REAL ID Deadline Approaching For VA Residents: What To Know

VIRGINIA — Virginia residents have less than six months left until the federal enforcement of REAL ID begins for commercial domestic air travel and access to certain federal buildings.

Officials with the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles say 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.

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 federal Department of Homeland Security postponed the enforcement date for REAL ID from Oct. 1, 2020, to Oct. 1, 2021, in response to COVID-19.

All applicants for a REAL ID must make an appointment at dmvNOW.com to apply in-person and provide DMV with physical documentation. Here's the problem. It may take a while to get an appointment.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the DMV also is still having problems with handling an increased volume of phone calls and email from residents.

Virginia DMV Commissioner Rick Holcomb told WTVR that many questions from residents can be found online and do not require a phone call.

“I apologize that people might need to wait a little bit longer to get an appointment, but I will not apologize for the wonderful experience they will have once they get in the DMV,” Holcomb told the news station.

From the current date, the DMV is offering 90 days of appointment availability in the system for each customer service center. At the end of each day, another day of appointments is added to the calendar.

Starting in October 2021, drivers' licenses and state IDs that are not REAL ID-compliant will not be accepted as identification by federal authorities.

While REAL IDs are optional, you'll need some form of acceptable identification to board domestic flights and access federal buildings if you do not obtain one. Other IDs that will be accepted to fly or get into a federal building include a U.S. passport or a military ID.

The DMV, which has been dealing with months of complaints regarding slow service and long lines, has built a website to deal with questions regarding REAL ID.

“Beginning October 1, 2021, the federal government will require you to present a REAL ID compliant credential, or another federally approved form of ID, in order to board a domestic flight or enter a secure federal facility,” the website says.

“You can get either a REAL ID license or ID or a standard driver’s license or ID,” it explains. “If you choose to stick with a standard license or ID, the next time you renew, it will display ‘Federal Limits Apply.’”

Virginia residents who want a REAL ID compliant credential can start the process by selecting the documents that they will bring to DMV and then make an appointment at dmvNOW.com/appt.

The DMV charges a $10 one-time surcharge in addition to standard fees for a driver’s license. A standard driver’s license renewal costs $32.

To get a REAL ID, here are the documents that you'll need.

One from this category:

• Unexpired U.S. passport or U.S. birth certificate

One from this category:

• Social Security card or W-2 form displaying full number. Note: You will not be required to present proof of your Social Security number if you know the number and DMV is able to electronically verify it.

Two from this category:

• Valid Virginia driver’s license, recent utility bills, mortgage statement, or rental lease agreements displaying current residential street address, not a P.O. Box. Note: You may redact (blackout/whiteout) sensitive financial information.

According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Transportation Security Administration does not require children under age 18 to provide identification when traveling with a companion within the United States.

For more information on obtaining a REAL ID in Virginia, go here.

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