The REAL ID Act of 2005 is an Act of Congress that was designed to increase the safety of citizens throughout the United States. As a result of this law, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the states and territories in America began working together to implement rigorous standards to validate personal identification forms, like driver’s licenses and identification cards
What is the primary goal of the REAL ID Act? The fundamental objective of this act is to stop criminal manufacturing and usage of driver’s licenses and identification cards.
Characteristics of REAL ID Cards
Although REAL ID cards can look like a typical licenses and identification cards, they will also display a cut-out star inside a gold circle located at the top-right side of the card. States that attain compliance in steps can issue partially compliant licenses and identification cards, which display solid gold stars instead of cut outs.
Non-REAL ID cards will display the words “Not For Federal Official Use,” instead of the gold circle and star. State agencies will determine which of their groups will allow non-REAL ID cards. Individuals that reside in states and territories that are not fully compliant with Homeland Security guidelines will require extra identification, including passports and military identification cards.
Critically Important Identification
Who will need a REAL ID card? Ultimately, everybody will need to possess a REAL ID card if they want to travel on commercial domestic airlines or enter nuclear power plants or federal buildings that have personal identification requirements. However, individuals that do not participate in those activities do not necessarily need REAL ID cards.
Implementation of the Real ID Act is designed to happen gradually. Eventually, each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and all U.S. territories must demonstrate to the Department of Homeland Security that they have satisfied REAL ID standards.
Current Status & What This Means for Maryland
According the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, compliant states and territories currently include Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, DC, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Is REAL ID compliance always clearly evident? Not at this point in time. For example, Maryland has been considered a fully compliant REAL ID state since 2012. However, that could change, because in 2013, Maryland began issuing licenses to undocumented immigrants without immigration checks. The state did not create a separate “undocumented” license version which does not follow Homeland Security guidelines.
Although Maryland meets the majority of the guidelines, Maryland could now lose their full compliance award if they are audited. This means that all citizens in Maryland could eventually need extra documentation, such as passports, to board commercial planes or enter nuclear power plants or federal facilities with identification requirements.
Furthermore, twenty-eight states and territories have acquired temporary extensions because they took measures to become compliant, and four are non-compliant. Fortunately for those working on compliance, in January, 2016, the Department of Homeland Security relaxed the looming October 10, 2016 compliance deadline by two years.
What does this mean for domestic air travelers? This means that the states they live in now have until January 22, 2018 to meet the requirements of the REAL ID Act or receive an extension.
Acquiring A REAL ID Card
If you want to know what it takes to register for a REAL ID card, you can contact the Department of Motor Vehicles in your area. You can also explore U.S. Department of Homeland Security (search “REAL ID”) for more details.