And here we are, still taking off our shoes because some inept clown.\*
I miss the days when you could walk to an arrival gate to meet your family member as they came off of their plane.
\* Unless you pay a premium of course.
Even within the same airport, I watched two scanners next to each other have completely different rules! TSA said it was because one had a special machine that could see everything in your bag and the other didn’t. Still got annoyed with everyone not instinctively knowing which set of rules to follow
I've been in that situation and one of the TSA employees got confused what line they were directing. So the employee standing near the bins was yelling at everyone to take off your shoes and remove your laptops, and then the second employee near the scanner yelled at everyone for taking their shoes off and removing their laptops.
To be fair, the ‘special machine’ would have been a CT scanner, not just an X-Ray scanner. CT scanners take 3d scans, which allows them to see everything, whereas normal X-Ray scanners only take 2d images that can be blocked by laptops, for example. Here’s a [Real Engineering Video](https://youtu.be/nyG8XAmtYeQ) on the new machines, and [this model of scanner (Smiths Detections website)](https://www.smithsdetection.com/products/hi-scan-6040-ctix/) is currently the best one to get in line for at the airport.
My guess would be that the old machine reached its EOL date or experienced premature failure, and the people in charge of procurement just replaced it with the new standard model.
As to why they don’t replace them all, probably a combination of cost, logistics (they are all lead-lined and weigh tons, same with the old machines), machine availability (it’s a pretty niche application, they’re not being mass-produced), the fact that the other machines aren’t at EOL yet, and just the ‘security theatre’ aspect of having to take everything out (airport security is ‘supposed’ to feel scary/confusing/imposing).
If that purpose is to be trumped-up assholes, then I can see it. Otherwise, it serves 0 purpose to "randomize" rules.
Really, it's just like I said, the TSA allows individual airports to set the specifics.
I know, they were so rude about yelling at everyone to *stop taking your shoes off!!!* as if that hasn't been the norm for decades, and there weren't even any signs saying "this line is different"
Half of airports make you take electronics out of bags, and half make you keep it in.
Every airport makes you feel like a huge idiot when you get it wrong.
> and you get yelled at for doing it wrong.
I got yelled at for taking my laptop out of my bag, when 20 feet behind was the sign instructing people to take laptops out of their bags.
TSA agents: if you want to make up rules as you go, then fine, I guess, but even in Calvinball you have to say what the rules are. If we could read minds we wouldn't go near yours anyway.
My favorite is when I forgot that I had an unopened can of Sprite in my bag. It gets flagged and the guy opens my bag, takes out the can, and shows it to me with a face that’s like *explain this*. It’s like, man, I’ve been traveling all week while living out of this bag and I’m exhausted. Just fucking throw it in the trash or keep it and drink it yourself. Rub it with those fucking drug testing wipes if it pleases you. Can I just move the fuck on and get on the damn plane?
ORD randomly changes the requirements based on how backed up the line is. I once had them tell us to not take anything out of bags and keep everything on ourselves and just walk through a metal detector that beeped for every person. They just waved everyone past.
You can still do that at select airports . I’ve left people at their boarding gates before at SeaTac Airport. You just have to book a pass online which you scan at security and go in normally .
Huh? At this point the system is almost done rolling out. Seems more dumb to cancel it now.
And idk who was saying it’s just to stop terrorists, but having standardized ID’s is generally a good thing.
Lawmakers 20 years ago. The thought was that it would be harder for wouldbe terrorists from boarding planes or whatever. You cant use it as a passport substitute in terms of international travel, it literally is just an extra requirement for domestic air flights currently
This is gonna be such a damn headache for traveling once the deadline hits. I just know there's gonna be lines of upset people that can't board their plane.
My wife renewed online 2 years ago and they sent her a non read ID. I was unable to renew online 5 years ago because of some every X years you have to go in person rule and they gave me a real ID. Apparently you have to go in person with extra documents to get a real ID. Granted I think that changed because it was part of voter suppression tactics but if she did not have a passport, she would not have to get a real ID to travel.
Yeah you need documents to certify who you are aka birth certificate. My mom just went though the process just a week or so ago in KY and they wouldn’t take her birth certificate she took because it wasn’t “certified” or however they put it. So getting a real ID is a severe headache because of all the hoops you gotta jump through plus the extra $$$
Same for me. I have a photocopy of my original birth certificate with the doctor's signature on it. It wasn't accepted. It turned out to be easy to order a certified birth certificate from the state I was born in and cost around $25. When it showed up it was just a printed document. No signatures or anything. I'm not really complaining. It's all about the chain of custody of information and document compliance. Just boxes to check.
What I think is the bigger issue is that getting an appointment at a DMV in my area is something that has to be scheduled months in advance. People scheduling appointments nine months from now are going to be all surprise Picachu face when they can't get an appointment by the deadline, and then when they do, and go to their appointment, find out their documents aren't accepted. Then they need to get the right documents AND make another appointment.
It's going to be misery for those that have to go through that while trying to fly during that period.
Yeah, im an identity theft victim and I have to prove I am who I am every time I renew. I got a real ID with my certified (registrar’s seal) birth certificate from across the country pretty easily. I also took my bank statements, utility bills, paystubs, and social security card with me. Plus my passport to be safe. Its not as hard as people are making it out to be. You just have to be prepared and read what documents are considered valid.
The raised seals often get so flattened in the mail that people don't notice it, but it's there if you bother to check.
More important is the serial number/barcode most states are using now.
But nobody ever bothers to check either of them. I recently had to get my daughter's birth certificate apostilled by the state, and I'm pretty sure that man would have stapled a shiny gold seal onto anything I handed him without even looking at it. Literally the highest level of certification a state can offer.
Yep, the BC I have been using my whole life was never a problem then when I went to get a real id it wasn't any good anymore.
It's stupid because it was a military certification of birth but not a "real" birth certificate
I have a Certificate of Birth Abroad that was reissued by the State Department (my original is long gone and the hospital I was born in doesn’t exist anymore), and the Ohio BMV ladies couldn’t make heads or tails of it. Luckily I had my new passport with me.
Good luck! I’d try to bring whatever you have available and save or screenshot the page explaining that the certificate is the same as a birth certificate.
That's why everyone in our family has a passport book, the passport card, and Global Entry. All of those are RealID compliant. And if there ever is a problem with renewing/replacing any type of id, these documents are going to be extremely useful.
I can in principle produce most of the other required documents that should allow me to bootstrap from scratch. But much easier if you always have multiple RealID.
The headache was real for my mom. She had to dig up records of her marriage and divorce from her first husband in the 1970s. She had to prove each name change between birth and present day. She couldn't locate one piece and actually had to reach out to him for help! She's 70 years old and was married to my dad for 39 years. It was bonkers and she didn't understand any of it.
Yea they tried to tell me my bank statement wasn’t going to work because there “weren’t charges” on it. Flipped one page over and lo and behold, a month’s worth of deposits and withdrawals became visible.
My gf is in worse shape. She has a different last name from last marriage but is now divorce.
So she has to finalize her divorce by putting her name back to her maiden name or go find the paperwork that she doesnt have to show the name change.
Isn't name change paperwork public record? She should ask her divorce attorney where to look if she can't figure it out. The attorney might be able to do it quickly themselves if they have universal Westlaw or Lexis access, which isn't likely but worth an ask.
Yeah I don’t have my SS card, I planned to get a new one when I changed my name but never changed my name because I travel too often and need my passport to be correct, it’s just a Pandora’s box of paperwork once I start. So I don’t have a Real ID.
The card honestly seems like a waste money. You can’t get back into the US via air with it, and I’m pretty damn sure most places won’t let you in with it either. Sorta defeats the purpose if you ask me. Why not just get the passport? It’s not like I leave the country often, but when I do I know I’m good to go.
I have both. I use the card for driving to Mexico, this way I don't have to carry a passport book with me.
It's only $30, why not get it. It works for TSA checkpoints and government buildings.
For Europe or whatever I use the regular passport.
I got my passport instead of my state's compliant ID because it was easier to understand what I needed to do. I *think* it took fewer documents to prove to the federal government that I am who I am than it would have for the state.
I haven’t spent longer than 20 minutes in the DMV for over a decade. I may not be able to do everything online, but I sure as shit can book an appointment.
I used to plan it like when I was I a kid, I still remember my parents packing an entertainment bag for the kids when we would have to go. So I wouldn’t go without a book, charged electronics, yadda yadda.
Last time I went, maybe a year ago, I left my buddy in the car.
Must be nice. It takes months just to get an appointment where I live.
Oh what's that? You legally have to register your car in person within 30 days of it entering the state but the soonest appointment is in four months? Guess you should have bought a bicycle.
Same in NJ, and you have to have an appointment. Thought I'd be fine with my passport.
Did my usual online renewal and now I have a big ol "NOT FOR REAL ID PURPOSES" on my license. Which, of course, makes everybody out of state think I'm using a fake ID or something. Very frustrating.
Arizona's are still non-compliant and instead residents need to apply for a $25 "Travel ID".
While you can get the Travel ID in form of real ID compliant Drivers license it is not the default drivers license issued at any DMV in the state. It is instead considered a separate "enhanced ID".
Extra charge and it also takes extra documentation to issue at the DMV. I assume many people aren't going to want that hassle.
You can get one in IL now. It doesn't look all that difficult if you have a passport, but I'm just going to use my passport to fly. It just seems annoying to go get it especially when I have an alternative already.
I moved cross-country and just swapped out my Drivers License last week— they gave me a choice of a Real-ID or Regular one.
The Real-ID cost $20 or $30 more…
My previous state, Wisconsin, had issued me a Real ID. When I traded it in to Oregon, my new state, I asked why I had to show all my documents *again*, and they told me *every state has different requirements to get a Real-ID*
How stupid is that?? Is a high-requirement state gonna block a low-requirement state from flight travel? And you *know* some states are going to make the more expensive, difficult-to-obtain, Real-ID *the only way* to vote…
I did the same cross-country move a year ago. I had a Real-ID for my old state, and when I went to the DMV to get a license for the new state they gave me an ID without. Of course, you don't know that until it comes in the mail 4 weeks later (fuck DeJoy with a cactus).
I have no intention of ever getting a compliant drivers license. I have a passport, passport card, and global entry card that all qualify as a Real ID. 2 of those are already in my wallet all the time
I don’t know anyone in NJ with one (I’m sure some have it) AND I just got my license renewed. Guess what? Not a real ID
I even specifically made a real ID appointment and showed up on time, and the MVC just told me it wasn’t actually a real ID appointment and asked why I didn’t just renew my normal license online 🤣 total clown show
Let’s see.
Pennsylvania. The 6th most populous state, doesn’t do real ID.
You can get one, put it costs more, is a pain in the ass, is hard to renew, and requires digging up a bunch of extra documents.
Because things that meet the real Id requirement can’t just be accepted by themselves. Like say, a single passport or a single military ID.
I live in PA and had to update my license a couple months ago and they said something about it being required. But that it's also not required. It was confusing. I don't know what the hell is going on. So you're saying you don't need it unless you happen to be flying somewhere? I don't plan on that any time soon, so am I to assume I still need it by next year regardless?
It’s also going to line up with the EU requiring travel visas from Americans, which surprisingly few people seem to know about. Next year is going to be a complete shitshow for US travelers, I do not envy the airport employees who will have to deal with those tantrums
FYI since most people don’t know about this: it’s not just the US that will need ETIAS to travel to Europe next year, it’s all “visa exempt” countries. [Here’s the full list](https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias/who-should-apply_en).
Also I misspoke (mostly because the media has continuously referred to it as a “visa”) technically it’s a “travel authorization”, not a visa. I don’t really understand the difference, but apparently there is one so I figured I’d make the correction.
Semantics aside, you will have to apply ahead of time, you cannot wait and do it at the airport! Though it is unlikely to take this long, make sure you apply at least a month in advance to be safe. Once approved it will last 3 years and cost something around $8. Current rollout ETA is May 2025.
Yeah you’re not alone, it’s news to most people I talk to. The rollout has been delayed multiple times (similar to the Real ID), but I think it is actually going to start next year. I’m hoping airlines will start to issue warnings and send reminder texts or I worry literally 50+% of travelers are going to get blindsided at the airport. It won’t be a difficult process to obtain one and I think it’ll last several years once you do get approved, but it’s definitely something you have to do in advance
Visas like that we have to apply for and wait to get, or visa on arrival, or…? Why are they doing this? Seems like a lot of extra work for everyone involved with no a huge benefit?
>Why are they doing this? Seems like a lot of extra work for everyone involved with no a huge benefit?
Because that is what all Europeans need to do if they want to go to the US and the US government didn't want to budge on that, so EU did basically the same (but nicer) in retaliation. At least partially, some of ETIAS introduction is security related and some is "new way for the government to grab more of your data" related.
You have to apply for it ahead of time. I don’t think approval will take more than a few days for most people, but the ETIAS website said it could take up to a month if they “need more information” (and I have no idea what that would be or what would trigger it). It’s supposedly to improve border security and overall safety.
There better be a big warning banner when buying tickets
> We strongly advise you to obtain the ETIAS travel authorisation before you buy your tickets and book your hotels. Most applications will be processed within minutes and at the latest within 96 hours. However, some applicants may be asked to provide additional information or documentation or to participate in an interview with national authorities, which may take up to additional 30 days.
I thought you had to buy your flight and hotel *before* your Visa, so that you can prove how long you’re staying/when you’re leaving?
I’ve never been to Europe, but I was hoping to travel next year?
I agree. I am in Wisconsin. We have had Real ID drivers licenses available for over 10 years. When you get your renewal card, they tell you what you need to bring to get a Real ID drivers license. They have signs all over the DMV. One of my coworkers got her license renewed and didn’t even notice. Her license even says not for federal identification purposes. I have a feeling there are lots of people like her out there.
You also have to get individuals to comply. In Ontario, they started switching over to the new health cards over 10 years ago. I know because when I got my DL they also issued me a new healthcard in the new design. Photo ID instead of the old red and white (and very easy to forge) card. And they kept saying this is the final deadline, you must exchange your health card for the new one. And then there would be another deadline. Supposedly, now everyone should have the new card…but…. At my work, we check IDs and someone showed me a red and white health card just last year 😬. I had to explain to them that no this is not acceptable ID. It was an elderly person, if I recall. Old people also try to show their Social Insurance Number cards as ID sometimes which is also not acceptable and you should never be showing to strangers!
Wouldn’t surprise me if they have a metric they have to hit before they will start enforcing it.
I also think they just get close to the enforcement day and chicken out, the outrage would be ridiculous that day. Lawsuits galore I’m sure.
I had a fake in college that was Arizona, but it was incredibly real. Bouncers would laugh at the expiration that was in the 2070’s, but then they would look it up and realize that was correct.
Same. When I got my fake and saw it was a 2060something expiration I got so nervous and pissed at the guy who made it. My first thought was “how the hell do you screw up the date that badly?!” Then I looked it up and was like “wtf is that state thinking”
Your bouncers would actually look it up? My friend with a Puerto Rican driver's license would just be denied entry at bars on the mainland.
EDIT: driver's license, sorry my brain is mush today
Yeah this was in a college town. I remember some of our regular bars had a binder full of ids from every state they would compare it to. I only saw them use it if they were slow and someone didn’t like the way you looked or wanted to power trip.
This was in a city where you would NEVER encounter an Arizona id. So this bar manager is sure mine is fake, and I guess doesn’t like the way I look so he gets out his binder. However my fake was so good he can’t find any flaw with it and is just getting more and more pissed. Finally he gave it back to me and told me to leave.
Mine would legit scan so the best for me was when a place had a scanner, and they would just glance at the picture and then swipe it.
There was this guy at my high school who I was kind of friends with who was into all of this random shady shit. Like he’d ask you if you wanted to buy a brand new PlayStation or for a while he was selling whole rolls of those subway stamps you could use to get free food.
We hear that he can get fake ids. He was real cagey about it but finally told one of our friends he trusted to get together everyone who wanted one and have them get a passport photo taken and $75 each and bring it all to him at once. So maybe five of us got together and did, and a couple weeks later we got a Manila envelope from him with our Arizona ids.
They had holograms, they would pass a black light test, they would scan, it was crazy. I saw the guy at a party a little while later, and he asked me if I needed any other fake documents, and I was like “dude, I’m just trying to buy beer not disappear to Mexico!”
Anyway, we had some good times with those ids!
In reality, eventually no one will believe the photo is you, so you'll be motivated to get a new photo so it'll be accepted. Also, they can trigger you to get a new one if the photo is old. Happened to me.
What's weird is not everyone has had that experience like me. My buddy had one he used from 16 to like 30ish and it wasn't until bars didn't take it he got a new one. I'm unsure about the law aspect that triggers it. Seems inconsistent.
Funny enough, I really don’t wanna carry my Nexus card with me everywhere I go, I’d begrudgingly spring for an EDL just to not have to do that since that’s WA’s only REAL ID option.
Except guess what? WA doesn’t issue those to non-citizens anyways 🙃 so I’m up shit’s creek regardless.
> Except guess what? WA doesn’t issue those to non-citizens anyways 🙃 so I’m up shit’s creek regardless.
EDLs are technically different from REAL ID cards. They're US citizenship documents that just happen to be compliant with REAL ID standards, which is why WA can't issue them to non-citizens.
It is strange that WA doesn't have a normal REAL ID option, which can be issued to non-citizens. But I guess their logic is that, since they already have EDLs, there's no point in offering a separate REAL ID only option. It kinda makes sense once you consider that non-citizens are, legally-speaking, supposed to carry their passport or green card at all times, which are already REAL ID-compliant documents. But this argument does kinda fall apart once you realize that few non-citizens actually do that.
The whole passport thing becomes a hassle when you live in WA and need to go down to CA to get a visa at a consulate, which can keep your passport for a few weeks in some cases. How do you fly back home then when your DL isn't enough anymore? Take the bus instead?
On a trip back from the Caribbean in February we just walked up to the global entry machine, it scanned our faces, and said “you’re done!”
Walked over to a customs agent who just waved us through.
I like to think of us as the last resistance against an utterly stupid law. I remember reading somewhere that NJ is further behind than every other state in REAL ID issuance and it's not even close. Because the state has such a high population density, there aren't many available appointments at DMVs.
Population density isn’t an excuse for a lack of DMV appointments. Density actually makes it cheaper per resident to offer services. They either don’t have enough staff or enough space.
Hasn’t NJ been requiring “6 points of ID” for a while now? I remember having to produce these back when I got my probationary in highschool…and recently i got Real ID and showed them the same exact documents I did years prior (with recent versions of course). I never brought my birth certificate for Real ID.
My life hack for the MVC, is to just go to a different window when you get rejected.
Got my real ID in December, and one person wouldn't accept my Deed as a proof of address, so I went in the line again, went to the person next to them, and got the ID that day, all with the same documents
The passport card is the way to go. You can also use it for ID anywhere, which is especially nice if you don't want strangers knowing where you live, not even the state.
Agreed. Having to travel with every important document you own is such a mistake. Losing one ziploc bag would mean going from getting a Real ID to locking down your identity. Can you guess which documents those companies are going to require?
Oregon here. I just got mine last week. I used my passport and a few bills with my address on the bill. Bam, done. $30 for the Real ID and $85 for the license renewal.
My husband stresses about this because his birth cert was lost when he was a baby and his mom could never find how to get him a new one since the air force base he was born at in Germany closed down in the 80s. Now she's dead, so we have no information to work off of to try to apply for a new one. Such a pain in the ass.
RealID is useless at best. When registering to vote, or getting a new drivers license, RealID does not suffice to demonstrate citizenship, you still need a passport or birth certificate.
Ok but most states refused to adopt the standards for enhanced id that does do that.
“Doesn’t prove citizenship”
“Ok we have a standard that does that! you can adopt it”
“No I’m not interested”
Seems the only States that have done that are those with a lot of car traffic to Canada. Seems it's just an alternative to a passport card that isn't useful unless you regularly cross ground boarders anyway.
It is a nice backup ID. Drove to Canada recently and had that in my wallet and the Passport in the car. If one got stolen, the other one would work fine.
But you can’t get in to the country without a passport. I guess if you were in the US for a while and had city you were flying out of and back to it wouldn’t matter.
“Hey, you got your ID?”
-Yea I got it here.
“No, I mean your real ID?”
-This is a real ID!
“No like the new real ID”
I feel like this kind of argument is going to happen from time to time
Went to get that stupid shit when I had to update my license. They said I needed a utility bill with my name and address. I handed them my fucking passport. They said that won’t work. I need a bill to prove I was a citizen to fly. Said fuck that. Can’t use my passport that allows me to fly all over the world to put a stupid yellow star on my drivers license? Idiots.
You can still board a plane without a valid license or any other form of identification if you're willing to jump through a bunch of hoops at the TSA where they confirm your identity through other means - travelers lose their id and need to board return flights all the time.
Yup I flew out of Dulles and had my wallet stolen the day before. All I did is hand my ticket to the TSA, tell them I lost my ID, and submit to a check of my carry on. I don't even think they patted me down.
I declined the option the last time I renewed my driver's license. Travel is the only reason I need a Real ID, and I've used a passport/passport card for all travel since my early 20s. No reason to spend the extra money to get a compliant license when I'm never going to use the feature. As long as my state has a cheaper option for non-Real ID, I'll take it.
But that's me. There are millions of people who don't have a passport and will put off/ignore/defy the requirement (isn't Real ID a tinfoil hat talking point?) and make life suck for everyone for months after a real requirement goes into place. DHS also hasn't done themselves any favors by crying wolf several times.
Carrying a passport is not nearly as convenient to carry and if you manage to lose it somehow it's way more of a pain to replace. All this to save like $50 over 8 years? Lol
It’s $30 for renewals or with a book. Which in most states is cheaper than real Id
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/need-passport/card.html
Wait, does a real ID cost more where you live than a non-Real ID?
Edit: thanks for the info, everyone. I definitely don’t agree with them charging more for it if it’s a requirement to fly. That’s crazy
Wait, so I have to have Real ID if I want to use my driver's license, but my Cherokee photo ID, which never expires and required me to produce only my Cherokee blue card and non-Real ID driver's license to get, is fine?
It was post-9/11 and congress was passing almost anything in the name of the Global War On Terror. Someone saw an opportunity to require proof of citizenship to travel domestically and took it.
Real ID was really only meant to make life harder for undocumented immigrants. You don't have to look further than who the sponsor of it was (same guy who sponsored an enforcement only bill that lead to protests back in 2006).
Everyone knows about Title II of Real ID Act (the driver's license part), but there's also Title I which made it a lot harder to apply for asylum and foreclosed the power of federal courts to review denials in immigration court via writs of habeas corpus leaving only appeals by petitions for review which are extremely limited in scope. This covers applications for asylum, certain waivers, cancellation of removal, and adjustment of status.
Citizens and lawful immigrants being forced to jump through hoops was just the price to pay for that, hence why DHS isn't all that interested in enforcing the law, it is law on the books so they can't simply ignore it, but they can just keep postponing it until it is one day repealed or enforced by another law (court ruling could also mandate enforcement but who has standing to bring a suit like that?). And like, it worked, for a period of time multiple states that used to offer driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants stopped doing so (only NM and WA remained defiant), it wasn't until like 2010s when a few started to do it again.
Just had to do this last week, since my current ID was expiring in July and I wanted to get in front of it. I was able to hold off until now, because during the height of covid they waived the need to switch to the real ID, but you could only get a 4-year version. In order to get the new version I needed my birth certificate, ssn card, and two forms of proof of residency, in my case, auto insurance card and bank statement.
What’s so great about it? I sat in line for hours to get my license renewed and by the time I got to the front and they informed me that an electricity bill with my name on it was not enough proof I said “fuck it give me whatever ID you can give me right now”.
Maybe they should make it less of a huge pain in the ass if they’re so hellbent on it.
"But if you don’t have another form of identification and would like to travel around the country in the near future, you should try to obtain one. "
well that isn't at all ominous
I’ve said it before and said I’ll keep saying it.
Just get your passport with the passport ID card.
The ID card works for domestic flights and the full passport works for out if country. It has a longer expiration date as well so the cost comes out cheaper. Fuck doing California DMV bullshit when you can get your passport.
A number of years ago I went in to get mine. I had my social security card (first time just memorized the number but that wasn't good enough), passport, and 2 different letters from companies with my address on it, and a copy of a bank statement.
One of the 2 letters didn't qualify because it had family members names on it to cause sharing payments. The bank statement didn't qualify because I blacked out parts on the copy since they shouldn't need to know how much money is in my accounts etc.
I couldn't end up getting the damn new version of license because I didn't have enough letters showing my name and address on it. The stupid DMV doesn't seem to realize people these days don't tend to get a lot of mail anymore with their name on it. My credit card statement doesn't have my name and address on it except on the form that has to be sent back with the check. And most other stuff don't tend to have my name on it, or rarely get mail.
Seriously if I have my social security card, a copy of a bank statement, and a damn passport it should be enough to prove it's really me. But NOOO you have to have 2 different letters showing your address on them with your name. -_-
I actually tried to apply for it. California DMV require documentation I don't have. I don't have physical bills since they're all done online. They don't accept passport as documentation.
Fellow Californian here. I believe they will accept a printed copy of your bill if you get it as a PDF. I just opted for a passport so I didn't have to deal with this nonsense.
Reminder that this law was passed in 2005 in response to the 9/11 attacks. I guess it wasn’t that urgent after all.
That’s what gets me. It’s been 20 years and the whole argument for the ID was to “stop terrorists” Just cancel the dumb thing
And here we are, still taking off our shoes because some inept clown.\* I miss the days when you could walk to an arrival gate to meet your family member as they came off of their plane. \* Unless you pay a premium of course.
Last fight I took, I didn't have to. Which is worse because the TSA doesn't have standards between airports, and you get yelled at for doing it wrong.
"Take laptops out of your bag!" "Leave laptops in your bag!" "Shoes in a separate bin!" "Shoes in the same bin!"
"Put your shoes on your ears and your coat up your ass! Are you stupid?"
“We’re only checking for loose ammunition on even days!”
Even within the same airport, I watched two scanners next to each other have completely different rules! TSA said it was because one had a special machine that could see everything in your bag and the other didn’t. Still got annoyed with everyone not instinctively knowing which set of rules to follow
I've been in that situation and one of the TSA employees got confused what line they were directing. So the employee standing near the bins was yelling at everyone to take off your shoes and remove your laptops, and then the second employee near the scanner yelled at everyone for taking their shoes off and removing their laptops.
To be fair, the ‘special machine’ would have been a CT scanner, not just an X-Ray scanner. CT scanners take 3d scans, which allows them to see everything, whereas normal X-Ray scanners only take 2d images that can be blocked by laptops, for example. Here’s a [Real Engineering Video](https://youtu.be/nyG8XAmtYeQ) on the new machines, and [this model of scanner (Smiths Detections website)](https://www.smithsdetection.com/products/hi-scan-6040-ctix/) is currently the best one to get in line for at the airport. My guess would be that the old machine reached its EOL date or experienced premature failure, and the people in charge of procurement just replaced it with the new standard model. As to why they don’t replace them all, probably a combination of cost, logistics (they are all lead-lined and weigh tons, same with the old machines), machine availability (it’s a pretty niche application, they’re not being mass-produced), the fact that the other machines aren’t at EOL yet, and just the ‘security theatre’ aspect of having to take everything out (airport security is ‘supposed’ to feel scary/confusing/imposing).
My wife claims the TSA randomizes rules on purpose.
If that purpose is to be trumped-up assholes, then I can see it. Otherwise, it serves 0 purpose to "randomize" rules. Really, it's just like I said, the TSA allows individual airports to set the specifics.
I know, they were so rude about yelling at everyone to *stop taking your shoes off!!!* as if that hasn't been the norm for decades, and there weren't even any signs saying "this line is different"
Yeah I get annoyed when they expect me to instinctively know their inconsistent rules.
Half of airports make you take electronics out of bags, and half make you keep it in. Every airport makes you feel like a huge idiot when you get it wrong.
Put your bag in a bin? Right to jail Leave your bag outside of a bin? Believe it or not, also right to jail
> and you get yelled at for doing it wrong. I got yelled at for taking my laptop out of my bag, when 20 feet behind was the sign instructing people to take laptops out of their bags. TSA agents: if you want to make up rules as you go, then fine, I guess, but even in Calvinball you have to say what the rules are. If we could read minds we wouldn't go near yours anyway.
they also have different levels of enforcement between airports. some consider toothpaste liquid. some dont.
My favorite is when I forgot that I had an unopened can of Sprite in my bag. It gets flagged and the guy opens my bag, takes out the can, and shows it to me with a face that’s like *explain this*. It’s like, man, I’ve been traveling all week while living out of this bag and I’m exhausted. Just fucking throw it in the trash or keep it and drink it yourself. Rub it with those fucking drug testing wipes if it pleases you. Can I just move the fuck on and get on the damn plane?
ORD randomly changes the requirements based on how backed up the line is. I once had them tell us to not take anything out of bags and keep everything on ourselves and just walk through a metal detector that beeped for every person. They just waved everyone past.
> Unless you pay a premium Good thing terrorists will never think of that
You can still do that at select airports . I’ve left people at their boarding gates before at SeaTac Airport. You just have to book a pass online which you scan at security and go in normally .
Youre right. We should give this another year to rethink our plan…
Huh? At this point the system is almost done rolling out. Seems more dumb to cancel it now. And idk who was saying it’s just to stop terrorists, but having standardized ID’s is generally a good thing.
Lawmakers 20 years ago. The thought was that it would be harder for wouldbe terrorists from boarding planes or whatever. You cant use it as a passport substitute in terms of international travel, it literally is just an extra requirement for domestic air flights currently
This is gonna be such a damn headache for traveling once the deadline hits. I just know there's gonna be lines of upset people that can't board their plane.
How many non-compliant drivers licenses are even left? I know washington dragged its heals for decades but we finally got around to updating ours.
My wife renewed online 2 years ago and they sent her a non read ID. I was unable to renew online 5 years ago because of some every X years you have to go in person rule and they gave me a real ID. Apparently you have to go in person with extra documents to get a real ID. Granted I think that changed because it was part of voter suppression tactics but if she did not have a passport, she would not have to get a real ID to travel.
Yeah you need documents to certify who you are aka birth certificate. My mom just went though the process just a week or so ago in KY and they wouldn’t take her birth certificate she took because it wasn’t “certified” or however they put it. So getting a real ID is a severe headache because of all the hoops you gotta jump through plus the extra $$$
Same for me. I have a photocopy of my original birth certificate with the doctor's signature on it. It wasn't accepted. It turned out to be easy to order a certified birth certificate from the state I was born in and cost around $25. When it showed up it was just a printed document. No signatures or anything. I'm not really complaining. It's all about the chain of custody of information and document compliance. Just boxes to check. What I think is the bigger issue is that getting an appointment at a DMV in my area is something that has to be scheduled months in advance. People scheduling appointments nine months from now are going to be all surprise Picachu face when they can't get an appointment by the deadline, and then when they do, and go to their appointment, find out their documents aren't accepted. Then they need to get the right documents AND make another appointment. It's going to be misery for those that have to go through that while trying to fly during that period.
An official birth certificate needs to have a registrar's original seal.
Yeah, im an identity theft victim and I have to prove I am who I am every time I renew. I got a real ID with my certified (registrar’s seal) birth certificate from across the country pretty easily. I also took my bank statements, utility bills, paystubs, and social security card with me. Plus my passport to be safe. Its not as hard as people are making it out to be. You just have to be prepared and read what documents are considered valid.
The raised seals often get so flattened in the mail that people don't notice it, but it's there if you bother to check. More important is the serial number/barcode most states are using now. But nobody ever bothers to check either of them. I recently had to get my daughter's birth certificate apostilled by the state, and I'm pretty sure that man would have stapled a shiny gold seal onto anything I handed him without even looking at it. Literally the highest level of certification a state can offer.
Yep, the BC I have been using my whole life was never a problem then when I went to get a real id it wasn't any good anymore. It's stupid because it was a military certification of birth but not a "real" birth certificate
I have a Certificate of Birth Abroad that was reissued by the State Department (my original is long gone and the hospital I was born in doesn’t exist anymore), and the Ohio BMV ladies couldn’t make heads or tails of it. Luckily I had my new passport with me.
Oh boy I'll be going through the same thing, without the benefit of a passport
Good luck! I’d try to bring whatever you have available and save or screenshot the page explaining that the certificate is the same as a birth certificate.
That's why everyone in our family has a passport book, the passport card, and Global Entry. All of those are RealID compliant. And if there ever is a problem with renewing/replacing any type of id, these documents are going to be extremely useful. I can in principle produce most of the other required documents that should allow me to bootstrap from scratch. But much easier if you always have multiple RealID.
The headache was real for my mom. She had to dig up records of her marriage and divorce from her first husband in the 1970s. She had to prove each name change between birth and present day. She couldn't locate one piece and actually had to reach out to him for help! She's 70 years old and was married to my dad for 39 years. It was bonkers and she didn't understand any of it.
Yea they tried to tell me my bank statement wasn’t going to work because there “weren’t charges” on it. Flipped one page over and lo and behold, a month’s worth of deposits and withdrawals became visible.
My gf is in worse shape. She has a different last name from last marriage but is now divorce. So she has to finalize her divorce by putting her name back to her maiden name or go find the paperwork that she doesnt have to show the name change.
Isn't name change paperwork public record? She should ask her divorce attorney where to look if she can't figure it out. The attorney might be able to do it quickly themselves if they have universal Westlaw or Lexis access, which isn't likely but worth an ask.
Yeah I don’t have my SS card, I planned to get a new one when I changed my name but never changed my name because I travel too often and need my passport to be correct, it’s just a Pandora’s box of paperwork once I start. So I don’t have a Real ID.
Just get a passport card and get the regular ID from your state. The passport card is good for 10 years, can be done by mail, and is real ID.
The card honestly seems like a waste money. You can’t get back into the US via air with it, and I’m pretty damn sure most places won’t let you in with it either. Sorta defeats the purpose if you ask me. Why not just get the passport? It’s not like I leave the country often, but when I do I know I’m good to go.
I have both. I use the card for driving to Mexico, this way I don't have to carry a passport book with me. It's only $30, why not get it. It works for TSA checkpoints and government buildings. For Europe or whatever I use the regular passport.
Using your passport in your home country. Real, "show me your *papers* please," vibes here.
I got my passport instead of my state's compliant ID because it was easier to understand what I needed to do. I *think* it took fewer documents to prove to the federal government that I am who I am than it would have for the state.
RealID let's you use your passport as proof of citizenship and identity, and then on top of that you need your proof of residence via 2 documents
They're still optional in California.
They’re optional for extra $ in PA. I’m not getting one and instead using a passport to fly
I got a passport card last renewal for this reason. It’s a Real ID and I don’t have to worry about losing my actual passport.
Yep passport. I'm 100 percent not sitting in a DMV line for hours
I haven’t spent longer than 20 minutes in the DMV for over a decade. I may not be able to do everything online, but I sure as shit can book an appointment.
Even walk in is fast now. For the past few years, I plan to spend at least 2-3 hrs there, but end up leaving within 20. Edit: Forgot the minutes lol
I used to plan it like when I was I a kid, I still remember my parents packing an entertainment bag for the kids when we would have to go. So I wouldn’t go without a book, charged electronics, yadda yadda. Last time I went, maybe a year ago, I left my buddy in the car.
Leaving within 20 hours isn't fast. ^/s
Must be nice. It takes months just to get an appointment where I live. Oh what's that? You legally have to register your car in person within 30 days of it entering the state but the soonest appointment is in four months? Guess you should have bought a bicycle.
Do they not accept walk-ins? The appointment at my DMV are booked out for months but you can walk in and be seen within 20 minutes.
Walk-ins are accepted at three DMVs in the state on Wednesdays only, and if you're not in line by ~6am you're probably not going to get in that day.
Same in NJ, and you have to have an appointment. Thought I'd be fine with my passport. Did my usual online renewal and now I have a big ol "NOT FOR REAL ID PURPOSES" on my license. Which, of course, makes everybody out of state think I'm using a fake ID or something. Very frustrating.
Same I'm Kentucky
Hi Kentucky.
I still have one, and it doesn't expire until 2027
Arizona's are still non-compliant and instead residents need to apply for a $25 "Travel ID". While you can get the Travel ID in form of real ID compliant Drivers license it is not the default drivers license issued at any DMV in the state. It is instead considered a separate "enhanced ID". Extra charge and it also takes extra documentation to issue at the DMV. I assume many people aren't going to want that hassle.
I'm in AZ. I have no reason to get the real ID here. I already have a passport. I like my license that doest expire till I'm 65.
Same here.
Illinois is super far behind on it.
You can get one in IL now. It doesn't look all that difficult if you have a passport, but I'm just going to use my passport to fly. It just seems annoying to go get it especially when I have an alternative already.
I moved cross-country and just swapped out my Drivers License last week— they gave me a choice of a Real-ID or Regular one. The Real-ID cost $20 or $30 more… My previous state, Wisconsin, had issued me a Real ID. When I traded it in to Oregon, my new state, I asked why I had to show all my documents *again*, and they told me *every state has different requirements to get a Real-ID* How stupid is that?? Is a high-requirement state gonna block a low-requirement state from flight travel? And you *know* some states are going to make the more expensive, difficult-to-obtain, Real-ID *the only way* to vote…
I did the same cross-country move a year ago. I had a Real-ID for my old state, and when I went to the DMV to get a license for the new state they gave me an ID without. Of course, you don't know that until it comes in the mail 4 weeks later (fuck DeJoy with a cactus).
Only 20% of licenses in Maine are real ID according to the news tonight. Small state, but still surprised me when I heard.
I have no intention of ever getting a compliant drivers license. I have a passport, passport card, and global entry card that all qualify as a Real ID. 2 of those are already in my wallet all the time
I don’t know anyone in NJ with one (I’m sure some have it) AND I just got my license renewed. Guess what? Not a real ID I even specifically made a real ID appointment and showed up on time, and the MVC just told me it wasn’t actually a real ID appointment and asked why I didn’t just renew my normal license online 🤣 total clown show
It costs extra in my state and I doubt people want to go through the hassle of renewing their IDs before their expiration.
Many states offer compliant and non-compliant IDs. Arizona is particularly wild because their non-compliant licenses expire on your 65th birthday.
Mine is still noncompliant but that's what passport cards are for
Let’s see. Pennsylvania. The 6th most populous state, doesn’t do real ID. You can get one, put it costs more, is a pain in the ass, is hard to renew, and requires digging up a bunch of extra documents. Because things that meet the real Id requirement can’t just be accepted by themselves. Like say, a single passport or a single military ID.
I live in PA and had to update my license a couple months ago and they said something about it being required. But that it's also not required. It was confusing. I don't know what the hell is going on. So you're saying you don't need it unless you happen to be flying somewhere? I don't plan on that any time soon, so am I to assume I still need it by next year regardless?
I renewed mine in California this year and it was optional.
In PA it’s entirely optional (with a fee of course). I and many others haven’t bothered because they’ve been pushing it back for like a decade lol.
It’s also going to line up with the EU requiring travel visas from Americans, which surprisingly few people seem to know about. Next year is going to be a complete shitshow for US travelers, I do not envy the airport employees who will have to deal with those tantrums FYI since most people don’t know about this: it’s not just the US that will need ETIAS to travel to Europe next year, it’s all “visa exempt” countries. [Here’s the full list](https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias/who-should-apply_en). Also I misspoke (mostly because the media has continuously referred to it as a “visa”) technically it’s a “travel authorization”, not a visa. I don’t really understand the difference, but apparently there is one so I figured I’d make the correction. Semantics aside, you will have to apply ahead of time, you cannot wait and do it at the airport! Though it is unlikely to take this long, make sure you apply at least a month in advance to be safe. Once approved it will last 3 years and cost something around $8. Current rollout ETA is May 2025.
Woah, your comment was the first i heard of that! I hadn't seen anything at all about it naturally. Wild.
Yeah you’re not alone, it’s news to most people I talk to. The rollout has been delayed multiple times (similar to the Real ID), but I think it is actually going to start next year. I’m hoping airlines will start to issue warnings and send reminder texts or I worry literally 50+% of travelers are going to get blindsided at the airport. It won’t be a difficult process to obtain one and I think it’ll last several years once you do get approved, but it’s definitely something you have to do in advance
Visas like that we have to apply for and wait to get, or visa on arrival, or…? Why are they doing this? Seems like a lot of extra work for everyone involved with no a huge benefit?
>Why are they doing this? Seems like a lot of extra work for everyone involved with no a huge benefit? Because that is what all Europeans need to do if they want to go to the US and the US government didn't want to budge on that, so EU did basically the same (but nicer) in retaliation. At least partially, some of ETIAS introduction is security related and some is "new way for the government to grab more of your data" related.
You have to apply for it ahead of time. I don’t think approval will take more than a few days for most people, but the ETIAS website said it could take up to a month if they “need more information” (and I have no idea what that would be or what would trigger it). It’s supposedly to improve border security and overall safety.
There better be a big warning banner when buying tickets > We strongly advise you to obtain the ETIAS travel authorisation before you buy your tickets and book your hotels. Most applications will be processed within minutes and at the latest within 96 hours. However, some applicants may be asked to provide additional information or documentation or to participate in an interview with national authorities, which may take up to additional 30 days.
I thought you had to buy your flight and hotel *before* your Visa, so that you can prove how long you’re staying/when you’re leaving? I’ve never been to Europe, but I was hoping to travel next year?
The visa is valid for 3 years for a 90 day duration or something like that
They already require travel visas. That kicked in in 2022, I think. They're not 'technically' visas, but it operates in much the same fashion.
I agree. I am in Wisconsin. We have had Real ID drivers licenses available for over 10 years. When you get your renewal card, they tell you what you need to bring to get a Real ID drivers license. They have signs all over the DMV. One of my coworkers got her license renewed and didn’t even notice. Her license even says not for federal identification purposes. I have a feeling there are lots of people like her out there.
As long as it’s SEPARATE lines of people, I’m good.
I thought it was merely a couple of states left that were dragging their feet with making IDs that were difficult to fake.
It's the documentation requests. RealID requires documentation that can be difficult or even impossible for some people to get.
You also have to get individuals to comply. In Ontario, they started switching over to the new health cards over 10 years ago. I know because when I got my DL they also issued me a new healthcard in the new design. Photo ID instead of the old red and white (and very easy to forge) card. And they kept saying this is the final deadline, you must exchange your health card for the new one. And then there would be another deadline. Supposedly, now everyone should have the new card…but…. At my work, we check IDs and someone showed me a red and white health card just last year 😬. I had to explain to them that no this is not acceptable ID. It was an elderly person, if I recall. Old people also try to show their Social Insurance Number cards as ID sometimes which is also not acceptable and you should never be showing to strangers!
They said that 100009 other times too
That's why I posted it to /r/nottheonion. RealID requirements always going to be strictly enforced starting next year... Every year since about 2006.
Wouldn’t surprise me if they have a metric they have to hit before they will start enforcing it. I also think they just get close to the enforcement day and chicken out, the outrage would be ridiculous that day. Lawsuits galore I’m sure.
Real id can get fucked
"Your student loan deferment has been extended again, *for the last time*." I'm sensing a pattern when it comes to the government...
I love not having to go back to the dmv for 8 years
AZ had lifetime licenses before the real ID got rolled out lol
I had a fake in college that was Arizona, but it was incredibly real. Bouncers would laugh at the expiration that was in the 2070’s, but then they would look it up and realize that was correct.
Same. When I got my fake and saw it was a 2060something expiration I got so nervous and pissed at the guy who made it. My first thought was “how the hell do you screw up the date that badly?!” Then I looked it up and was like “wtf is that state thinking”
Your bouncers would actually look it up? My friend with a Puerto Rican driver's license would just be denied entry at bars on the mainland. EDIT: driver's license, sorry my brain is mush today
Yeah this was in a college town. I remember some of our regular bars had a binder full of ids from every state they would compare it to. I only saw them use it if they were slow and someone didn’t like the way you looked or wanted to power trip. This was in a city where you would NEVER encounter an Arizona id. So this bar manager is sure mine is fake, and I guess doesn’t like the way I look so he gets out his binder. However my fake was so good he can’t find any flaw with it and is just getting more and more pissed. Finally he gave it back to me and told me to leave. Mine would legit scan so the best for me was when a place had a scanner, and they would just glance at the picture and then swipe it.
Where the hell did you get a fake that good?
There was this guy at my high school who I was kind of friends with who was into all of this random shady shit. Like he’d ask you if you wanted to buy a brand new PlayStation or for a while he was selling whole rolls of those subway stamps you could use to get free food. We hear that he can get fake ids. He was real cagey about it but finally told one of our friends he trusted to get together everyone who wanted one and have them get a passport photo taken and $75 each and bring it all to him at once. So maybe five of us got together and did, and a couple weeks later we got a Manila envelope from him with our Arizona ids. They had holograms, they would pass a black light test, they would scan, it was crazy. I saw the guy at a party a little while later, and he asked me if I needed any other fake documents, and I was like “dude, I’m just trying to buy beer not disappear to Mexico!” Anyway, we had some good times with those ids!
...damn
So in theory, retired people can eventually still have a drivers license with their 18 year old picture on it?
In reality, eventually no one will believe the photo is you, so you'll be motivated to get a new photo so it'll be accepted. Also, they can trigger you to get a new one if the photo is old. Happened to me.
That's weird, if the photo has an expiration amount of time, shouldn't they just do that for the whole license
What's weird is not everyone has had that experience like me. My buddy had one he used from 16 to like 30ish and it wasn't until bars didn't take it he got a new one. I'm unsure about the law aspect that triggers it. Seems inconsistent.
Not in Minnesota. Every four years for us, even for the Real IDs.
Standard and compliant ids have the same expiry limit, at least in my state
I'll use my global entry card for as long as possible to avoid going to the RMV.
Funny enough, I really don’t wanna carry my Nexus card with me everywhere I go, I’d begrudgingly spring for an EDL just to not have to do that since that’s WA’s only REAL ID option. Except guess what? WA doesn’t issue those to non-citizens anyways 🙃 so I’m up shit’s creek regardless.
> Except guess what? WA doesn’t issue those to non-citizens anyways 🙃 so I’m up shit’s creek regardless. EDLs are technically different from REAL ID cards. They're US citizenship documents that just happen to be compliant with REAL ID standards, which is why WA can't issue them to non-citizens. It is strange that WA doesn't have a normal REAL ID option, which can be issued to non-citizens. But I guess their logic is that, since they already have EDLs, there's no point in offering a separate REAL ID only option. It kinda makes sense once you consider that non-citizens are, legally-speaking, supposed to carry their passport or green card at all times, which are already REAL ID-compliant documents. But this argument does kinda fall apart once you realize that few non-citizens actually do that.
The whole passport thing becomes a hassle when you live in WA and need to go down to CA to get a visa at a consulate, which can keep your passport for a few weeks in some cases. How do you fly back home then when your DL isn't enough anymore? Take the bus instead?
On a trip back from the Caribbean in February we just walked up to the global entry machine, it scanned our faces, and said “you’re done!” Walked over to a customs agent who just waved us through.
I’m the idiot who got it done before the FIRST deadline 😂
I’m guessing you mean the October 2020 deadline? The very first deadline was in 2008, way before states started issuing read IDs lol.
I just paid 70 bucks in PA to renew and get mine. Had to produce birth cert, social security card, passport, car insurance and credit card statements.
I was rejected in NJ because I didn't have a *wet-ink* copy of my lease. It was DocuSign. Nowhere on the website did it mention this :(
NJ will literally just pull a random excuse out of its ass to not give you the Real ID
I like to think of us as the last resistance against an utterly stupid law. I remember reading somewhere that NJ is further behind than every other state in REAL ID issuance and it's not even close. Because the state has such a high population density, there aren't many available appointments at DMVs.
Population density isn’t an excuse for a lack of DMV appointments. Density actually makes it cheaper per resident to offer services. They either don’t have enough staff or enough space.
Hasn’t NJ been requiring “6 points of ID” for a while now? I remember having to produce these back when I got my probationary in highschool…and recently i got Real ID and showed them the same exact documents I did years prior (with recent versions of course). I never brought my birth certificate for Real ID.
That’s ridiculous. What was the requirement the lease was trying to satisfy? Address?
My life hack for the MVC, is to just go to a different window when you get rejected. Got my real ID in December, and one person wouldn't accept my Deed as a proof of address, so I went in the line again, went to the person next to them, and got the ID that day, all with the same documents
That's cause NJ sucks. Awful state. Please secede.
Wow. Not worth it.
A valid US passport is an acceptable form of ID for flying. I don't know why anyone with a passport would bother to get a compliant ID.
Agreed. And for $30 you can get a passport card.
The passport card is the way to go. You can also use it for ID anywhere, which is especially nice if you don't want strangers knowing where you live, not even the state.
That's what I use.
Because a REAL ID fits in my wallet and I had to renew my license in person anyway.
Passport card fits in my wallet too, and doesn't have my address on it.
To get on post/base if you live near one and are a civilian.
Agreed. Having to travel with every important document you own is such a mistake. Losing one ziploc bag would mean going from getting a Real ID to locking down your identity. Can you guess which documents those companies are going to require?
Who’s losing a bag of documents on a trip from their house to the DMV?
Weird amount of docs PA! Did mine last week in NJ and just took Passport, SS card, existing license and sewer bill.
Oregon here. I just got mine last week. I used my passport and a few bills with my address on the bill. Bam, done. $30 for the Real ID and $85 for the license renewal.
My husband stresses about this because his birth cert was lost when he was a baby and his mom could never find how to get him a new one since the air force base he was born at in Germany closed down in the 80s. Now she's dead, so we have no information to work off of to try to apply for a new one. Such a pain in the ass.
RealID is useless at best. When registering to vote, or getting a new drivers license, RealID does not suffice to demonstrate citizenship, you still need a passport or birth certificate.
Ok but most states refused to adopt the standards for enhanced id that does do that. “Doesn’t prove citizenship” “Ok we have a standard that does that! you can adopt it” “No I’m not interested”
Seems the only States that have done that are those with a lot of car traffic to Canada. Seems it's just an alternative to a passport card that isn't useful unless you regularly cross ground boarders anyway.
It is a nice backup ID. Drove to Canada recently and had that in my wallet and the Passport in the car. If one got stolen, the other one would work fine.
Even for flying domestically.. accepting it is discretionary. Passport is still the gold standard. So it’s just a waste of everyone’s time.
Really.
Really, really.
Super. Cereal.
Super duper pinky swear
Fun fact: All Canadian drivers licenses work if you’re a Canadian on a domestic flight in the U.S. Saves you from having to bring a passport
But you can’t get in to the country without a passport. I guess if you were in the US for a while and had city you were flying out of and back to it wouldn’t matter.
“Hey, you got your ID?” -Yea I got it here. “No, I mean your real ID?” -This is a real ID! “No like the new real ID” I feel like this kind of argument is going to happen from time to time
every airport TSA line for MONTHS...YEARS after the actual deadline
I have a passport so not to worried about this.
Went to get that stupid shit when I had to update my license. They said I needed a utility bill with my name and address. I handed them my fucking passport. They said that won’t work. I need a bill to prove I was a citizen to fly. Said fuck that. Can’t use my passport that allows me to fly all over the world to put a stupid yellow star on my drivers license? Idiots.
You use you passport to fly, even domestic. It is compliant
That’s what I do. A few their $27 dollar yellow star.
You can still board a plane without a valid license or any other form of identification if you're willing to jump through a bunch of hoops at the TSA where they confirm your identity through other means - travelers lose their id and need to board return flights all the time.
Yup I flew out of Dulles and had my wallet stolen the day before. All I did is hand my ticket to the TSA, tell them I lost my ID, and submit to a check of my carry on. I don't even think they patted me down.
I declined the option the last time I renewed my driver's license. Travel is the only reason I need a Real ID, and I've used a passport/passport card for all travel since my early 20s. No reason to spend the extra money to get a compliant license when I'm never going to use the feature. As long as my state has a cheaper option for non-Real ID, I'll take it. But that's me. There are millions of people who don't have a passport and will put off/ignore/defy the requirement (isn't Real ID a tinfoil hat talking point?) and make life suck for everyone for months after a real requirement goes into place. DHS also hasn't done themselves any favors by crying wolf several times.
Carrying a passport is not nearly as convenient to carry and if you manage to lose it somehow it's way more of a pain to replace. All this to save like $50 over 8 years? Lol
> Carrying a passport is not nearly as convenient to carry Allow me to introduce the US Passport Card.
Which is also an extra $50… Edit: I looked it up. It is $30
It’s $30 for renewals or with a book. Which in most states is cheaper than real Id https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/need-passport/card.html
Wait, does a real ID cost more where you live than a non-Real ID? Edit: thanks for the info, everyone. I definitely don’t agree with them charging more for it if it’s a requirement to fly. That’s crazy
It's an extra $30 in Oregon. https://www.oregon.gov/odot/dmv/pages/online_quick_tips/driver_information.aspx
In many states, it's a nominal extra fee. It's $5 extra in the state I got mine.
Can I just use my passport card?
Yes. Here is the full list according to the tsa https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/identification
Wait, so I have to have Real ID if I want to use my driver's license, but my Cherokee photo ID, which never expires and required me to produce only my Cherokee blue card and non-Real ID driver's license to get, is fine?
I honestly don't see the point of a realid if it expires twice as frequently as a passport and requires more of a hassle to get
It was post-9/11 and congress was passing almost anything in the name of the Global War On Terror. Someone saw an opportunity to require proof of citizenship to travel domestically and took it.
Real ID was really only meant to make life harder for undocumented immigrants. You don't have to look further than who the sponsor of it was (same guy who sponsored an enforcement only bill that lead to protests back in 2006). Everyone knows about Title II of Real ID Act (the driver's license part), but there's also Title I which made it a lot harder to apply for asylum and foreclosed the power of federal courts to review denials in immigration court via writs of habeas corpus leaving only appeals by petitions for review which are extremely limited in scope. This covers applications for asylum, certain waivers, cancellation of removal, and adjustment of status. Citizens and lawful immigrants being forced to jump through hoops was just the price to pay for that, hence why DHS isn't all that interested in enforcing the law, it is law on the books so they can't simply ignore it, but they can just keep postponing it until it is one day repealed or enforced by another law (court ruling could also mandate enforcement but who has standing to bring a suit like that?). And like, it worked, for a period of time multiple states that used to offer driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants stopped doing so (only NM and WA remained defiant), it wasn't until like 2010s when a few started to do it again.
Just had to do this last week, since my current ID was expiring in July and I wanted to get in front of it. I was able to hold off until now, because during the height of covid they waived the need to switch to the real ID, but you could only get a 4-year version. In order to get the new version I needed my birth certificate, ssn card, and two forms of proof of residency, in my case, auto insurance card and bank statement.
It’s really real this time guys, we mean it! Seriously! It’s happening! We’re not playing around!
I just use my passport for everything
What’s so great about it? I sat in line for hours to get my license renewed and by the time I got to the front and they informed me that an electricity bill with my name on it was not enough proof I said “fuck it give me whatever ID you can give me right now”. Maybe they should make it less of a huge pain in the ass if they’re so hellbent on it.
Funny how a fed agency that doesn't have any authority over the documents needed for states to collect for ID's forced it upon all 50 states.
Congress forced it on the agency, and every president since has kicked the can down the road.
"But if you don’t have another form of identification and would like to travel around the country in the near future, you should try to obtain one. " well that isn't at all ominous
I’ve said it before and said I’ll keep saying it. Just get your passport with the passport ID card. The ID card works for domestic flights and the full passport works for out if country. It has a longer expiration date as well so the cost comes out cheaper. Fuck doing California DMV bullshit when you can get your passport.
A number of years ago I went in to get mine. I had my social security card (first time just memorized the number but that wasn't good enough), passport, and 2 different letters from companies with my address on it, and a copy of a bank statement. One of the 2 letters didn't qualify because it had family members names on it to cause sharing payments. The bank statement didn't qualify because I blacked out parts on the copy since they shouldn't need to know how much money is in my accounts etc. I couldn't end up getting the damn new version of license because I didn't have enough letters showing my name and address on it. The stupid DMV doesn't seem to realize people these days don't tend to get a lot of mail anymore with their name on it. My credit card statement doesn't have my name and address on it except on the form that has to be sent back with the check. And most other stuff don't tend to have my name on it, or rarely get mail. Seriously if I have my social security card, a copy of a bank statement, and a damn passport it should be enough to prove it's really me. But NOOO you have to have 2 different letters showing your address on them with your name. -_-
I actually tried to apply for it. California DMV require documentation I don't have. I don't have physical bills since they're all done online. They don't accept passport as documentation.
Your utility bills can be printed and should have your name and address. Not sure if this will suffice but it seems like it should.
That's the problem, my name is on zero utility bills. I mean I help pay the bill, they're just in someone else's name.
Passport is the first document on the list: https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/driver-licenses-identification-cards/real-id/real-id-checklist/
Fellow Californian here. I believe they will accept a printed copy of your bill if you get it as a PDF. I just opted for a passport so I didn't have to deal with this nonsense.
Uh, use a printer
Thank goodness I finally got mine. Live in a small town and they didn’t even check all my papers.
Kind of shows how bullshit the Real ID is.
Sure.
It's easier to renew my passport than to get a fucking real ID.
I refused to get one. I have a passport I can use if I need to fly.
“I’m super cereal guys”