One year countdown to obtain a Real ID begins

The countdown is on for almost half of state driver’s license and identification card holders who have yet to get a Real ID from the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles.

Beginning Oct. 1, 2020, Real IDs will be the only ID card accepted to use as identification to board a plane for a domestic flight.

About 58 percent of all Nevada licenses and ID cards, or 1.2 million, are Real ID compliant, meaning about 865,000 Nevadans hold non-compliant cards, according to the DMV.

Licenses and ID cards that are not Real ID compliant will be marked “Not For Federal Official Use,” and will not be accepted by Transportation Security Administration agents. Real IDs will look similar to non-compliant driver’s licenses and identification cards, but feature a gold star in the top right hand corner.

If a traveler doesn’t have a Real ID after Oct. 1 next year, he or she will have to provide another form of identification such as U.S. Passport, Military ID or U.S. issued immigration documents to board a domestic flight.

The Real ID Act was established in 2005, with a phased implementation plan announced in 2013, adding minimum security standards for license issuance and production, prohibiting federal agencies from accepting driver’s licenses and identification cards from states not meeting the act’s minimum standards. Aside from using for air travel purposes, Real Ids will be needed to access federal facilities and entering nuclear power plants.

Nevada has been issuing Real ID cards since November 2014.

Obtaining a Real ID is optional and residents who don’t plan to fly or enter secure federal facilities may not need a Real ID or could wait until after the deadline to get one.

Non-compliant cards will continue to be accepted for non-federal purposes such as driving and identification at businesses.

To obtain a Real ID, residents must provide proof of identity such as a birth certificate or passport, proof of any name changes, proof of Social Security number and two documents to prove Nevada residence at a state DMV office.

For those upgrading to a Real ID only, the fee is $9.25 for a driver’s license or $8.25 for an identification card. For those renewing their license or making another change, such as adding an endorsement or changing their name, there is no additional charge for a Real ID.

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on Twitter.