REAL ID Deadline Extended Again For Ohio, Rest Of Nation

OHIO — Ohioans, like the rest of the U.S., will get an extra 19 months to get their REAL ID.

The Department of Homeland Security delayed the REAL ID requirement again for air travelers. The previous deadline was Oct. 1, 2021.

The deadline has been postponed until May 3, 2023, for Ohio and all other states. Officials said the new 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."

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

• Proof of identity: Original or certified copy of a birth certificate filed with the State Office of Vital Records/Statistics with a raised seal/embossed or valid, unexpired, U.S. passport
• Proof of Social Security Number: Social Security card, in current legal name
• Two proofs of current, physical Ohio address: Current, unexpired Ohio driver's license or identification card, vehicle registration or a utility bill with the same name and address
• Proof of all legal name changes (if applicable): Certified marriage certificate(s) issued by the County Court for each marriage, court order(s) approving a change in legal name, or amended birth certificate issued by the State Office of Vital Records/Statistics

There are three ways to get a REAL ID:

• You can visit one of the BMV's brick-and-mortar locations, have your documents verified, and pay the one-time fee. Your REAL ID will be mailed to you within 15 business days. Facilities near you can be found on the Ohio Department of Public Safety's website.
• Customers can take advantage of the "Get in Line, Online" virtual queuing system, which allows them to advance in line without physically waiting in the office. After checking in online, customers have a four-hour window to arrive at the deputy registrar location, check in at a self-service kiosk, and claim their spot in line.

More information on obtaining a REAL ID in Ohio can be found on the Bureau of Motor Vehicles website.