JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – REAL ID requirements for those flying within the United States begin Wednesday after nearly 20 years of delays.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Tuesday assured people who don’t yet have a REAL ID but need to take a domestic flight Wednesday that they will be able to fly after clearing additional identity checks.
REAL ID is a federally compliant state-issued license or identification card that Homeland Security says is a more secure form of identification. It was a recommendation by the 9/11 Commission and signed into law in 2005. It was supposed to be rolled out in 2008, but the implementation had been repeatedly delayed.
“The whole idea here is to better validate those individuals that were encountering a checkpoint to ensure they are who exactly they say they are,” said Thomas Carter, the Transportation Security Administration’s Federal Security Director in New Jersey.
Noem told a congressional panel that 81% of travelers already have REAL IDs. Florida is 99% compliant, and Georgia is 100% compliant.
Sherry Hall, the chief deputy tax collector in Duval County, said those in that 1% in Florida who still need updated IDs should take care of it soon.
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“I would recommend that they come and visit one of our offices. They can join the line today on our website using a cellphone number to secure their spot in line so that they don’t have to wait extensively inside the branch,” Hall explained.
To get your REAL ID, you will need to bring your birth certificate or a valid passport, your Social Security card or proof of Social Security number and two forms proving your mailing address dated within the last 60 days.
If you had a name change, including because of marriage or divorce, bring the documents proving the connection of the name change and your birth name.
People can also email the tax collector’s office at: taxcollector@coj.net.
Someone will be on standby who can answer questions in real time. Or you can call 904-255-5700.
Noem said that, for now, security checkpoints will also be accepting passports and tribal identification, like they have already been doing.
But those who still lack an identification that complies with the REAL ID law “may be diverted to a different line, have an extra step,” Noem said.
Because of that, TSA is urging those without a REAL ID to arrive early at the airport to give themselves extra time to clear security and be prepared for advanced screening to avoid causing delays.
Besides serving as a valid form of identification to fly domestically, people will also need a REAL ID to access certain federal buildings and facilities.
State government offices that issue driver’s licenses and state IDs have seen a significant increase in demand for REAL ID and some have extended their office hours to meet the demand. Some officials have recommended people wait for a while to get REAL ID compliant licenses and cards if they don’t have a flight planned in the next few months.
“We are encouraging people who have passports or other REAL ID-compliant documents and people who don’t have travel plans in the next few months to wait until after the current rush to apply for a REAL ID,” said Erin Johnson, a spokesperson with the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.
Johnson said that the department has seen a significant increase in demand for REAL ID in recent weeks. In February, there were more than 48,000 applications for a REAL ID; that has nearly doubled to over 99,000 in April, she said.
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Associated Press writers Rebecca Santana in Washington, D.C., Janie Har in San Francisco and Joseph Frederick in Newark, New Jersey, and Tassanee Vejpongsa in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, contributed to this story.
