Latest news with #STARID
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
REAL I.D. enforcement at the Columbus Airport
COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) — The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) says they have not experienced many issues in the first week of enforcement. However, they do expect to see a spike very soon. Mark Howell, TSA Regional Spokesperson says the lack of issues is due to many Georgia residents already having a compliant I.D. . The Georgia Department of Drivers Services says licenses issued after 2012 are Real I.D. compliant. 'It's just a handful of folks that maybe are just moving to Georgia and haven't gotten their I.D's yet,' Howell says. Due to the size of the Columbus Airport, if someone's I.D. is not Real I.D. complaint it is communicated to that individual. This differs from bigger airports as those without a complaint identification will receive a red card with a QR code that shares all acceptable forms of I.D. No matter the size of the airport, Howell says once someone has been identified as non-compliant, they are then separated and subject to additional screenings. 'We've been recommending those folks that don't have their real I.D. or one of the other accepted forms to get to the airport a bit earlier than our usual two hours ahead of their departure time,' Howell shares. TSA says they expect to see an increase in delay time and those without a Real I.D. or other acceptable form of identification. 'The potential for that to happen grows when you have additional volume and a lot more additional infrequent travelers planned over the Memorial Day Weekend and those other holiday weekends in the Summer,' Howell explains. He recommends getting the Real I.D. sooner than later. 'The whole purpose behind it is really to raise security and it goes right in line with everything else we're doing at security checkpoints,' Howell says. 'We want to make sure the person that's presenting that I.D. is who they're supposed to be and that they're getting screened at the most state of the art technology that we've got available at security checkpoints.' Pro tips: Getting an Alabama STAR ID doesn't have to be a hassle | WRBL Alabama's Star ID to go into effect in May, according to ALEA Most airports are operating smoothly on the first day of the REAL ID requirement | WRBL Don't have a REAL ID yet? That could cause you travel headaches after May 7 | WRBL Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Yahoo
REAL ID requirement, Day 1, at Mobile Regional Airport — what travelers should know
MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — For travelers coming in and out of Mobile Regional Airport, they now must show a new form of identification before boarding their flight. Dauphin Way Baptist Church confirms it's selling long-time property After years of hearing it was coming, the 'enforcement deadline' for having a REAL ID, also known as STAR ID, is finally here. If you're planning on travelling anytime soon, you might want to double-check your driver's license. It should have a REAL ID star on the front. 'If they have a star in the corner, they have a REAL ID or as Alabama has termed it STAR ID,' Joshua Thompson with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said. The star in the top corner means you're set to go. For anyone 18 and older, the star is required to fly domestically, enter certain federal buildings, or even to use TSA pre-check, unless you have a passport and or other federally accepted forms of ID that you can use in its place. Now that deadline is here, the big question, is everyone prepared? WKRG News 5 spoke with passengers to find out who's ready. 'My license actually expires in June and I did not have time to do my REAL ID, but I knew I could take my passport. So I brought my passport with me,' Christine Newbegin, a traveler from Madison, Wisconsin said. 'I got it last August,' Levy Knox, a Mobile resident travelling to Atlanta, said. 'I believe that opportunity comes through those who are prepared. So we need to be prepared.' But if you don't have your STAR ID yet, that doesn't mean you have to panic. 'You can still obtain your STAR ID after today. Today is just the day that it goes into effect,' Thompson said. 'You can still travel domestically, you can still access federal buildings. You just might need a different proof of identification.' Alabama bill combating gun violence signed into law So if you've got a trip coming up and no gold star, you might want to pack your passport. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Yahoo
Toney man charged with capital murder of wife set to stand trial Monday
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — A Toney man, charged with the capital murder of his wife, is set to go on trial Monday. David Tolbert, 50, is charged with the 2022 capital murder of his wife, Savannah, who died on Nov. 15, 2022. The Huntsville Police Department initially thought her death was a suicide but as the investigation continued they ruled it a homicide. She was 37 at the time of her death. Alabama Congress members request 6 month STAR ID enforcement deadline extension On Dec. 9, 2022, Tolbert was arrested and charged with her death. Investigators believe the shooting was related to a domestic dispute. Tolbert was booked in the Madison County Jail without bond where he is still being held. In January 2023, Tolbert appeared in court for a preliminary hearing which revealed new details about the shooting. Prosecutors accused Tolbert of using a black .380 Taurus TCP PT38 to kill Savannah from inside a Tesla on Highway 72 in Madison. Tolbert is being represented by veteran attorneys Bruce Gardner and Robin Wolfe. 📲 to stay updated on the go. 📧 to have news sent to your inbox. Gardner and Wolfe filed a motion in limine on April 28 that said the defense and State agreed that no evidence related to a gun shot residue test will be shown during the trial. His trial is set to begin at 9 a.m. Monday with Judge Alan Mann presiding over the case. Court records did not specify if the State will seek the death penalty against Tolbert. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alabama Congress members request 6 month STAR ID enforcement deadline extension
ALABAMA (WHNT) — Several members of Alabama's Congress have sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to extend the STAR ID enforcement deadline. Rep. Shomari Figures, Rep. Ro Khanna, Rep. Terri A. Sewell, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, Rep. Rashida Tlaib and Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove all signed a formal request on May 2 for the Secretary of Homeland Security to extend the REAL ID (known as STAR ID in Alabama) enforcement date. The enforcement date, as it stands now, is May 7. The members of Alabama's Congress are requesting a six-month delay in the enforcement deadline, stating that DMVs are struggling and staffing is constrained, lines are astronomically long and appointments are limited. 'These difficulties are compounded by the cost burdens facing working families, many of whom cannot afford to take time off work or travel long distances to complete the required in-person process,' the letter says. The members say that in addition to these constraints on getting the REAL ID, DMVs have limited capacity systems that pose a 'disproportionate barrier for elderly individuals, people with disabilities and those without consistent access to transportation.' Without leniency, the members say that not allowing an enforcement extension puts strain on airport security. 'With the summer travel season approaching, TSA is already preparing for record passenger volumes, with projections exceeding pre-pandemic levels. Imposing the May 7 REAL ID deadline during this peak travel period threatens to further strain an already overextended system. Without flexibility, we risk creating longer lines at security checkpoints, avoidable delays at airports, and considerable confusion among travelers, many of whom may be unaware that their licenses will no longer meet federal identification requirements for boarding flights,' the letter says. Given all these reasons, the enforcement is requested to be extended until November 7. This would then give state and local agencies time to catch up with demand and help TSA prepare for a smoother implementation process. You can read the full letter Rep. Figures and other members sent to DHS below. Other questions associated with the STAR or REAL ID include: How much does it cost, and Can I get my STAR ID online? 'The fee for a STAR ID is $36.25, the same as for a regular Alabama driver's license or non-driver ID card. If citizens choose to wait and obtain their STAR ID at the same time they are renewing their regular license, there is no additional fee from the standard $36.25 renewal fee,' The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said. The Better Business Bureau of North Alabama is warning people against scammers offering an easy 'order online option.' 'It is federally required that you show up in person to get a star ID, and that comes back to just simply so we can identify, we can lay hands on those documents and we can scan them in and so we can certify them,' ALEA Trooper Brandon Bailey said. ALEA's website has all the required documents to get your Star ID, including where you can make an appointment. You can click here to go to the ALEA website. What if I can't get my REAL ID before the enforcement deadline? If you cannot get your REAL (STAR) ID in time for the May 7 deadline, given that the Alabama extension isn't granted, make sure to have another TSA-approved form of identification if you choose to fly domestically. TSA lists several options on its website, including: U.S. passport or passport card Foreign government-issued passport Veteran Health Identification Card DHS trusted traveler cards Department of Defense ID (including those issued to dependents) Permanent resident card and several other options If this extension is granted, it would not be the first time the Department of Homeland Security offered this for the REAL ID. The REAL ID Act was passed by Congress in 2005 following the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001. At the time, the 9/11 Commission found that it was too easy for people to obtain driver's licenses. This being said, the law was scheduled to be enforced in 2008, but because some states were not compliant with it, the deadline was pushed back until 2021. Following the global COVID-19 pandemic, DHS said all 50 states and four territories became more compliant with the rule. Because of this, the deadline was extended to 2023. 'Many state licensing agencies have extended the deadline for renewing expiring licenses due to a widespread shift to appointment-only scheduling protocols during the pandemic that has significantly limited states' capacity to issue REAL ID-compliant driver's licenses and identification cards. As a result, only 43% of all state-issued driver's licenses and identification cards are currently REAL ID-compliant. DHS and various states also need time to implement requirements mandated by the REAL ID Modernization Act, including changes that will streamline processing by allowing the electronic submission of certain documents,' DHS said. 'As our country continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, extending the REAL ID full enforcement deadline will give states needed time to reopen their driver's licensing operations and ensure their residents can obtain a REAL ID-compliant license or identification card,' DHS Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas said. Then again, on December 5, 2022, DHS announced that it would extend the original enforcement deadline from May 3, 2023, to May 7, 2025. This extension came due to the lingering effects of the pandemic. 'The extension is necessary, in part, to address the lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the ability to obtain a REAL ID driver's license or identification card. REAL ID progress over the past two years has been significantly hindered by state driver's licensing agencies having to work through the backlogs created by the pandemic. Many of these agencies took various steps in response to the pandemic, including automatically extending the expiration dates of driver's licenses and identification cards and shifting operations to appointment only.' DHS To learn more about the REAL ID and its history, you can visit the DHS website here. For more information on the Alabama STAR ID and how to obtain one, visit ALEA's website here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Yahoo
STAR ID enforcement date leads to long waits, frustration at Decatur ALEA office
May 3—With REAL ID enforcement beginning Wednesday, local residents are struggling to switch from regular driver's licenses to REAL IDs, known as STAR ID in Alabama. The REAL ID Act of 2005 requires an updated ID to fly domestically, enter certain federal buildings and enter nuclear plants. According to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, "The REAL ID Act, passed in 2005, aimed to enhance the security of state-issued identification documents in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks." The enforcement date has been pushed back several times, with the most recent extensions citing COVID-19. When enforcement begins Wednesday, passports can still serve the same purpose as a REAL ID and be used for flights. The use of the word "deadline" in place of "enforcement date" has caused confusion and panic among the local residents, according to Dana Green, a supervisor at the ALEA Office in Decatur. "People are under the impression that there is a deadline," she said "We explain it to them that there's not a deadline on the STAR ID; there's an effective date. It goes into effect on that day, but we do have people ... who don't think they'll be able to get it after that date." Citizens are waiting in line at the courthouse for hours. If they don't have proper documentation, examiners can't issue them a STAR ID. Because more documentation is required to switch to STAR ID than to renew a regular license, many people wait in line for hours before finding themselves unable to meet the requirements. People must present at least four different documents for verification of their identity, which must confirm their date of birth, Social Security number and address. A STAR ID document list can be found at STAR IDs can't be issued at all DMV locations, only at ALEA locations. Most counties have just one, if any, ALEA locations. Morgan County has one. Limestone County has one. Lawrence County has none. If a person living in the Decatur area tries to schedule an appointment online, they'll find the message, "There are no appointments available at this time, please check back later." The closest and earliest an appointment can be made is in Cullman in late August. Instead, people show up starting as early as 6:30 a.m. to the Decatur ALEA office trying to get an appointment for that day. It opens at 8 a.m. Green said the Decatur location has been busier than usual, with all appointments for the day filled by 8:30 a.m. for months. One of her coworkers agreed, saying it's been like this since around December. Apyrl Franklin has been trying to get her REAL ID since February. She said it's hard to find somebody to take her son to school, and she's not able to get to the office early enough otherwise. Franklin sat to the side as she waited to hear if her birth certificate would be accepted. She comes from a military family, and she was born in Germany. She doesn't have the original copy of her birth certificate. After calling ALEA to confirm that it would work, she visited the Veterans Affairs Office to receive a notarized copy of her birth certificate. As she waited to hear back from her supervisor on whether she could accept Franklin's birth certificate, Green helped others in line. Everybody appeared calm, although Franklin's face scrunched with stress. People spread throughout the first floor of the Morgan County Courthouse, where the ALEA office is located. Some sat in the small waiting area attached to the office. Others lined the hallway and waiting area by the courthouse's entrance. "The word has gotten out that if you're trying to get into the state office right now to get the STAR ID, just be prepared to wait, so you get those people that are cheering each other on," Green said. "You get those people that are making friends out there. You've got to be along for the ride." Green's supervisor called her. They can't accept Franklin's copy of her birth certificate. "I called someone from ALEA and asked them, and I know that you've done what you can, but I just don't know why they said that would work," Franklin said, sounding defeated. Her voice nearly broke as she tried to hold back tears. Franklin isn't a frequent flyer, but she has a trip she wants to take with her mom to visit her grandmother. "The main reason I'm trying to get this is because my mother had a severe heart attack and stroke, and she's wanting to see her mom, my grandmother, before my grandmother passes," Franklin said. "So we were trying to get everything taken care of so that we could do that this summer." Green told her it may be easier to obtain a passport at this point. In the end, Franklin decided to just renew her regular license. Meanwhile, Albert Lang sat on the floor in the hallway across from the ALEA office. "I've been here three different times," he said. He recently moved back to Alabama, and his REAL ID from out of state won't carry over. He arrived at 7 a.m. Friday morning. "It's kind of aggravating," he said, but he clarified that he's not too upset for himself. "I think about the elderly standing in this line. It might be harder for them." Workers in the ALEA office encourage people to show up early and know that they might have to wait all day. When asked for any advice for citizens trying to get their STAR ID, Green keeps it simple: "Get here early and prepare to wait." She also said she recommends that anyone who doesn't have travel planned for the next month or two wait until it calms down or until their regular license expires to switch to the STAR ID. Alabama Democratic U.S. House Reps. Shomari Figures and Terri Sewell were among members of Congress who sent a letter Friday to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem asking for a six-month extension of REAL ID's effective date. REAL ID was originally set to go into effect in 2008 as a response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks but has been delayed multiple times. — or 256-340-2437
