Do You Have A REAL ID? Here's How To Ensure You Are Compliant With Federal Law

GEORGIA — State officials are reminding Georgians of the impending deadline for a REAL ID, which will be necessary to board domestic flights or enter certain federal buildings.

As the May 7 deadline approaches, the Georgia Department of Driver Services encourages residents to check their IDs for a black or gold star in the top right corner. The DDS said if a star is present, the person is already REAL ID compliant.

The DDS said the Peach State was 99.9 percent compliant as of late March. At the time, the DDS said new drivers and anyone relocating to Georgia needed to secure a Real ID.

But what can someone do to secure a REAL ID if they are not currently compliant with the new federal law?

REAL ID cards are issued at driver’s licensing stations in Georgia. In general, those seeking them need to provide documentation showing their legal name, date of birth, Social Security number or proof of lawful status to be in the United States and two proofs of the address of their principal residence.
Acceptable REAL ID documents are as follows, according to driver services:

• Proof of identity
• Proof of name change (any and all name changes)
• Proof of social security number
• Proof of Georgia residency
• Proof of identity and lawful status (for non-U.S. citizens)

An ID in Georgia costs $32 and expires after eight years.

While Georgia requires residents seeking a REAL ID to visit their local customer service centers, applicants can pre-apply online with the Georgia Department of Driver Services.

The Real ID law, passed in 2005 in response to the Sept 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, strengthens national security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards.

Real ID was originally scheduled to take effect in 2008 but has been delayed for multiple reasons, including those related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

States’ lack of urgency is also to blame, according to testimony at a late December 2023 Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security hearing that warned of “utter mayhem at our airports” on May 7, if the deadline is vigorously enforced.

The Department of Homeland Security estimated that only about 70 percent of state-issued identifications will be Real ID-compliant by the deadline.

TSA agents screen about 2.5 million passengers a day, and if just 1 percent of them were to present non-Real ID-compliant driver’s licenses, 25,000 passengers could be turned away in a single day. In a week, 175,000 passengers would be prohibited from flying, 750,000 would be stopped in a month and 2.25 million would be denied in three months.