Make plans to get Real ID before Oct. 1
Published 7:00 pm Friday, January 3, 2020
Louisiana citizens who use a driver’s license to prove their identity and who want to use it to board a commercial flight on or after Oct. 1 need to obtain a Real ID license. Unfortunately, only 10 percent of the state’s citizens have licenses that are Real ID compliant.
Some may say they have no plans to fly commercial, but the Real ID license will also be required to access federal facilities and nuclear power plants. The Real ID Act of 2005 was passed in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks to prevent persons from using fraudulent identification.
Sari Koshetz, a spokeswoman for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), told The Advocate, “Most people have nonrefundable tickets and other expensive elements to their trips.”
Koshetz’ advice to individuals was, “Don’t be the person who doesn’t make it into the plane because you didn’t have the proper ID.”
Those who don’t have Real ID licenses by Oct. 1 will still be able to board airplanes with a valid passport or military ID. TSA officials will also have “other mechanisms” to confirm a person’s identity, but the newspaper said those will likely take more time at airport checkpoints.
To get Real ID, residents need to visit the Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV) with documentation showing their full legal name, date of birth, social security number and two proofs of address for their principal residence and lawful status.
Jill Jarreau, an OMV administrator, said the most common documents they accept are birth certificates, social security cards and documents like utility bills to prove their addresses.
Persons wishing additional information can visit a dedicated page on the OMV website that answers questions related to Real ID. The page also has an interactive tool to help persons figure out what documents they should bring in to obtain the identification cards.
Drivers with licenses expiring between now and Oct. 1 can renew them with the Real ID gold stars in the top right corner. Those whose licenses aren’t up for renewal before Oct. 1 will need to submit the approved documents and pay a $17 duplication fee to get a new card.
Jarreau said, “We are urging people not to wait until the last minute; the closer we get to that date the more traffic we’re expecting at our offices.”
Koshetz made the most valid point about the need for Real ID when she said, “Real ID is critical for homeland security. The TSA estimates that as many as one million people every day will come to checkpoints across the country without compliant ID.”
Don’t be one of those. Get the Real ID license.
This editorial was written by a member of the American Press Editorial Board. Its content reflects the collaborative opinion of the Board, whose members include Crystal Stevenson, John Guidroz, Jim Beam and Mike Jones.
