NORTH CAROLINA (WLOS) — Starting Wednesday, May 7, American travelers flying domestically will need a different form of identification: a “Real ID.”
Thousands of North Carolinians are crowding DMVs statewide trying to get their Real ID, an upgraded driver’s license or ID card that features a star in the right corner.
Deja Spedden spent most of her day Monday in line at the West Asheville DMV.
“I’m here to get my Real-ID,” she told News 13. “I’m a last-minute person. May 7 is coming up, so I would rather get it now and not wait until the actual last day.”
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Spedden said she is flying to Houston next month, and she sees a Real ID as her only option, as she does not have a passport.
“North Carolina’s been issuing Real IDs for eight years,” said Marty Homan, NCDOT DMV communications manager. “Everyone, at this point, has had a chance to get a Real ID during their renewal period. We’re going to do everything we can with the staff that we have to get people what they need in the timeframe in which they need it. We’ve had a surprising number of people coming to the office wanting to get a Real ID, and they already have one.”
The federal-consistent identification card was born out of 9/11.
“One of the recommendations [by the 9/11 Commission] was to have a federal standard for licenses and IDs,” Homan told News 13. “The terrorists that attacked on 9/11 had multiple IDs from many different states. That’s part of the reason why they were able to carry out what they carried out.”
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Over four million of the 8.6 million active North Carolinians have their Real IDs already. In March alone, over 82,000 people received theirs.
However, a Real ID is not mandatory.
“It is completely optional in North Carolina,” Homan said. “You do not need a Real ID to drive, vote, get healthcare, fill a prescription and to bank. If you already have a passport, passport card, US military card, a Permanent Resident Card [Green Card], or any federally accepted IDs, you don’t need a Real-ID – What you have will work.”
If you are not going to the airport soon, the DMV is asking you to wait to get your Real ID.
“There are people who don’t have those forms who will need to get a Real ID in the near term,” Homan told News 13. “If you’re not traveling [by plane] until September or October or the holidays, there’s no need to rush to the DMV right now.”
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Despite this, many North Carolina residents, such as Jeannie Kostlevy, still want to get ahead on obtaining their Real IDs.
“My passport’s going to expire pretty soon. I want to be extra safe,” Kostlevy told News 13.
Part of her reason for joining the line now is that she, and others she knows, had trouble finding an appointment.
“I’ve gone online and there’s nothing available,” Kostlevy said. “My friends have gone anywhere from Sylva to Forest City, Morganton [and] Marion. It is very busy.”
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The good news is that there is no deadline to obtain your Real ID.
“We are not going to stop issuing Real IDs after May 7th,” Homan said. “That [May 7] is just when TSA will start requiring a Real ID at the terminal. You may still be able to board a plane on May 7 if you don’t have a Real ID. You’ll want to check out TSA’s website. There are other things you can bring. They’re telling people to expect a longer wait [to get through TSA] if you don’t have a Real-ID. There’s a chance you likely still fly if you meet the other requirements they have.”
Click this link to view TSA’s airport security requirements.
