Real ID: What You Must Know If You Plan A Flight From CT

CONNECTICUT — If you're a Connecticut resident, it may be time to get a "REAL ID" if you plan to fly anywhere in the U.S. on or after Oct. 1, 2020. That's the day TSA will stop accepting your standard driver's license or ID card as identification to board domestic flights, military base entry, or entry to secure federal facilities. Instead, you'll need your REAL ID to do those things.

A REAL ID doesn't look much different from a standard state ID. However, in order to receive one, you have to go to your DMV office, participating AAA office or other third-party license issuer and prove your identity, your state residency, your lawful presence in the country and your Social Security status. Doing this gets you special star icon on your license, which means its REAL ID compliant.

But why do you need the new starred ID? The federal government requires a REAL ID for better security at airports and federal facilities.
People who need a REAL ID:

• Do not have a valid U.S. passport or passport card; AND
• Use airplanes as a mode of domestic transportation; or
• Visit military bases; or
• Visit secure federal facilities.

The REAL ID law was passed by Congress in 2005 as a way to establish minimum security standards for state-issued IDs. The deadline was set by the Trump administration after the law was opposed by states under George W. Bush and not enforced under Barack Obama.

Documents identifying identification, Social Security number, Connecticut residency, legal residency in the U.S. and any necessary name change documents (such as a marriage certificate) are required in order to get a REAL ID. Here is the checklist from the CT DMV.

The CT DMV advises people to start checking for documents three months before their license renewal date comes up. It could take some time to get the necessary documents processed if they aren’t immediately available.

If you already have a gold star on your license you don’t have to bring the additional documents come renewal time unless there are changes to be made such as a last name change or change of address.

If you can’t get the starred license for any reason, TSA screeners will accept other forms of identification. A full list is found here.

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The REAL ID Act of 2005 was passed in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks as a way to make airline travel safer. In addition to the stars on driver’s licenses, the cards themselves will be built with new technology, making them much more difficult to forge, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

If you don’t plan to fly domestically or visit a federal office, no worries. You don’t need a REAL ID to get a driver’s license. Also, the TSA won’t require children under 18 to provide identification when they’re traveling with an adult companion within the United States, but the companion must have acceptable identification.

The REAL ID isn’t a substitute for a passport required for international travel, and it also doesn’t affect the ability to vote or register to vote, applications for federal benefits, enter federal facilities that don’t require identification, obtain medical care, or participate in police proceedings or investigations.