WA REAL ID Deadline Checklist: Are You REALly Ready

OLYMPIA, WA — While the deadline to possess a Washington-issued REAL ID is still more than one year out, the State Department of Licensing wants to ensure all residents are prepared.

With the passage of the REAL ID Act in 2005, the U.S. government established minimum security standards for all state-issued driver licenses and identification cards to bear specific markings in order to access federal facilities, like airports. Essentially, any Washington resident hoping to get on a plane with their state-issued ID, travel out of the country, or enter certain federal facilities, like military bases, will need to have a REAL ID-compliant identifier.

Does your drivers license or ID card say "Federal Limits Apply"? If so, you do not have a REAL ID.

Washington has a variety of options for ensuring you are REAL ID compliant. Those options include military IDs, Enhanced Drivers Licenses and Identification Cards, and Federally Recognized, Tribal-issued Photo IDs. A full list of options and more information, like what you'll need to obtain your new identifier, can be found on the Washington State Department of Licensing website.

Additionally, the Department of Licensing put together a quick checklist to see if you're ready for when REAL ID takes effect Oct. 1, 2020, at id2020wa.com/ready.