IMHO, this will never get implemented, for a long list of political reasons.

“ The Department of Homeland Security has delayed the deadline for air travelers to have a REAL ID another two years, the agency announced Monday.

The program, which was to begin in May 2023, will now not go into effect until May 7, 2025.

This is the third time the deadline has been extended.”

https://abcnews.go.com/US/department-ho ... itter_abcn

Such a crock .. either f'n do it or eliminate it.

Obviously there is a degree of privilege of me saying this (I am thankful to be in a position where I can take time off/WFH to wait at the DMV, and I have access to multiple documents that prove my identity and place of residence) but I am confused as to why states continued to give out "limited purpose" driver's licenses that aren't Real ID compliant. There shouldn't be an option to get a non-Real ID at this point, unless you have a specific scenario (see below).

In DC, for example, the DMV only gives out Real ID driver's licenses and ID cards. They only give out "limited purpose"/non-Real ID cards to those who lack legal residence in the US or lack a SSN.

The most ironic thing about Real ID is that once it eventually goes into effect, Canadians will still be allowed to clear TSA checkpoints with their provincial driver's license.

USAirALB wrote:

Obviously there is a degree of privilege of me saying this (I am thankful to be in a position where I can take time off/WFH to wait at the DMV, and I have access to multiple documents that prove my identity and place of residence) but I am confused as to why states continued to give out "limited purpose" driver's licenses that aren't Real ID compliant. There shouldn't be an option to get a non-Real ID at this point, unless you have a specific scenario (see below).

For those of us in the real world it is a royal pain to get a Real ID. I have a passport card which does everything a Real ID does and more so I personally see no purpose in getting a Real ID and still don't have one.

ArcticFlyer wrote:

USAirALB wrote:

Obviously there is a degree of privilege of me saying this (I am thankful to be in a position where I can take time off/WFH to wait at the DMV, and I have access to multiple documents that prove my identity and place of residence) but I am confused as to why states continued to give out "limited purpose" driver's licenses that aren't Real ID compliant. There shouldn't be an option to get a non-Real ID at this point, unless you have a specific scenario (see below).

For those of us in the real world it is a royal pain to get a Real ID. I have a passport card which does everything a Real ID does and more so I personally see no purpose in getting a Real ID and still don't have one.

My understanding is that if you have a passport and it's current, you're good to go so no need for real ID driver's license. I of course could be wrong, wouldn't be the first time

Some states have been dragging their feet impleminting real ID. I have had it in the state of Georgia since I think 2016. It did not take that long, I think I spent less than 30 minutes at the DMV. I had to provide all the requirements only once. After that just regular renewals.

N757KW

UPlog wrote:

I looked into getting a Real ID in California when I lived there two years ago, and it was a pain to accomplish. Lots of documents need to be upload online, then get an appointment at DMV months out assuming your documents verification is approved.

I'm in California and I didn't need to do that when I got mine, although I think I got it did it longer ago than that, so maybe they changed the procedure. I needed to go to the DMV to renew my license anyway (After renewing online a few times they make you actually come in to retake the eye test and take a new photo). So I figured I might as well get a Real ID while I'm there. All I had to do was bring my passport and a utility bill with me.

Pretty embarrassing that it’s taking states 20 years get this rolled out properly.

Unfortunately I understand that the experience can vary greatly between states which only adds to the friction in getting the public onboard and successfully processed.

I don't see the reason for the extension. States have had plenty of time. If you've not managed it in 20 years....then you won't. Do or do not do.

janders wrote:

Pretty embarrassing that it’s taking states 20 years get this rolled out properly.

Unfortunately I understand that the experience can vary greatly between states which only adds to the friction in getting the public onboard and successfully processed.

I live in a VERY red state that doesn’t generally do process or compliance with Washington very well. Getting my Real ID couldn’t have been easier. It was deep in COVID (fall 2020) but I showed up with the required documentation and was in and out in 15 or 20 minutes. It’s hard for me to understand states having all this trouble.

This sounds very weird to me. I changed my NV driver licence to the real ID version when it expired a few years ago. Booked the appointment online and I was in and out of the DMV in 30min. New licence arrived 2 weeks later.

REAL ID is a joke, as is the TSA engaging in revenue protection for the airlines generally. Alas...

Cubsrule wrote:

janders wrote:

Pretty embarrassing that it’s taking states 20 years get this rolled out properly.

Unfortunately I understand that the experience can vary greatly between states which only adds to the friction in getting the public onboard and successfully processed.

I live in a VERY red state that doesn’t generally do process or compliance with Washington very well. Getting my Real ID couldn’t have been easier. It was deep in COVID (fall 2020) but I showed up with the required documentation and was in and out in 15 or 20 minutes. It’s hard for me to understand states having all this trouble.

VERY red states are happy to make people require more documentation to virtue signal about immigration or whatever. Also, VERY red states happen to be smaller and their DMVs have much less strain on them.

Yflyer wrote:

UPlog wrote:

I looked into getting a Real ID in California when I lived there two years ago, and it was a pain to accomplish. Lots of documents need to be upload online, then get an appointment at DMV months out assuming your documents verification is approved.

I'm in California and I didn't need to do that when I got mine, although I think I got it did it longer ago than that, so maybe they changed the procedure. I needed to go to the DMV to renew my license anyway (After renewing online a few times they make you actually come in to retake the eye test and take a new photo). So I figured I might as well get a Real ID while I'm there. All I had to do was bring my passport and a utility bill with me.

The process to get a REAL ID license in California was all set to go and the feds came in and told the DMV that our process wasn't good enough, which was a pile of garbage, and forced people to go into the DMV, which overwhelmed the infrastructure.

INFINITI329 wrote:

USAirALB wrote:

The most ironic thing about Real ID is that once it eventually goes into effect, Canadians will still be allowed to clear TSA checkpoints with their provincial driver's license.

I wonder if Canadian driver's licenses already had the standardized security features that REAL ID seeks to accomplish

Canadian driver licenses had a specific feature in place that already fit - expiration dates. When REAL ID was first proposed, Arizona had non-expiring licenses and then ones that expired after 50 years.

janders wrote:

Pretty embarrassing that it’s taking states 20 years get this rolled out properly.

Unfortunately I understand that the experience can vary greatly between states which only adds to the friction in getting the public onboard and successfully processed.

The States had 50 different processes in place to get a driver license (well, in California it is a driver license, other places might call it a drivers license) and the feds came in and basically tried to make all of them standardize, which is not at all an easy process - especially seeing all the changes in technology over the last 20 years.

N1120A wrote:

Cubsrule wrote:

janders wrote:

Pretty embarrassing that it’s taking states 20 years get this rolled out properly.

Unfortunately I understand that the experience can vary greatly between states which only adds to the friction in getting the public onboard and successfully processed.

I live in a VERY red state that doesn’t generally do process or compliance with Washington very well. Getting my Real ID couldn’t have been easier. It was deep in COVID (fall 2020) but I showed up with the required documentation and was in and out in 15 or 20 minutes. It’s hard for me to understand states having all this trouble.

VERY red states are happy to make people require more documentation to virtue signal about immigration or whatever. Also, VERY red states happen to be smaller and their DMVs have much less strain on them.

Do you have some data correlating politics with DMV congestion? I'd generally expect states with higher tax burdens, which by and large are bluer, to have more infrastructure and thus less congestion. But maybe I'm thinking about it incorrectly.

Cubsrule wrote:

N1120A wrote:

Cubsrule wrote:

I live in a VERY red state that doesn’t generally do process or compliance with Washington very well. Getting my Real ID couldn’t have been easier. It was deep in COVID (fall 2020) but I showed up with the required documentation and was in and out in 15 or 20 minutes. It’s hard for me to understand states having all this trouble.

VERY red states are happy to make people require more documentation to virtue signal about immigration or whatever. Also, VERY red states happen to be smaller and their DMVs have much less strain on them.

Do you have some data correlating politics with DMV congestion? I'd generally expect states with higher tax burdens, which by and large are bluer, to have more infrastructure and thus less congestion. But maybe I'm thinking about it incorrectly.

I think the politics part made them more likely to throw money at pushing the REAL ID agenda. Some states allow undocumented persons to have driver licenses, for very real safety reasons, but folks who are undocumented can't get REAL IDs.

As for the California DMV, it is a very impressive piece of infrastructure, but it is also pretty congested even in the best of times - for all sorts of legitimate and illegitimate reasons.

N1120A wrote:

Cubsrule wrote:

N1120A wrote:

VERY red states are happy to make people require more documentation to virtue signal about immigration or whatever. Also, VERY red states happen to be smaller and their DMVs have much less strain on them.

Do you have some data correlating politics with DMV congestion? I'd generally expect states with higher tax burdens, which by and large are bluer, to have more infrastructure and thus less congestion. But maybe I'm thinking about it incorrectly.

I think the politics part made them more likely to throw money at pushing the REAL ID agenda. Some states allow undocumented persons to have driver licenses, for very real safety reasons, but folks who are undocumented can't get REAL IDs.

As for the California DMV, it is a very impressive piece of infrastructure, but it is also pretty congested even in the best of times - for all sorts of legitimate and illegitimate reasons.

I don’t remember many states in the southeast pushing a REAL ID agenda. Tennessee had a website that laid out the requirements but didn’t do much beyond that. REAL ID issuance required a different sort of appointment, and those appointments were quite a bit harder to find than appointments for other motor vehicle licensing services.