The REAL ID deadline has arrived. Here's what to know.
In Illinois, a last-minute surge in REAL ID-seekers left Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias visibly irritated at a news conference Monday.
Giannoulias urged Illinois residents to not get a REAL ID immediately unless they must have one, saying Wednesday's deadline 'isn't really a deadline.'
Illinois residents can still use other forms of identification to board a plane after May 7, such as a passport, and do not need a REAL ID to drive a vehicle or identify themselves, Giannoulias added.
The state issued more than 185,000 REAL IDs during April — 40,000 more than the month before, according to Giannoulias. Five days before the deadline, the state processed more REAL IDs than any other day, at more than 11,000. The surge made it difficult for many to access other DMV and secretary of state services, Giannoulias said Monday.
The state will continue expanded REAL ID services, including Saturday hours, and a REAL ID Supercenter in Chicago will remain open at least through the end of the month. The supercenter, at 191 N. Clark St., offers walk-in service.
Department of Homeland Security head Kristi Noem said Tuesday that domestic travelers without a REAL ID or passport will still be able to fly, for now. They 'may be diverted to a different line, have an extra step' in security, she said.
Extra enforcement methods will vary by airport, according to TSA's Great Lakes regional spokesperson Jessica Mayle.
When asked by the Tribune, Mayle said she wasn't certain how long U.S. residents could continue flying without a REAL ID. Mayle considers the deadline the beginning of 'full enforcement,' instead of any sort of phased transition.
'I don't want anyone in the future to expect what's happening now to be what happens forever,' Mayle said. 'People need to get in compliance as quickly as they can.'
Temporary paper REAL IDs, issued while people wait for the hard copy of their ID cards, cannot be used alone to board flights, Mayle added. Another form of identification, such as a driver's license, is required alongside the paper ID, and those passengers may still be subject to extra screening.
Giannoulias said that while some residents receive the hard copy of their ID in about a week, it usually takes two to three weeks. Lines to apply for the REAL ID have been long recently.
'To see these lines right outside our door here, it is probably the most frustrating thing I've ever seen in public life, because it does not have to be this way,' said Giannoulias. 'Again, people have had over a decade to get this done.'
Giannoulias added that the Department of Homeland Security did not do 'a great job of having a uniform process on this issue,' a sentiment he has expressed for months.
Yet reports of long lines and few available DMV appointments have led to some criticism of the secretary's efforts. Giannoulias said Monday that he has done 'everything but light himself on fire' in his quest to help Illinois residents become REAL ID compliant. In March, his office opened the REAL ID Supercenter in Chicago's Loop and added Saturday hours at 12 DMVs across the state to meet a growing demand for the document. The secretary of state's website also added a portal with a checklist for people to ensure they need a REAL ID before seeing appointment availability.
The Chicago Department of Aviation said in a statement that it had 'made significant efforts' to educate the public about the ID requirement, including via digital signs at O'Hare International Airport and Midway Airport and through social media posts.
Mayle said given the REAL ID surge at DMVs, she would not recommend rushing to get one, but TSA expects travelers to face delays or extra screening at airports.
'It is a very, very busy time for them (the Illinois secretary of state's office),' Mayle said. 'We are going to try and process those travelers and get them through the checkpoint, but really recommend they give themselves extra time. … What TSA is most concerned about is that you bring something to the checkpoint that's acceptable.'
The REAL ID Act was passed in 2005 on a recommendation from the 9/11 Commission. Implementation has been repeatedly delayed since.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
5 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
How ‘South Park' became the buzziest thing on TV — in its 27th season
Would the famously confrontational, proudly juvenile 'South Park' creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone take the money and run to safer ground? The answer came swiftly with the series' A brief summary: Trump is having a sexual relationship with Satan, a privilege once reserved for Saddam Hussein (see: the 1999 movie 'South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut'). Satan is a little disappointed in the size of the president's penis. Advertisement In a private room at Mar-a-Lago, Dora the Explorer, who has been kidnapped by ICE agents, is found giving a man an intimate massage. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem goes on a rampage gunning down puppies — a reference to Noem's Vice President JD Vance is depicted as Tattoo, the little person portrayed by Hervé Villechaize in the original 'Fantasy Island,' welcoming guests to Mar-a-Lago. At one point, Trump, wearing a white suit worthy of Ricardo Montalban's Mr. Roarke, literally boots him offscreen. And so on. The White House responded to all of this by declaring that the series 'hasn't been relevant for over 20 years,' reaffirming that 'South Park' is actually more relevant than ever. Comedy Central announced this week that episode 2 of the new season had more than 6 million multi-platform viewers and the biggest audience share (the percentage of the television audience watching a particular program at one time) in the history of the series, which premiered in 1997. (In lieu of a new episode on Aug. 13, Comedy Central also proclaimed this Wednesday 'South Park Day,' which kind of sounds like something 'South Park' would take pleasure in mocking. Episode 3 of the new season is scheduled to drop on Aug. 20). 'South Park' is, by definition, ridiculous, and I mean that in the best possible way. The very first episode, which ran Wednesday instead of a new installment, was called 'Cartman Gets an Anal Probe' (I still remember it fondly). The show works in broad strokes; Noem wasn't entirely wrong when she took 'South Park' to task for hitting the easiest possible elements of her persona (shooting dogs, trying to look glamorous as she does inhumane things). But that's how satire often works. It pinpoints dominant traits and hammers away at them. And when Parker and Stone ridicule something, or someone, it means they deem those targets ridiculous. Not scary. Not corrupt. Ridiculous. Advertisement In the past, Parker and Stone have shown an eagerness to take on both liberal pieties and conservative sacred cows; they drew the ire of Sean Penn after depicting him and other famous Hollywood denizens as deluded, self-righteous crusaders in the 2004 film 'Team America: World Police.' Parker and Stone lean libertarian, which gives them more people to insult and enrage. But there's something perfect about the current 'South Park' moment. A series that detractors dismiss as crude and over-the-top has gotten under the skin of a president whose rhetoric has more in common with professional wrestling and internet trolling than diplomacy. The show is addressing him with blunt force mockery, a tone that he understands. And people are watching — not just NPR listeners, but also 'South Park' bros, many of whom presumably voted for Trump. Equal-opportunity offenders pull in an eclectic crowd. In summary: Parker and Stone got paid. Paramount got its merger. 'South Park' ratings are through the roof. And political satire and democracy live another day. Chris Vognar can be reached at
Washington Post
6 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Kristi Noem is living free of charge in Coast Guard commandant's home
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem is living for free in a military home typically reserved for the U.S. Coast Guard's top admiral, officials familiar with the matter said. The highly unusual arrangement has raised concern within the agency and from some Democrats, who describe it as a waste of military resources.
CNN
30 minutes ago
- CNN
5 things to know for August 15: DC, Alaska summit, Gerrymandering, ERs, Homelessness
5 Things Donald Trump Poverty RussiaFacebookTweetLink Follow Time is running out to receive money back on rooftop solar, electric vehicles and energy-efficient appliances. President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress cut clean energy out of the tax code, and now some programs will expire as soon as next month. Here's how to take advantage of those 'green' rebates before it's too late. Here's what else you need to know to get up to speed and on with your day. A power struggle is brewing between local and federal authorities in Washington, DC. Last night, Attorney General Pam Bondi ordered DC's mayor and police department to accept Terry Cole, the head of the DEA, as the district's 'emergency police commissioner' and give him full control of the department during the federal takeover. But the mayor pushed back on Bondi's command, posting on social media: 'There is no statute that conveys the District's personnel authority to a federal official.' DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb also reviewed Bondi's order and declared it illegal after determining that the Home Rule Act does not give President Trump the authority to remove or replace the chief of police or alter the MPD chain of command. In a letter to DC Police Chief Pamela Smith, Schwalb wrote, 'It is my opinion that the Bondi order is unlawful, and that you are not legally obligated to follow it.' As President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin head to Alaska for their historic summit, scores of pro-Ukraine protesters gathered in Anchorage on Thursday. The demonstrators, who waved Ukrainian flags and banners, demanded that Trump offer Putin no concessions in exchange for the Kremlin ending its war in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders hope Trump can arrange a ceasefire agreement that Russia will honor while a trilateral meeting can be organized for peace negotiations. Putin wants any deal to include Russia taking almost a fifth of Ukraine's land. Trump, meanwhile, said Russia will face 'very severe consequences' if Putin doesn't agree to end the war, although he wouldn't specify what that meant. With only a few hours left until the summit begins, deadly fighting continued on the front lines in Ukraine. At least seven civilians were killed in Russian attacks on Thursday and 17 others were injured by drones and bombings, Ukrainian officials said.. For nearly two weeks, Texas Democrats have stymied Republicans' attempts to redraw the state's congressional districts in the middle of the decade by remaining out of state. The GOP's proposed map could potentially eliminate five Democratic US House seats ahead of the 2026 midterms. But on Thursday, the Democratic lawmakers signaled their intention to end the redistricting standoff and return to Austin. In a news release, the Democrats said they would return if Republicans adjourn the special legislative session currently underway — and if California Democrats introduce a new congressional map that would offset the five seats Republicans want to flip in Texas. California Gov. Gavin Newsom responded by formally launching the state's redistricting effort. Republicans in Texas are expected to adjourn the current special session today if a quorum isn't met. However, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott plans to immediately call for a new special session to convene the same day. In many rural American hospitals, there may not be a single doctor on-site when a patient arrives in the emergency room. Instead, all patients are treated by physician assistants or nurse practitioners. If a case is too severe to be handled, patients are stabilized and transported to another hospital farther away. The reason: a nationwide shortage of doctors. A recent study found that in 2022, at least 7.4% of emergency departments across the US did not have an attending physician on-site 24/7. And more than 90% of those were located in hospitals in small, rural areas. While rural ERs may see fewer patients, they still treat serious cases, said Alison Haddock, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians. 'It's important that folks in those areas have equal access to high-quality emergency care to the greatest extent possible,' she said. GET '5 THINGS' IN YOUR INBOX If your day doesn't start until you're up to speed on the latest headlines, then let us introduce you to your new favorite morning fix. Sign up here for the '5 Things' newsletter. A group of rabbits has contracted a virus that makes grotesque, hornlike growths protrude from their faces. The tech giant was forced to remove a tool after a patent dispute. If it's wrong, you'll have to prove it. The Dallas Cowboys owner credits an experimental trial drug for successfully treating his advanced melanoma. Here are some of the show's most orgasmic highs — and dismal lows. What was Taylor Swift's big announcement this week?A. A new studio albumB. Plans to launch a podcastC. An official Swiftie book clubD. Her engagement to Travis Kelce Take me to the quiz! 54%That's the percentage of Americans who say they consume alcohol, according to a new Gallup poll. 'Instead of feeling excited, really what I'm feeling is concern. I am very, very scared, and there is a lot of pressure.' — Madelyn The Los Angeles-area 11th grader, who spoke on the condition that her last name not be published because she is in the country without legal permission, on why she is afraid to return to school. 🌤️ Check your local forecast to see what you can expect. Discussions about masculinity and public displays of emotion have been trending since a University of Nebraska football player shed a few tears during a news conference. Today's edition of 5 Things AM was edited and produced by CNN's Andrew Torgan.
