TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin 2/3 of US Driver's Licenses not real ID

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Eric's DL is not real ID compliant, although mine is, as I have a new DL. That's a function of how long DL's are good for, in many states. (Of course, he has a passport, so could fly with that.) Flying starting October 1 is going to be REALLY interesting...

Yep and I guess there is a backlog at many DMV's to get the new license. I have the new one, Ronalee does not. She was going to go ahead and get it this year but then she would lose 1 year on her current license so she is going to wait and just use her passport when needed.

Both of ours needed to be renewed last year, so we went ahead and got the Real ID. We could have renewed online and gotten the regular ones, but we picked a day when our DMV wasn't busy and were in and out with compliant licenses in about fifteen minutes. It's good to live in the middle of nowhere.

I think that is the case with a lot of people, why they aren't getting a new license. And a lot more people just don't even know it is a problem, as of October. The lines at TSA are going to be monstrous, and there is going to be a lot of weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Not all states allow renewal online or by mail. Ohio must be done in person with a very basic eye test included.

I have a year left on mine. Cost extra to get the compliant one so not sure if I'll get it as I have both the passport and global entry cards.

While not all offices offer this service, I was able to renew my license and get the enhanced version at an area Triple A. They typically do the standard periodic renewals but with the additional documentation you can also get the ‘Gold Star’ version that allows you easy domestic flight boarding without having to use passports.

It feels like I needed less documentation to get a passport than we do to get a ReadID. So I will continue to travel with my passport.

BeachKitten--I'm glad I have a real ID, as I do not want to have to carry my passport all the time, as I worry about losing it. It's a much bigger deal to replace than a DL.

Doesn't this whole thing sound kind of ridiculous? What exactly was the purpose behind this particular act? Maybe I just wasn't paying attention when this was announced. Just another complicated step to draw in fees from the public. How much is the cost for upgrading to a 'real ID driver's license', or does that vary by state?

Its because there is no control in many states like WA state as to legality of residence or citizenship of who has a drivers license or if it is actually real.

The cost was the same in OH but in the case of renewing early, you lose 1-2 years (that has already been paid) on your existing license so it is a slight additional expense. It has to do with travel security requirements of the TSA and also accessing federal facilities and military bases.

FAQ REAL ID

It should not cost you extra for a real id compliant license. A real id compliant license is different from an Enhanced Driver License that some states offer. They will charge extra for that.

Correct.

ENHANCED DRIVERS LICENSE

Except for the two states listed in the story, whenever you get a NEW driver's license now, it will be real ID. Other than those two states, you don't have any option, when you get a new DL, it will be real ID.

I have a CT license with the gold star, is that the “Real ID”? Just renewed it last month and piece of cake. So I guess I have had it for more than 10 years. Is the gold star license what you can fly with or does it need to be more than that???

If you just renewed it, then it would be a Real ID license, yes. Several states have required Real ID for several years..

As for Pennsylvania it is not a requirement. We both have our passports, of course which takes care of flying any where. Here in the keystone state PennDot does charge a one time fee of $30 when applying for the Read I.D., so different states may very well have different fees for this.

In OH it is a black star so that may vary by state but as Carol said, if you just got it most likely a Real ID. What kind of paperwork did you need to get the new license as the Real ID requires specific documents.

TSA CT License

It does look like PA charges an extra fee.

From PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services

How much does the REAL ID cost?

You will pay a one-time fee of $30, plus a renewal fee (current renewal fee is $30.50 for a four-year non-commercial driver’s license or a photo ID). The expiration date of the initial REAL ID product will include any time remaining on your current license or ID card, plus an additional four years, unless you are over 65 and have a two-year license.

This expiration date structure means that you won’t “lose” time that you've already paid for. After the initial REAL ID product expires, the customer will pay no additional fee, beyond regular renewal fees, to renew a REAL ID product.

I think if your ID or DL has a gold star or a star on the top right hand side one is Ok? Is this correct?

Yes. That is now my understanding.

That appears to be the case, a star on the license and it is a Real ID. At least that is what a quick Google search indicates.

I **really** do not want to fly in October.

RealID DL or not, I belong to the "you can never have too many Passports" school of thought. I have multiple TSA-acceptable IDs.

The backlog of people NOT understanding the new law may be the bigger issue, regardless of what you or I have.

Well, the good thing is those folks won't be going through the TSA pre-check lines, so that's a relief. And, I probably won't have Real ID anytime soon, but the GE card is acceptable for ID.

Unless something changes, they will most likely not be going through any line. It could easily create a logjam at the counters and even perhaps the TSA line.

Hence my "I **really** do not want to fly in October. " statement.

bran--Yes, if you have a FL driver's license, which I assume you do.

Hey Carol,
Freezing this morning.. 52 degrees. You must be about 8 degrees colder?

Yesterday afternoon was VERY chilly here, about 55 degrees, spitting rain and a cold wind. Lots of sunshine today though!!

2/3 of US DL holders are not ReaID compatible.

How many of those ever fly?

A lot of them may not, certainly, but I still predict an absolute cluster f*ck around the 1st of October, when all these people without real IDs try to fly and get rejected by TSA..

My current license expired just before MA started issuing the RealID ones, so I have that for a few more years. I've been traveling with my passport, and found that I like it; a printed boarding pass fits just nicely in it. I know somewhere in this thread Carol mentioned worrying about losing a passport; I've actually done that, and actually found replacing it fairly easy; just had to print out a form, have my birth certificate in hand, wander down to the postoffice and swear that I didn't sell or give my previous one away.

I'm also somewhat offended by the whole RealID concept. So I may just renew for an "ordinary" license next time around too.

YMMV of course!

Called Citrus County (FL) County Clerk's office, this week. They said that the licenses we renewed last year, with a "Gold Star" are all that is needed. We use our passports when traveling. I always make a color copy of each of our Passports and put it into each of our suitcases. We also each have "Passport Cards", which we carry separate from our passports. We have Global Entry status and usually get expedited through security. I don't know what else we can do, to travel without problems.

Honestly, to me, there are a lot of other gremlins I'd rather fight. Get the d*mn real ID.

Yep.

SammyM said: "As for Pennsylvania it is not a requirement. We both have our passports, of course which takes care of flying any where. Here in the keystone state PennDot does charge a one time fee of $30 when applying for the Read I.D., so different states may very well have different fees for this."

In North Carolina the fee for obtaining a Real ID is $13.00, with no change in the expiration date of the license.

There should only be "real" ID

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