Real ID deadline: New identification requirements begin tomorrow
Beginning May 7, Real IDs will be required to fly domestically and access certain federal facilities.
The Real ID Act was passed in 2005 in response to the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks.
Several forms of identification fall into the Real ID category.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - After years of changing dates, the Real ID deadline is finally here.
Real IDs will be required to fly domestically and access certain federal areas, like military bases, beginning on May 7. Here's what to know:
What is a Real ID?
The backstory
The Real ID Act was passed in 2005 in response to the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, the act set security standards for identification that is used to board domestic flights, access federal facilities, such as miliary bases, and access nuclear power plants.
Types of Real IDs
Several forms of identification fall into the Real ID category. Here are some examples:
A driver's license with Real ID designation or an enhanced license - In Michigan, this means your license will have a star inside a gold circle or a star inside a gold Michigan. If your license does not have this, you may need to get a new ID. More on that below.
A United States passport
A United States passport card
A foreign government-issued passport
A Veteran Health Identification Card
A U.S. Department of Defense ID
For a full list of Real ID compliant identification, click here.
How to get a Real ID license in Michigan
To have your license or identification changed to a Real ID, you will need to visit a Secretary of State office and bring:
Your current Michigan driver's license or ID
A valid, unexpired U.S. passport or birth certificate
If your name doesn't match the name on your birth certificate, you also need to bring certified documents, such as a marriage license, that shows each time your name has changed.
Price
If you are renewing your license or ID, there is no additional fee for a Real ID.
However, if you are updating your identification outside of renewal time, you will have to pay $9 to update a license or $10 to update an ID.
What happens if you don't have a Real ID?
If you don't have a Real ID compliant identification on or after May 7, you will not be able to board a flight or access military bases and nuclear power plants.
However, a non-Real ID license can still be used how it normally would be -- as identification, to cash a check, to drive, and to rent a vehicle, for example.
The Source
Information from the Michigan Secretary of State, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Transportation Security Administration was used to write this story.
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