Ohio Coronavirus: Real ID Deadline Extended Amid Outbreak

CLEVELAND —The Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday the Real ID deadline has been pushed back a year to October 2021 amid global turmoil being wrought by the new coronavirus.

The original deadline for getting a Real ID was Oct. 1. Real ID will be eventually be necessary for domestic air travel and for getting onto military bases or secure federal facilities.

The decision is a boon to Ohioans. Gov. Mike DeWine ordered nearly 200 Bureau of Motor Vehicle locations shuttered statewide, leaving only five sites open throughout the state.

"The federal, state and local response to the spread of the Coronavirus here in the United States necessitates a delay in this deadline," Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf said in a statement. "Our state and local partners are working tirelessly with the administration to flatten the curve and, therefore, we want to remove any impediments to response and recovery efforts. States across the country are temporarily closing or restricting access to DMVs."

When Ohioans do want to get their Real ID, they'll need to provide documented proof of their full legal name, their date of birth, their legal presence in the U.S., their Social Security number, their Ohio street address (with two different sources), and proof of a name change (if applicable). A list of acceptable documents to fulfill these requirements has been shared by the Ohio BMV.

The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ohio continues to rise, officials announced Thursday afternoon. Fifteen Ohioans have died from the virus, the Ohio Department of Health said, an increase of five deaths since Wednesday.

There are at least 867 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ohio, officials said Thursday. More than 90 Ohioans are in intensive care units because of the virus and 223 people have been hospitalized because of COVID-19.