Real ID really has a real deadline. Are you ready?
It looks like they actually may be serious this time.
After 17 years of extensions, federal officials are adamant that, yes, you will really, really REALLY need REAL ID to board U.S. domestic flights beginning next month. They even have a countdown clock, winding down to the official start of nationwide Real ID enforcement on May 7.
'As of Jan. 1, more than 18.5 million California residents now have their Real ID, compared with last year's January count of 16.9 million according to recent data from the California Department of Motor Vehicles,' my colleague Karen Garcia reported this week. 'There's still a long way to go for the state to reach complete compliance. More than 35 million Californians have either an ID, both an ID and a driver's license, or an ID for people under the age of 16.'
If you're among the millions of Californians who haven't made the switch yet (that includes me), Karen put together a short, handy guide. Here's what to know.
Real ID isn't the only way to fly domestically
Thankfully, there are several other valid forms of ID that the Transportation Security Administration will accept for those of us that put off getting Real ID (or forgot because they never seemed too serious about it). Those include:
It seems like the California DMV would prefer you hold off on getting Real ID if you can, so they can process the surge of residents now scrambling to obtain one. A message at the top of their webpage on Real ID states:
'Californians who do not have a REAL ID but already hold a valid passport can comfortably wait to convert to a REAL ID when their driver's license is due for renewal.'
California's DMV is adding hours as the deadline approaches
You have to apply for Real ID through your local DMV office. In response to the looming federal deadline, 18 offices across the Golden State will open an hour earlier, at 7 a.m., (except Wednesdays) through June 27 for residents who've made an appointment to obtain their Real ID.
Here's where:
Select DMV offices will be open Saturday, May 3, strictly for Real ID appointments. For more information or to start the appointment process, visit the DMV website.
What took so long?
The long-delayed nationwide standard for identification was established in 2005, when Congress passed the Real ID Act in a response to the 9/11 attacks. The initial deadline requiring Real ID to travel domestically or enter federal facilities was May 2008.
Then came more than a decade and a half of delays and extensions, caused by a number of issues, including public opposition, initial refusal from some states to participate, sluggish bureaucracy, a lack of resources and later a pandemic.
Better late than never?
Mystery surrounds a man accused of chainsawing trees across downtown L.A.
The L.A. Times Festival of Books is back and celebrating its 30th anniversary
What else is going on
Get unlimited access to the Los Angeles Times. Subscribe here.
How an L.A. grocery store's unofficial Instagram blew up — and no it's not Erewhon. What started as a bit has turned the Los Feliz Albertsons into the focus of a beloved neighborhood meme account. Until now, the creators of the account have been a mystery. Here, they tell us why they made it and how it connects the neighborhood.
Other must reads
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Today's great photo is from Times contributor Carlos Jaramillo at a Y2K L.A. quinceañera put on by cultural curator Anita Herrera who uses parties as an artistic medium.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Ryan Fonseca, reporterAndrew Campa, Sunday reporterKevinisha Walker, multiplatform editorChristian Orozco, assistant editorKarim Doumar, head of newsletters
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