REAL ID requirement date approaching. How many Pa. residents have them?
Starting on May 7, a REAL ID or other acceptable identification is required for anyone over the age of 18 who wishes to board a domestic flight or enter certain federal government facilities.
On the weekend before the deadline, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation saw an influx of Pennsylvania residents complete the process and receive a REAL ID-enhanced driver's license.
Normally closed on Mondays, the PennDOT Driver License Center in Erie at the Summit Township Plaza at 7200 Peach St. was opened an extra day May 5 for the purpose of REAL ID's only.
Less than 1 in 3 PA residents have a REAL ID
PennDOT Press Officer Aimee Inama said over the weekend of May 2, driver license centers in the state of Pennsylvania issued more than 9,000 REAL IDs, and 28.2% of Pennsylvania residents now have a REAL ID.
A woman enters the PennDOT Driver License Center in Summit Township on May 5, 2025. Normally closed on Mondays, the license center was open only for REAL ID transactions, with new federal regulations going into effect.
Inama said she still expects an influx of Pennsylvania residents going to their local driver license center to receive a REAL ID as the deadline approaches.
"We've seen an increase in the number of people, but that was to be expected," Inama said. "We are ready and willing to help anyone who comes in with the proper documentation looking for a REAL ID."
REAL ID application process fairly smooth
Allison Horn, 34, was able to obtain her Real ID at the PennDOT Driver License Center in Summit Township on May 5, 2025. Normally closed on Mondays, the license center was open only for REAL ID transactions, with new federal regulations going into effect.
PennDOT officials have noted that the process has been fairly smooth with some setbacks.
In Erie, some residents left the driver license center upset or frustrated because an issue could not get them a REAL ID.
Those issues included an error with their Social Security number or having to provide proper documentation for a change in their last name.
Depending on when residents went to the driver license center, the process was either fairly smooth or involved a wait.
"It took us about 15 minutes," Allison Horn, a Cambridge Springs resident, said on May 5. "It was really quick. It was so much better. We were really worried when we got here and then we got here and were like, 'Oh, we're done already, that was quick.' I feel relieved."
On the morning of May 3 around 8 a.m., the line to get into the Driver License Center spanned all the way down the Summit Township Plaza toward Goodwill.
What is a REAL ID?
A REAL ID is a security enhanced driver's license or state issued photo ID meeting the minimum security standards set by the REAL ID Act of 2005.
A REAL ID will include a star, a flag or will say "enhanced" on the card.
What happens if you don't have a REAL ID by May 7?
A woman enters the PennDOT Driver License Center in Summit Township on May 5, 2025. Normally closed on Mondays, the license center was open only for REAL ID transactions, with new federal regulations going into effect.
Inama says that getting a REAL ID is optional, however, if you are looking to board a domestic flight or enter certain federal government facilities after May 6, you will need a REAL ID or an alternative form of identification.
The alternative forms of identification include a U.S. passport (with state-issued ID), U.S. passport card, DHS Trusted Traveler card or military ID.
Learn more about REAL ID's and the process by visiting the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's website.
Contact Nicholas Sorensen at Nsorensen@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: REAL ID requirement date approaches. What PennDOT expects to come
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