Business is brisk at the state’s 44 full-service Driver Services Centers, with the rollout of Tennessee’s first Real ID-compliant driver’s licenses. But at first, most of that business isn’t for the new Real ID.

After Oct. 1, 2020, Americans will need more documentation than an old-style driver’s license to fly on a commercial airliner, enter a federal office or get into a nuclear plant. Passports and a few other documents can be used, but Real ID-compliant driver’s licenses are probably easier for most.

Matthew McGaha of Rutledge was at the Strawberry Plains center when it opened Friday. His license was due for renewal, but he wasn’t applying for a Real ID.

“Mainly because I forgot my birth certificate, and I don’t fly that much,” he said. But McGaha also isn’t keen on the whole idea.

“I think it’s a scam anyway,” he said. “What’s wrong with the license I’ve got now? I got on a plane just fine the last time.”

If McGaha or anyone else tries to fly with a regular Tennessee driver's license after fall of 2020, however, they won't be allowed on board. A Real ID costs the same as the standard renewal rate for an expiring driver's license: $28.

Most new licenses aren't Real IDs

In the first three days of Real ID availability, Tennessee issued 20,929 permanent Class D licenses, according to the Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security. But only a third of those were Real IDs.

In Knox and the adjacent counties during the first three days of July, the state issued 4,226 licenses of all types, of which one-third were Real IDs.

In none of those nine counties were more Real IDs issued than other licenses; Anderson County was the closest, issuing 144 Real IDs and 197 others. In Knox County, a third of the 2,060 licenses issued were Real IDs.

Getting a Real ID isn’t mandatory, and people still have 15 months before they’re actually needed, said Wes Moster, director of communications for the Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security.

What do you need to get a Real ID?

A few dozen people waited outside the Strawberry Plains center before office hours on Friday. A slow but steady stream of others arrived minutes after the doors opened. One of the first in line was David Kristy of Knoxville, who waited with documentation in hand for a Real ID.

“I’m actually up for renewal now anyway, so I figure it’s a good time to get appropriate identification for travel,” he said. Kristy said he flies three to five times a year, and in his work for a law firm sometimes has to enter federal buildings — so getting a Real ID driver’s license will be more convenient than carrying additional identification.

In addition to previously required documentation, whether for renewal or a first-time license, applicants for a Real ID need one proof of citizenship or legal residence, such as a birth certificate or passport; proof of Social Security number — an actual card, recent W-2 or Form 1099; and two proofs of Tennessee residence, such as a utility bill, bank statement, tax return, lease or current driver’s license. Applicants also need to document any name changes.

All those documents must be originals, or certified, according to the state — no photocopies.

What is it and why?

The only visible difference between an old-style Tennessee license and a Real ID is a gold star. Forty-three states, including Tennessee, are now approved to issue Real ID-compliant licenses. California’s status is under review, and six states — including Kentucky — have received extensions, as has the territory of American Samoa, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The program is a response to the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. In 2005, Congress passed the Real ID Act based on recommendations from the 9/11 Commission to set minimum nationwide security standards for driver’s licenses, according to DHS. In December 2013, DHS announced it would phase in enforcement of the act.

The law doesn’t require ID at federal sites where none is needed now, like a visit to Smithsonian museums, nor does it prevent authorities from accepting other forms of high-security ID such as valid U.S. passports.

If you want to get a Real ID before your current license is due to expire, it’ll cost the standard charge for a replacement license: $8 for the first, $12 for the second or third replacement, said Michael Hogan, director of Driver Services for the Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security.

Like the old license, Real ID-compliant ones are valid for eight years. But Real ID certification itself is permanent, making future license renewal easy, Moster said.

For more information go to www.tn.gov/tnrealid.html.

How do you get one?

Kristy went to the Knox County Clerk’s Office in downtown Knoxville, seeking a license renewal, but was told Real ID wasn’t available there.

First-time issuance of a Real ID has to be through an in-person visit to a full-service state driver service center; there are two in Knox County: 430 Montbrook Lane in West Knoxville and 7320 Region Lane in Strawberry Plains.

First-time applicants will get an interim Real ID on paper, which may not be accepted by federal authorities, according to state Driver Services. A hard copy will come in the mail after 10 to 20 days.

Once a Real ID has been issued, future renewals or duplicates can be obtained online, at a self-service kiosk, at county clerks’ offices or by mail, according to the Driver Services website. Hogan said the state is looking at working with county clerks to issue Real IDs in the future.

Kristy said he appreciated Driver Services personnel doing a precheck on applicants even before the office opened at 8:30 a.m.

“I got a number before I got in the door,” he said. “They do seem to be trying to expedite it as much as they can.”

Can't or won't?

If applicants can’t meet documentation requirements for a Real ID but would still qualify for an old-style license, they can get one marked “Not for federal identification,” Hogan said.

“You’ll still be able to drive, you’ll still be able to vote with that license,” he said. “You can still purchase alcohol, cigarettes.”

It just can’t be used at a TSA airport checkpoint or other location where federal scrutiny is required.

There are other documents, such as passports, which can be used instead of Real IDs for federal identification. The U.S. Transportation Security Administration lists acceptable ones under the “Security screening” tab at www.tsa.gov.