Five Months In, Thousands Of Rhode Islanders Embrace REAL ID

Rhode Island rolled out its REAL ID program five months ago, ahead of the October 2020 federal deadline for compliance. Since the launch in December, state officials say approximately 36,000 have upgraded their state IDs or driver's licenses to federal aviation standards.

"The program is going as well as expected," said Paul Grimaldi, chief of information and public information at the Rhode Island Department of Revenue. "The percentage of people opting for a REAL ID license is on par with what we’ve seen in other states. We’ve got many months to go and we expect the pace of applications to pick up as the Oct. 1, 2020 gets closer."

The REAL ID program is a national standard for identification required by the 2005 REAL ID Act. According to the Transportation Security Administration's website, the law creates a national standard for state-issued driver's licenses and ID cards. Staring on October 1, 2020, ID cards that are not REAL IDs will not be accepted by the TSA for domestic flights. Anyone under the age of 18 is exempt and does not need to show identification at TSA checkpoints.

According to Grimaldi, approximately 36,000 Rhode Islanders have changed over to REAL IDs since the program's launch in December. The program is completely optional and can be used for both state-issued ID cards and driver's licenses.

"We’re encouraging people to wait until it’s time to renew their licenses to apply for the REAL ID version and they seem to be heeding that message," Grimaldi continued.

If Rhode Islanders wait until their license or ID card expires, there is no additional fee to change to a REAL ID. If someone chooses to apply before their license is due for renewal, they will be charged a fee of $26.50. In order to meet the requirements, the following paperwork is needed:

• One document that proves identity, such as a a certified copy of a birth certificate, and a proof of name change such as a marriage license if your current name is different from the one on the identity document.
• An official social security document such as a social security card.
• Two proofs of Rhode Island residency, such as a utlity bill (gas, electric, telephone, cable oil, water, sewer, etc.) that clearly shows the name and address.

REAL IDs are the same as a standard license in that they cost $61.50 to renew and are valid for the same length of time, usually five years.

For those whose driver's license or ID will not expire before October 2020 and who don't want to pay the additional cost for early applications, there are several other forms of ID that meet the federal standard. These include:

• U.S. passport
• U.S. passport card
• Department of Homeland Security trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
• U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents
• Permanent resident card
• Border crossing card
• DHS-designated enhanced driver's license
• Federally recognized, tribal-issued photo ID
• HSPD-12 PIV card
• Foreign government-issued passport
• Canadian provincial driver's license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card
• Transportation worker identification credential
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
• U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential

REAL ID cards will only be used for travel within the United States. Passports are still required for all international travel. More information on the REAL ID requirement is available on the TSA's website, while information about the process in Rhode Island is available from the Department of Motor Vehicles.