Mar 25, 2020 3 min read

President Donald Trump said at a White House briefing earlier this week he wants to delay the implementation of Real ID as a requirement for boarding domestic flights.

Real ID was scheduled to take effect Oct. 1, and Pennsylvania was among the states working toward the deadline until the novel coronavirus pandemic interrupted usual functions at departments of motor vehicles.

The president did not substitute a new target date, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security website did not include it Tuesday.

“I have white star with a gold circle” a Peters Township resident said after she was issued a new driver’s license last month.

But when all Pennsylvania driver’s license and photo license centers shut down March 16 for two weeks, the state hit the “pause” button on Real ID.

According to the PennDOT website, the decision was made “out of an abundance of caution and in the interest of public health.”

What to do?

PennDOT notes if a customer was planning to get a Real ID at one of these centers and the license is nearing expiration, he or she can still renew the license or nondriver ID card and get what PennDOT calls “a not for Real ID purposes product.”

When Real IDs become available in these locations again, customers can return to the site and upgrade to a Real ID.

Because renewal is also built into the Real ID process, the customer will pay a one-time fee of $30, plus a renewal fee.

The current renewal fee is $30.50 for a four-year non-commercial driver’s license or a nondriver photo identification.

The expiration date of the initial Real ID will include any time remaining on the current license or ID card, plus an additional four years, unless the person over 65 and has a two-year license.

“Customers won’t ‘lose’ time that they’ve already paid for,” according to the PennDOT website.

After the initial Real ID expires, the customer will pay no additional fee, beyond regular renewal fees, to renew a Real ID.

If a customer received his or her first Pennsylvania driver’s license, learner’s permit or photo ID card after September 2003, PennDOT may already have the required Real ID documentation on file.

If a customer falls into this category and would like PennDOT to verify that the required Real ID documentation is on file, he or she can visit the website and apply for Real ID pre-verification.

If the documents are on file, these customers may obtain their Real ID online without having to visit a driver’s license center.

Under a federal law passed in 2005, in addition to flying commercial airlines domestically, the Real ID-compliant license, a valid passport or military ID will be needed when entering a military base or entering a federal facility that requires ID to be shown at the door.