To meet continued demand for REAL ID, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) will open its 15 REAL ID Centers on Monday, May 19, for REAL ID services.
These 15 locations can process and issue REAL IDs over the counter. Now that the federal REAL ID Act is in effect, residents have continued showing strong interest, with over 7,000 people getting their REAL IDs during the last event, a press release said.
PennDOT’s 15 REAL ID locations will be open from 8:30 a.m . to 4:15 p.m. May 19 for REAL ID services only. At these locations, customers will receive their REAL ID while they’re there. For the latest on PennDOT’s REAL ID Days events and the list of REAL ID locations that will be open on Monday, visit PennDOT’s website.
While getting a REAL ID is optional in Pennsylvania, nearly 3 million Pennsylvanians have chosen to get one. A REAL ID or another form of federally acceptable identification (such as a valid passport or military ID) is required to:
- Board domestic commercial flights.
- Enter a military base.
- Enter certain federal facilities that require a federally acceptable form of ID.
A valid passport is still required for international travel.
REAL ID Days are held on Mondays when the centers are typically closed. During these events, centers will be exclusively processing REAL IDs to help Pennsylvanians obtain a REAL ID. The centers will still be open during their normal hours and people can also get a REAL ID or conduct other driver’s license business during that time.
If you’re not sure whether a REAL ID is right for you, click on the REAL ID online wizard that PennDOT has created.
Customers can visit driver license centers for numerous transactions other than REAL ID, and while some services do require an in-person visit, many online services are available through PennDOT’s website, www.pa.gov/dmv.
Some common transactions customers can complete online include a change of address for non-commercial license and ID card holders, renewal and duplicates of non-commercial driver licenses and ID cards, paying a driver license restoration fee, and obtaining driver history records and restoration requirement letters. For a complete list of services offered online, visit PennDOT’s website. There are no additional fees for using online services.
Federal REAL ID regulations require that PennDOT must verify the below documents to issue a REAL ID:
- Proof of Identity: examples include an original or certified copy of a birth certificate filed with the State Office of Vital Records/Statistics with a raised/embossed seal, or a valid, unexpired U.S. Passport.
- Proof of Social Security Number (proof must display currently legal name and full nine digits of the Social Security Number): examples include a Social Security card, a W-2 form, a SSA-1099 form, a non-SSA-1099 form, or a pay stub.
- Two Proofs of Current, Physical PA Address: examples include a current, unexpired PA driver’s license or identification card, vehicle registration, or a utility bill with the same name and address.
- Proof of all Legal Name Changes (if current legal name is different than what is reflected on proof of identity document): examples include certified marriage certificate(s) issued by the County Court for each marriage, court order(s) approving a change in legal name, or adoption decree issued by your county’s family court.
- Note: If current name is the same as what is reflected on the proof of identity document (usually birth certificate or passport), proof of legal name change does not need to be shown.
More information about REAL ID, including its document requirements, can be found on PennDOT’s REAL ID website.
When a customer gets their first REAL ID, they will pay a one-time fee of $30, plus the applicable renewal fee (the current renewal fee is $39.50 for a four-year non-commercial driver’s license and $42.50 for a photo ID).
The expiration date of their initial REAL ID will include any time remaining on their existing non-REAL ID, plus an additional four years, unless the customer is over 65 and has a two-year license. This expiration date structure means that the customer won’t lose time that they’ve already paid for. After the initial REAL ID product expires, the customer will pay no additional fee beyond regular renewal fees to renew a REAL ID product.
After customers present the proper documentation and pay the applicable fee, they may obtain a REAL ID-compliant product by:
- Receiving the product in the mail within 15 days if application was made at a Driver License Center.
- Receiving the product over the counter, if application was made at one of PennDOT’s 15 REAL ID Centers.
Customers who received their first Pennsylvania driver’s license, learner’s permit, or photo ID card after Sept. 1, 2003, may already have their REAL ID documentation on file with PennDOT. These customers can apply for REAL ID pre-verification and order their REAL ID online.
For a full list of driver license centers, REAL ID Centers, and services offered, visit the PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services website and click on Find a Location.