme Court Building at Dusk courtesy of Joe Ravi, CC BY-SA 3.0

You may be thinking, “When the heck will I ever have to go into a secure federal building? I’m not a judge or legislator!” However, you might go to a federal building to:

• apply for or renew certain federal benefits — For example, some Social Security Administration offices are in federal buildings.
• access services at a VA facility — While most VA medical centers won’t require REAL ID, some administrative offices do.
• attend an immigration or visa appointment 
• work in or visit a federal agency — If you’re a contractor or consultant, or if you’re applying for a federal job, or if you need to visit the IRS, EPA, or Department of Labor, know that such offices are in federal buildings
• attend a public hearing or town hall — Agencies hold open meetings for the public on policy matters.
• attend a government conference or training — Federal agencies host public events, seminars, and professional development sessions.
• retrieve records or conduct research — Agencies like the National Archives or Library of Congress require in-person access to certain records.
• serve on a federal jury or grand jury
• give testimony in legal proceedings — And no, if you’re accused of a crime at the federal level, you can’t get out of being tried for that crime just because you don’t have a REAL ID.
• report to a federal probation or parole office
• visit an inmate in a federal detention center 

The REAL ID Act doesn’t require you to present identification anywhere it’s not currently required for accessing a federal facility.

So, while all federal buildings have security, they don’t all count as “secure federal facilities.”

You don’t need a REAL ID to visit the National Archives museum or its reading rooms, but you do need a valid form of identification to enter the research rooms. Similarly, you don’t need a REAL ID to visit the public areas of the Smithsonian Institute.

3) You Need a REAL ID to Enter Nuclear Power Plants

Do you work in a nuclear power plant? 

Are you a government employee whose job it is to inspect nuclear power plants? Engineers, safety inspectors and maintenance crews often have to visit plants for inspections and upgrades.

Are you a government regulator from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission or the Environmental Protection Agency?

Are you a vendor or contractor for a nuclear power plant? Whether you restock the candy machines or service the bathroom plumbing or do public speaking events for the staff, you’ll need a REAL ID-compliant document to gain access.

Are you a first responder? Emergency personnel, firefighters, and HAZMAT teams often train in nuclear facilities.

Are you an energy industry professional or a policymaker taking a tour? Are you a journalist? A researcher? You’ll need that REAL ID!

Are you a teacher or professor planning on taking your students to visit a nuclear power plant? If you’re taking third graders on a tour of a nuclear power plant — wow, that’s weird — they wouldn’t need to be REAL ID-compliant, but if you’re a college professor, your age 18+ students would. 

Are you Homer Simpson? 

via GIPHY

One assumes this also applies to Mr. C. Montgomery Burns (Homer’s boss) and sycophantic Smithers. However, Mr. Burns is a billionaire, and they seem be getting a lot of special treatment lately. Your mileage may vary.

WHEN DON’T YOU NEED A REAL ID?

• If you’re a kid — Children under 18 are not required to have REAL ID-compliant identification.

However, I strongly encourage you to make sure your college-bound students get their IDs as soon as they are able, particularly if they attend school more than a few hours’ drive away. From Spring Break to getting home for a family emergency or a funeral, help them be prepared.

• If you’re showing ID to vote — You can’t be required to show a REAL ID to vote.

The REAL ID Act is for maintaining security, so as long as your assigned polling place is not on an airplane, in a secure federal building, or in a nuclear power plant, you should not be required to have or show a REAL ID-compliant identification. (For more on IDs for voting, see my post, The Ultimate Guide to Organizing Yourself to Vote.)

What if you aren’t a US citizen?

If you’re a tourist, you’ll have a passport, which serves the same purpose. If you are neither a citizen nor tourist but are lawfully present in the United States, you can obtain a REAL ID, provided you can demonstrate your legal presence and meet other requirements.

Remember, this doesn’t just include citizens of the 50 states and Washington, DC. If you live in Guam, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the US Virgin Islands or the Northern Mariana Islands, the REAL ID Act applies to you, too.

REAL ID MINIMUM DOCUMENT REQUIREMENTS

To be a valid REAL ID-compliant state-issued ID (whether a driver’s license or other identification card), it must include the following:

• Full legal name
• Date of birth
• Gender*
• Driver’s license or identification card number
• A digital photograph
• Address of principle residence
• Signature
• Physical security features designed to prevent tampering, counterfeiting, or duplication of the document for fraudulent purposes.
• A common machine-readable technology, with defined minimum data elements.

*Until recently, the gender marker on a passport could be M, F, or X. However, the current administration has announced that the X marker will no longer be allowed on renewed/new passports issued and the marker must match the individual’s assigned sex at birth. However, at least right now, states can make their own rulings regarding gender markers on REAL IDs.

Remember, REAL ID is a set of standards, not a national identification card. Each state issues its own unique licenses and ID cards. 

SO, HOW DO YOU GET A REAL ID?

First, gather your documents. You will need to present the following types of original or certified documents to your state to apply for a REAL ID. 

• Proof to establish citizenship or legal presence — Again, if you have a passport or passport card, you’re covered. Otherwise, you’ll need official documentation, like:
  • a birth certificate
  • US Certificate or Consular Report of Birth Abroad
  • a valid, unexpired Permanent Resident card issued by DHS or INS
  • a certificate of citizenship or naturalization
  • an unexpired employment authorization document issued by DHS
  • an unexpired foreign passport with a valid US visa and approved I-94 form
• Proof of your full Social Security number — Find your official Social Security card. If you’ve lost yours, replace your Social Security card as I explained in How to Replace and Organize 7 Essential Government Documents before applying for a REAL ID. However, my state gave me the option of alternatively showing a W-2, 1099, or payroll check stub bearing my SSN.

• Two proofs of residency of the state in which you currently reside — My state offered more than a dozen options, including a recent home utility bill, a vehicle registration, a voter registration card, an IRS tax return, a bank statement, and a variety of other financial and insurance documents.
• Documentation of any name changes — due to marriage, divorce, adoption, change of name (associated with a gender reassignment or otherwise, etc.), explaining a discrepancy between the names on all your forms of proof.

Safeguard your documents; don’t just put them in a manilla folder where they can fall out or damaged by inclement weather. I used a teal Container Store vinyl zippered document pouch because it looked like it might rain.

Next, make an appointment to apply at a local branch of your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles or equivalent. You must apply in-person, and it’s possible that only some (or even one) DMV location in your community will process these applications. Don’t just show up when you have a free afternoon, unless your idea of fun is rubbing elbows with random strangers in uncomfortable plastic seats.

Make yourself look presentable. You’ll be showing this ID all the time. (Also note: you’ll be required to take off your glasses for the photo, so try not to squint.)

Give yourself ample time to arrive. (I was told to arrive 15-minutes before my appointment. I got stuck behind a train and was only 10 minutes early.)

Be prepared to check in on your phone using a QR code. Many people were befuddled by this process and it delayed their appointments.

Be kind; the DMV staff goes through a lot. The wonderful representative processing my application spilled some serious tea about the way some people behave. (People apparently show up for their appointments while on drugs. People get high and then suddenly feel the need to renew their licenses? Seriously?) 

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY ID IS A REAL ID?

Look in the upper right-hand corner of your ID. Do you see a star that looks like any displayed below?

No star? It’s not REAL ID-complaint. (In addition to the star, Enhanced Driver’s Licenses will have an image of the United States flag and the word “Enhanced” at the top of the card.) 

For further information, check the Department of Homeland Security‘s REAL ID Frequently Asked Questions page.

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Because my papers are organized, it took me about five minutes to gather my documents, and another five to make the appointment online. Even delayed by the train, I arrived ahead of my 2 p.m. appointment.

When my number was called a few minutes later, I was walked through the process of providing all of my documents, signing required statements, and getting my photo taken. At one point, all of the women behind the counter and several applicants stopped to call attention to a very handsome man with a dazzling smile (who looked quite a bit like the actor Donald Glover) getting his ID photo taken. 

Dani Pudi, Betty White, and Donald Glover Doing the Anthropology Rap

I was back in my car at 2:21 p.m. It had taken longer to fix my hair for a good DMV photo than to apply for my REAL ID.

Getting organized makes obtaining a REAL ID REAL(ly) painless.