Living

You have 1 year to get a Real ID or you can’t fly: Here’s how to do it

The sky’s the limit — exclusively for those with the right ID.

In 2005, Congress passed the Real ID Act, an effort to increase security post-9/11. In the name of preventing fakes, it made the addition of a star to state IDs necessary for access to nuclear power plants and federal facilities.

But soon, airplanes will be added to that list.

Beginning on Oct. 1, 2020, Americans who do not have Real IDs must provide alternative proof of identity for domestic flights — namely a passport, although some other documents are also acceptable.

However, only 42% of Americans have passports and according to a recent survey, 72% of Americans don’t have Real IDs. The reason? Some states have yet to even issue Real ID-compliant licenses.





New Yorkers looking to get Real IDs are required to pick them up in person at the DMV, which is experiencing gridlock-level lines ahead of the October deadline next year. As The Post reported, lines have been snaking around the block before the DMV even opens each day, and some customers say they ended up waiting hours before even making it inside the building.

Here’s one way to beat the crush: Make a DMV appointment ahead of time. Trouble is, the reservation system has been down. An error message on the site says the booking system is “experiencing delays due to high volume” and suggests to “try again at night or visit us on a Wednesday, our least busy day of the week.”

For anyone who manages to get face time with a DMV agent, be sure to bring the proper paperwork, which can be determined using the confusing, quiz-like guidelines on the website.





The IDs have been available in New York since November 2017, but many are still unaware of what a Real ID even is. For New Yorkers, it’s the addition of a black circle with a star cutout in the upper right-hand corner of the ID. In Washington, IDs that are not “Real” have are now marked with the words “federal limits apply” in the upper right-hand corner. The symbol differs by state: In South Carolina, a gold star demarcates a Real ID. California is the only state where Real IDs won’t use some sort of star demarcation; instead, they get a gold bear — with a star cut out of its butt.

Come next October, the small stars could prove a big burden on the US economy, as thousands of Americans are rendered unable to fly within the country. However, industry insiders say Real IDs are a security necessity.





“We don’t think the licenses are insecure. They’ll just want an extra measure of security,” Robert Sinclair Jr., a spokesman for AAA Northeast, told The Post in 2015. “A lot is being made of a subject that might not be a burden after all.”





View Gallery

















Share this: