Everything Pennsylvanians Need To Know About Real ID
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- We are less than a year away from an important deadline for air travelers that live in our region. By this time next year you will need a Real ID to board planes.
The goal is to get your Real ID before Oct. 1 of 2020. Otherwise, you will be stopped at a security checkpoint.
PennDOT estimates that this will affect 2 million Pennsylvanians -- about 25% of the state's population.
Now is the time to check if your identification has a star on it.
If you want to fly domestically, you have to have a Real ID, a new driver's license or another form of identification that's Real ID compliant, like a passport, or global entry card.
The new federal rule goes into effect on Oct. 1, 2020. Air travelers will not be allowed past the checkpoint without a Real ID license after that date.
It was a 9/11 Commission recommendation that each state should have a Real ID driver's license to improve the reliability and accuracy of licenses.
"From TSA's perspective, Real ID is another layer of security that we can apply as we pursue our mission of protecting the traveling public," Gerardo Spero, with the TSA, said.
"We've made the process as convenient as possible," said Kurt Myers, with PennDOT. "You may be aware of the fact that we've added 12 new Real ID centers across the commonwealth. Since March 1 of 2019, they've been available and to date, we've issued approximately 415,000 Real IDs."
You can apply for a Real ID at a driver's license center or one of the 12 Real ID centers in the state -- three of which are in the Philadelphia area.
For more info on what documents you will need to get a Real ID, click here.
