REAL ID Deadline Extended Again For Maryland, Rest Of U.S.

MARYLAND — Maryland residents will have an additional 19 months to get their REAL ID after the Department of Homeland Security delayed the requirement for all U.S. air travelers to have a REAL ID-compliant form of identification by Oct. 1.

The deadline has been postponed until May 3, 2023, for Maryland and all other states. Officials said Tuesday's delay is due to the pandemic, which is making it harder for people to get into state motor vehicle departments and get the new IDs. Fewer than 50 percent of Americans have obtained their REAL ID.

The REAL ID Act was passed after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to establish minimum security standards for state-issued driver's licenses and identification cards. The Department of Homeland Security initially postponed the enforcement date for REAL ID from Oct. 1, 2020, to Oct. 1, 2021, in response to COVID-19.

"Extending the Real ID full enforcement deadline will give states needed time to reopen their driver's licensing operations and ensure their residents can obtain a Real ID-compliant license or identification card," DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement.

Real ID compliant cards are issued after a more thorough check of an applicant's identification and incorporate new security features that make them harder to counterfeit. Under the Real ID Act, passed by Congress after the 9/11 attacks of 2001, travelers 18 or older wanting to board an airplane by using a driver's license for identification must have one that conforms with the law's stricter requirements.

On Twitter, Americans reacted to the new delay by urging the federal government to ditch the REAL ID program entirely.

"They should just scrap the Real ID altogether. The document requirements for getting one are difficult or even impossible for many people (especially older and/or poor) to obtain," one person said.

Another person tweeted: "My Real ID is gonna expire before it's actually required."

Officials with the Maryland Department of Transportation recently said residents who want a REAL ID-compliant driver's license or photo ID card should get their documents together as soon as possible to avoid missing the deadline.

"In order to get a REAL ID, you must bring your documents in person to an MDOT MVA branch," according to the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA). "MDOT MVA does not have a process by which customers can scan and upload REAL ID documents to our website."

The agency also has a tool that allows people to look up whether they are REAL ID-compliant. As of Sept. 30, 2020, the MDOT MVA reported that 3.2 million Marylanders had gotten their REAL IDs.

Those who need to present their documents must do so in person at MVA full-service branches, which are open by appointment only.

If you have the older style Maryland driver's license or identification card (with no star on it), a $20 fee is required to renew your driver's license to obtain a REAL ID, according to the MVA. Those who have the new REAL ID driver's license or identification card — which has a star on it — only need to submit documents and will not have to pay a fee; check your REAL ID status here.

The REAL ID Act was passed after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to establish minimum security standards for state-issued driver's licenses and identification cards.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Homeland Security postponed the enforcement date for REAL ID from October 1, 2020, to October 1, 2021.

To get a REAL ID you'll need the following documents:

• Proof of age and identity: Original or certified copy of a birth certificate or a valid U.S. passport that has not expired. If you don't have a birth certificate, request an original or certified copy (here for those born in Maryland and here for those born in other U.S. states)
• Proof of Social Security: Social Security card in current legal name. Other items are accepted such as W-2, SSA-1099 or pay stub from past three months displaying name and SSN.
• Proof of Maryland residency (two are required): Current, unexpired Maryland driver's license or identification card; Maryland vehicle registration card or title; utility, TV/cable or telephone bill with the same name and address; property tax bill or receipt; residential rental contract; mail or benefits statement from a federal, state or local government agency; copy of federal or Maryland income tax return filing; checking, savings, financial account or collection agency communications; voter registration card; credit card statement; valid Maryland state-issued professional license; medical or hospital bill; or residential service contract or delivery for services performed at the address of residence (e.g., TV repair, lawn service, furniture delivery)

Find more information on REAL IDs in Maryland.

The Maryland Department of Transportation created a video that provides the basics on getting a REAL ID:

Patch Editor Elizabeth Janney contributed reporting to this story.