With just days away until Real ID requirements are
set to begin at airports nationwide, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is reminding residents they can still obtain a Real ID after the federal enforcement period begins. The Secretary of State’s Office is seeing “ridiculously long lines” at DMVs of residents who incorrectly think the office will stop issuing Real IDs after May 7, Giannoulias said at a Monday press briefing. Starting May 7, most U.S. adults catching a domestic flight will be required to present a valid passport or a state-issued identification card that meets federal Real ID standards.
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“You’ll still be able to get a Real ID after May 7, which is when the enforcement period theoretically will begin at airports,” Giannoulias said. It’s not clear to what extent the Real ID requirement will be enforced starting May 7. Earlier this year, the Transportation Security Administration suggested it will implement a “phased enforcement approach,” which could allow travelers to board flights and be given warnings about the Real ID requirement if they do not have a Real ID. However, in an April news release, TSA said “full enforcement” would begin May 7. Passengers without a Real ID or other acceptable form of identification such as a passport can expect to face delays, additional screening and the possibility of not being permitted into the security checkpoint,
according to the TSA . A list of acceptable forms of identification other than a Real ID can be found on
TSA’s website . A Real ID is not required to drive, vote, apply for federal benefits or for general identification purposes or proof of citizenship, according to the Secretary of State’s Office. Still, some people are waiting in lines to get a Real ID out of fear, according to Giannoulias. “The amount of people who are coming because they’re worried about being deported or not being American citizens, that fear factor is real,” Giannoulias said. “They feel that if they don’t have a Real ID that they’re not really citizens or that they don’t have a form of identification or that they will be kicked out of America. … That part has been deeply troubling.” The Secretary of State’s Office has extended its
Real ID Saturday DMVs program and
Real ID supercenter until at least the end of May to continue to meet demand for Real ID services. Giannoulias asked residents to wait until after May 7 to apply if they do not have immediate travel plans to avoid long lines at the DMV. Giannoulias said it can take about two to three weeks for residents to receive their Real ID after visiting a DMV facility. “To those of you who are waiting in lines for a very long time, please, please, please know that we will be issuing Real IDs for the foreseeable future, probably forever,” Giannoulias said.
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