Latest news with #MikeFitts
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Yahoo
What travelers need to know as real ID deadline nears
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) – The countdown is on – real ID enforcement is officially one week away. Starting May 7th, South Carolinians and Georgians will need an updated ID to fly domestically or access federal buildings. While Georgia is nearly fully compliant, many South Carolina residents scramble to catch up. A gold or black star on your driver's license means you're ready to fly. But if you don't see it on the top right-hand corner… don't wait! The federal real ID enforcement deadline is just one week away, and millions across the southeast still need to get up to speed. The Real ID Act was passed after 9/11 to boost national security, but its enforcement was delayed—until now. Starting May 7, 2025, the TSA will require a real ID or another accepted form, like a passport or military ID, for domestic flights and federal buildings. Georgia is nearly 100% compliant, but in South Carolina, nearly 1 million residents, or 38 percent, still don't have theirs. The DMV says wait times are around 20 minutes, and coming prepared with the right documents helps. For quicker service, you can go on a Tuesday or Thursday. Without a real ID, you could miss your flight or be turned away at secure locations. 'We will continue to be issuing real IDs as we have since 2018. People can come and see us after the deadline in May or June, and we can still get them turned around and they'll be taken care of. We are more busier than usual at SCDMV of the offices right now,' shared Mike Fitts, the Public Information Officer for the South Carolina DMV. South Carolinians can visit any DMV or use the Sweet Caroline app, while Georgians should head to a DDS Center – just make sure to bring proof of identity, your social security number, and two documents showing your current address. Fast facts on where to go: Deadline: May 7 — required for domestic flights and federal building access. Where to get it: South Carolina – any SCDMV, Georgia – can visit any DDS location. What you'll need: proof of identity (like a birth certificate or passport), social security number, and two proofs of residency (like utility bills or a lease). There's still time, but the clock's ticking – so check your ID now and plan that DMV visit!A real ID isn't legally required, but it'll make travel much easier down the road. This will keep your summer travel stress-free. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Airport security will start checking for a REAL ID in 75 days. Here's what you need to know.
A sample of a REAL ID compliant South Carolina driver's license. (Photo courtesy of the S.C. Department of Motor Vehicles) COLUMBIA — Starting in 75 days, South Carolinians without a passport will need a gold star on their driver's license to show it's a REAL ID to get through airport security. Federal identification requirements passed by Congress 20 years ago will actually be enforced starting May 7 for people boarding a commercial flight within the United States or entering secure federal buildings and military installations. Anyone needing the identification for those reasons should not procrastinate, said Mike Fitts, a spokesman for the state Department of Motor Vehicles. 'We would definitely advise, especially if you have plans to take a domestic flight, not to wait,' he said. Congress passed The REAL ID Act in 2005 as a way to standardize ID verification in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. South Carolina initially refused to comply. But the Legislature reversed course in 2017, when it appeared enforcement would be imminent. The law signed by Gov. Henry McMaster that year overturned the state's decade-old ban and directed the DMV to make the license, which became available at all 67 branches in early 2018. The federal government has postponed the deadline multiple times, for reasons including the COVID-19 pandemic. But May 7 is supposed to be the day when security will really start checking for a REAL ID. Of the 4.5 million IDs issued by the DMV, which includes roughly 400,000 photo IDs that aren't driver's licenses, more than 2.7 million, or 60%, are REAL ID-compliant, as of Friday, Fitts said. REAL IDs expire after eight years. Under the 2017 law that allowed for their creation in South Carolina, driver's licenses are only good for eight years too. All licenses issued in South Carolina after Oct. 1. 2017, expire in eight years, rather than 10 as they previously did. The ID that meets federal identification requirements remains an option, not a mandate. It won't be needed to drive, vote or access benefits such as Social Security in South Carolina. But people without a valid U.S. passport or military ID will need it by May 7 if they want to fly, get onto a military base or enter a secured federal building. For anyone unsure whether their license is a REAL ID, check the top right corner. A REAL ID has the gold star, while noncompliant state driver's licenses issued since 2017 will have a message that reads 'Not for Federal Identification.' For most South Carolinians, the cost of getting a REAL ID is $25, the same fee that a standard license renewal requires. For children ages 5 to 16, the cost is $15. The DMV doesn't issue ID cards for children under 5, who don't need a REAL ID to get through security anyway. A REAL ID modernization law passed by Congress in December 2020 as part of a pandemic aid package made the documentation process easier. It's no longer necessary to provide an actual Social Security card as proof. Instead, the number will be electronically verified at the DMV with the Social Security Administration. The following is what's still needed, with examples: Proof of identity and citizenship, such as a government-issued birth certificate or unexpired U.S. passport Two proofs of address, such as an unexpired South Carolina driver's license and a utility bill showing the same name and address Proof of all legal name changes (if applicable), such as a marriage license, divorce papers, or court order. If an unexpired passport contains the current legal name, that can be shown instead. You can get your REAL ID at all DMV branches. Check here for locations and wait times.
