For frequent flyers in the Sunshine State, the deadline is creeping up.
In less than three months, every adult traveling via air will be required to provide a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or ID card (or a valid passport or passport card) to board commercial planes here in Florida.
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The change comes thanks to the “REAL ID Act,” which was passed by Congress back in 2005 after the 9/11 Commission recommended that the federal government “set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver’s licenses and identification cards.”
Now, all states in the country are issuing REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses and ID cards, though the new rule for air travel will begin being enforced on May 7 later this year.
WHAT DO I NEED TO DO TO GET ONE?
The good news is that if you’ve gotten a new driver’s license or renewed one over the past decade or so, you probably don’t need to worry.
Florida began issuing REAL ID-compliant licenses and IDs at the start of 2010, so any driver’s licenses and IDs issued since then are likely already good to go.
But if you don’t already have REAL ID card or your name has changed since the last time you got a card, you’ll have to visit your local tax collector’s office or driver’s license service center to get a new one.
If so, you’ll have to bring documentation that shows the following:
- Full legal name
- Date of birth
- Social Security Number
- Two proofs of address at your primary residence
- Lawful status
HOW DO I KNOW WHETHER I ALREADY HAVE A REAL ID?
Per federal officials, a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or ID will have one of five symbols in the top-right corner:
- A yellow star
- A black star
- A star with a yellow outline
- A star with a black outline
- A yellow bear with a star
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