The clock is ticking on REAL ID compliance

Picture this: In October, after lining up your hotel accommodations, you and your spouse head to the Lehigh Valley International Airport to board a plane for a much anticipated weeklong getaway to San Francisco.

You check your bags, head for security, but when you present your driver’s license, you are told it is not compliant with new rules that took effect Oct. 1, 2020, so you can’t get on your flight.

It’s a traveler’s worst nightmare, but I am here to tell you that it is going to happen to perhaps hundreds of residents in our area because they either ignored or were ignorant of the new REAL ID requirements.

Despite the fact that we live in an information-rich age, people are surprisingly unaware of some really crucial, impactful information.

Although I have been drumbeating about REAL ID for more than two years now, Pennsylvanians have been slow to respond. I did an unofficial survey of 30 adults in Carbon and Lehigh counties recently, and found that just two had gotten REAL ID compliant licenses; four more had heard about them and planned to apply soon, but the other 24 had no idea what REAL ID is all about. (Just for the record, I have had mine since last March.)

On Oct. 1, 2020, every air traveler will need to show a REAL ID-compliant license or other allowable form of ID (such as a passport) for domestic flights or to enter secure federal buildings. Such a license is one that meets the REAL ID Act’s security standards and is issued by a compliant state.

This all came about after the 9/11 attacks as a way to bolster security. The hijackers got valid ID cards issued by several states, according to the FBI, and the committee that was formed to make recommendations in the aftermath of 9/11 encouraged the federal government to come up with national ID standards to help eliminate fraud and terrorism. The regulation, adopted in 2005, required states to develop licenses with anti-counterfeiting measures and file photographs and other essential information into a federal database.

Pennsylvania was late coming to the program, so the REAL ID licenses were not available until 2019. This breathless hassle could have been avoided if an ill-advised 2011 law had not been passed in Harrisburg telling the federal government what it could do with its 2005 law. The Republican-controlled General Assembly and then-Gov. Tom Corbett wanted to send a message to the feds, saying, essentially, that we’re not going to follow this unfunded mandate, because it is going to cost the state millions of dollars, and, besides, they said, this should be a states right issue. We see where this got us — behind the eight ball.

In 2017, Gov. Tom Wolf signed a bill partially nullifying the 2011 action. The General Assembly bill allows residents to decide whether they want one of the new types of license. If, for example, a person never flies nor anticipates entering a secure federal facility, he or she may decide not to get one of the new licenses. There is a one-time $30 fee, which will extend your license expiration date by four years. The compliant licenses have a gold star in the upper right-hand corner.

Since it is human nature to procrastinate, residents figure, “I have until October, so what’s the big rush?” Well, getting a compliant license is not like waving a magic wand. To get one, applicants will need an original or certified copy of their birth certificate with a raised seal or valid U.S. passport. They will also need a copy of their Social Security card that is not laminated or sealed in plastic. They also will need proof of all legal name changes, such as marriage licenses or court orders. Last, but not least, they will need two forms of proof of their current Pennsylvania address.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said that about 700,000 Pennsylvanians have gotten the new licenses. A representative said that about a million will need REAL ID by Oct. 1, but eventually, 2.5 million will need the new license.

Applications are accepted at any PennDOT license center, although only some are able to print out and give you the REAL ID license on the spot. Otherwise, you will get one in the mail in a couple of weeks.

License centers locally are on Route 443 in Mahoning Township, Snydersville in Monroe County, Schuylkill Haven, Whitehall, Hanover Township (Lehigh County) and Easton.

You can also apply online. Consult the PennDOT website for additional information or call the agency at 717-412-5300.

By Bruce Frassinelli | tneditor@tnonline.com